I heard the Owl Call My Name
"Each man must look to himself to teach him the meaning of life. It is not something discovered; it is something molded." Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Vicar Mark Brian, a man that has been given only three years to live, is sent to a remote village to teach a traditional indian tribe Christian beliefs. During his first year he learns that his "mission" is not only to educate the tribe but save them from self-extinction. Through his actions, thoughts, and beliefs the overall theme of personal growth and sacrifice are structured in Margaret Craven's modern classic, I Heard the Owl Call My Name. The first example of Mark's growth, and the first step to his own personal growth, is his unselfish behavior. This behavior is showed first through his skirmish with the schoolteacher. The teacher, who is always complaining about his living conditions, tells Mark to complain to the authorities about his living conditions.
The next example of Mark's unselfish behavior is his refusal to ask for a new vicarage, although he desperately needs one. "Even the smallest villages were given more pencils and pads. There was never a time when he was to busy to help someone or to offer advise. An example of this is when the elders wanted to build a new gravesite. Instead, he patiently waits until the tribe respects him enough to help him. 'He never like mashed turnips and I made him eat them. Throughout the novel an important lesson is being told, one that in today's world is often forgotten. Another example of the change Mark instilled upon the tribe is Mrs. Also, he is expected to pay for the paper tissues which he dropped so generously on the sniffling noses of his pupils. " (p 38-39)Mark, not even having the luxury of indoor pluming, did not complain or demand the authorities to add on a bathroom to his vicarage, but instead suggested the teacher cut two round holes for his knees to stick through. Another way Craven's theme is expressed is through Mark's personal sacrifices to the tribe. This lesson is of kindness, sacrifice, and unselfishness. "' When you come I will not bang on the table when I want coffee.
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