Question

(Score for Question 1: ___ of 20 points)

Answer 1

In both stories the protagonists reach a point of self discovery that makes them value their upbringing. In Dade’s case, he realizes at the end of the story that he is alone in the world. “I feel alone in the world, in the way that makes me aware of sound and temperature.” Dade decides he will make his own way in life, to do what he wantsto do, rather than what his parents want him to do. Even though he is going to try and make his own way in life, healso realizes that he needs his parents. Julian, like Dade, realizes at the end of the story that he is alone in the world as well. “Wait here, wait here!” he cried and jumped up and began to run for help toward a cluster of lights he saw in the distance ahead of him. “Help, help!” he shouted, but his voice was thin, scarcely a thread if sound.


His dying words supposedly expressed his recognition, that with his death, Christianity would become the empire's state religion. Julian was a pagan and for him to admit that when he died Christianity would flourish, was something that perhaps he knew all along and he was telling his mother to accept change and live with certain realities.