Question

Describe Jonathan's outlook on life and defend your analysis with evidence from the story

Answer 1

Talking about the short story Civil Peace we can say that Jonathan has an optimistic outlook of things and he always looks the bright side of the things. One of the many examples of this positive outlook is that he did not spend time being sad that he did not have a job. Instead, he used the bonus miracle bike(as he calls it in a very possitive way)to make money ferrying camp officials. And he uses the expression: Nothing puzzles God every time something lucky or good happens to him.

Answer 2

Jonathan has an optimistic view regarding life. No matter what happens, he seems to look on the bright side. For example, during the civil war, he was forced to give up two pounds in order to save his bike from a man impersonating a soldier. A more pessimistic character might have been bitter at having to lose money to a dishonest person; instead, Jonathan was overjoyed that he could save his bike. In fact he called it a bonus "miracle," though still one that was inferior compared to the fact that four out of five of his family members survived the war. Because of his happy and positive outlook on life, things that would have been considered "bad luck" were a series of miracles for Jonathan. He did not spend time being sad that he did not have a job. Instead, he used the bonus miracle bike to make money ferrying camp officials. Instead of being angry that such people had so much money that they could throw it away without thinking about it, he was overjoyed that he had made a "small fortune." At the end of the story, Jonathan's apparent luck comes to an end when he is robbed of his ex gratia or "egg rasher." But even that does not change Jonathan's attitude about life. He explains to his neighbors that the egg rasher, in the larger picture, doesn't mean a thing.