I was reading through a list of "Open Ended AP Literature" questions, and came across the topic of the mentor- an acquaintance whose influence on a specific character, dramatically changes that character's view of not only him or herself, but their view of the world as well. Rather than answering the question directly, I began to make a list of all of the mentors that I have come across through works of fiction; Obi Wan Kanobi, Yoda, Dumbledore, Gandalf (the Grey and White), Charles Xavier, Merlin, and the beloved Uncle Press. After creating this list, I realized that the character of Uncle Press is very similar to Gandalf. This being said, it is fitting that I write about the connection between the two mentors, and their impact on their apprentices. Hobey ho, let's go!
"He wore a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, and a silver scarf. He had a long white beard and bushy eyebrows that stuck out beyond the brim of his hat." Gandalf the Grey is one of the most renown mentors in all of literature. First appearing in The Hobbit as a fussy, old mage, Gandalf revealed himself to Bilbo as a wise and powerful being. Orchestrating Bilbo's journey to the Lonely Mountain, Gandalf thrust Bilbo toward his destiny. Gandalf also served as a mentor in The Hobbit's sequel, in which he introduced Frodo to the ring, and explained that he must destroy it. He established the Fellowship of the Ring, which was charged with the duty of returning the ring to the fires of Mordor. Gandalf died in the process of saving the Fellowship, primarily Frodo, only to return at a later point. The death of Gandalf had an extreme emotional impact on the Fellowship, in which they were forced to overcome due to their ultimate goal: to destroy the ring. Gandalf the White, the revived form of Gandalf the Grey, continued his purpose as guardian of the Fellowship, and mentor to Frodo.
The Pendragon series (which has occupied a special place in my heart since I first read the series) exhibits a mentor-like figure of its own--the one and only, Uncle Press. Press Tilton made his appearance on the night of Bobby's birthday, introducing him to his destiny as a "Traveler." Bobby secured his place at the rear of Uncle Press' motorcycle, and rode off toward an uncertain fate. Uncle Press had trained Bobby from his childhood, so that he would be ready to take his place as the leader of the Travelers. Uncle Press died in the second book of the series, so that Bobby would be able to continue to the Lost City of Faar. Bobby had a difficult time recovering from the death of his beloved Uncle, but learned to fight on toward his ultimate destiny. In his death, Uncle Press had promised Bobby that they would be reunited in the future. This promise came true in Raven Rise--the ninth book of the series--in which all of the Travellers were reunited in a parallel universe, so that they could band together one last time in order to defeat the evil Saint Dane.
Both Gandalf and Uncle Press introduced their apprentices to their destiny, thus affecting the course of their futures. As a faithful opponent against the rising evils in Middle Earth, Gandalf "died" while preventing the Balrog from harming the rest of the Fellowship. Uncle Press died while protecting a fellow Traveler, stating that his time in Halla was already coming to an end. Both mentors reappeared later in the series, so that they could help their "students" toward their ultimate destinies. For this reason, I believe that Uncle Press was created to represent a modern mentor. Just like Gandalf, Uncle Press influenced a specific character, in this case Bobby Pendragon, in order to lead them toward his destiny, and change his view of himself and the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment