https://padlet.com/hkooner1_1/9vru0fn5lqc9ul3c en-us 2021-03-15 04:11:16 UTC 2025-05-06 09:08:15 UTC hello@padlet.com hkooner1_1 https://padlet.com/hkooner1_1/9vru0fn5lqc9ul3c/wish/1308902038 Although the Last Poet's novel contains many important themes, I believe that the most prevalent theme focuses on character development as a result of facing conflict. The theme statement goes as follows: conflict and hardships are extremely important when it comes to developing one's character, primarily for the better. This theme statement is heavily supported through the multitude of hardships that Umar faces.

Umar's hardships first begin during his childhood. An example of hardship is his speech impediment. Growing up, Umar struggled to speak, he had the ability to think of what words he wished to say, but unfortunately lacked the ability to say them. This led to Umar being incapable of expressing himself. To make matters worse, he faced continuous mocking from his brother and grandmother, who would call him "stupid" and a "baby" (Otten 38, 42). As unfortunate and depressing as this may seem, Umar's struggle to speak and the belittling he faced because of it, significantly impacted his character. He was able to use this as motivation which further fueled his desire to be able to speak properly. His hard work and determination pay off as he finally gains the ability to speak. Fast-forwarding to his adulthood, Umar is now an extremely outspoken individual, unafraid to speak his mind. This is the polar opposite of his character as a child. This goes to show just how important hardships are when it comes to developing character. Moving on, another example of a childhood hardship has to be the lacking presence of a responsible father. Umar's father was an alcoholic and this had a severe impact on Umar because he was forced to step up and work in order to feed his family. His difficult time working as a shoe shiner at the Roxy's further developed his character. All the racist remarks that were said to him led to him developing into a strong-minded individual, one capable of blocking out the hate (30) Christine Otten includes Umar's childhood hardships to show that they are not the end of the world, and are important to becoming a better person overall.

Although Umar faced many hardships during his childhood, he also faced some impactful ones during his early adulthood. One of the most impactful hardships is when Umar almost burns to death at a Black United office, protesting against racism and police brutality (152). Umar and some other protestors found themselves holding their ground in an office, following the beginning of the Akron riots. One night, police officers surrounded the office and threw tear gas into the building, causing a fire to begin, and ultimately widespread panic. Fortunately, Umar survived but found himself in a jail cell. This conflict led to Umar developing a more personal and deep connection with the civil rights movement. Furthermore, Umar was proud of his defiance, stating "they had stood up to the cops, and the fire and the heat and the tear gas had not broken them..." (160) This goes to show how impactful this conflict was, as it also led to Umar developing into a brave individual, one who is unafraid to stand up for what he believes is right.

Alongside being prevalent in the novel, this theme statement is also applicable to my own life. Throughout my life, I have faced many hardships and battles, ranging from failing a test because I didn't study enough all the way to losing a loved one. I wholeheartedly believe that these hardships have developed my character and impacted me in a positive way. For example, there have been times in my life where I let my laziness and procrastination get to me, which resulted in me failing a test or an essay. Not satisfied with the results, I pushed myself to work harder and diligently to make sure that I never made the same mistake again. This shows that the long-term lesson and impact of a conflict significantly outweighs the short-term and more immediate feeling of pain and sadness. Christine Otten is trying to show that it is acceptable to face hardship and conflict and to use them as fuel to improve and get better. It is not where you start that matters, but where you finish.

I have included a picture that stresses the importance of where you end, compared to where you start.


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