QUESTION 4: ‘FRIENDS ARE PEOPLE WHO ALWAYS SUPPORT US.’ WITH CLOSE REFERENCE TO THE NOVEL YOU HAVE STUDIED, HOW FAR IS THIS TRUE?
Based on the novel, Captain Nobody by Dean Pitfchford, there are a few events that prove the value of friendship. These events can be shown by Newt and his friends, Cecil and JJ. This novel tells about Newt and his friends who are always supporting each other in every problem that they are facing.
The first evidence to support friendship value is when Newt tries to help Cecil in getting the big bass drum from the top of the Dumpster. After school, Cecil sees a big bass drum and he summons Newt so that he can help him to get it down for him. At first Newt refuses and thinks that Cecil is only joking and just ignores it. Feeling reluctant, Newt changes his mind and decides to meet Cecil at the corner of Waren and Kander streets. Although he is suffering from his acrophobic – fear of heights, he fights his fear to fulfill Cecil’s dream of owning the first bass drum. He climbs the Dumpster and carefully passes the drum to Cecil who is waiting with open arms on the ground. Lastly, he manages to put the drum down and it brings joy to Cecil’s life. This shows that Newt cares about Cecil very much as his best friend because he overcomes his fear to help Cecil. I think Newt is a good friend because of his sacrifice to satisfy his best friend’s wish. We should apply Newt’s attitude in our lives in order to achieve our goals and also to support our friends when they really need our help. [J: Justify P: Personalise]
The next event that shows the value of friendship is when JJ and Cecil become so protective as they both help to defend Newt when Ricky Ratner threatens him. In the play area, a football hits Newt right on the back of his head and when he looks up, he sees a big figure of Ricky Ratner, Reggie Ratner’s cousin. Ricky insists Newt to tell Chris’ friends to stop harassing Reggie. Then, JJ and Cecil come at the right moment, standing protectively beside Newt while all the fourth grade boys surround them. Ricky and his friends decide to walk away after realizing the presence of Mr. Toomey nearby. If I was there, I would do the same thing to protect my friends from any unwanted incident. Who knows one day our friends will stand tall behind us when we really need their support? This event clearly shows that without friends, we are on our own. [P: Personalise J: Justify]
The next evidence that shows the value of friendship is when JJ and Cecil help design Captain Nobody’s costume together. Newt could not decide on what to wear for Halloween Night but both of them came together to help design a costume. The costume consists of Chris’s red sweatpants tucked into Chris’s old silver track shoes, a cape, a baseball jersey and a mask. The costume later makes Newt feels confident and calls himself Captain Nobody. I would have done the same thing for Newt because good friends help one another in times of need. [P:Personalise]
In conclusion, friendship is an important value in our daily life. We must keep a long-lasting friendship by always being there to support each other in dealing with any challenges. Newton Newman plays a really good character in this novel and should be the number one role model for us especially for youngsters to create a better life. As a saying goes, ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’.
ANJUNG DIDIK 