'How Many Miles to Babylon Essay\r'

'Describe Alecs trip and discuss the worthy discernment or lessons that you gained through with(predicate) with(predicate) the study of the theme of the transit?\r\nThe sweet how umteen a nonher(prenominal) miles to Babylon by Jennifer Johnson spunkylights Alec Moore’s tragic move around. We distinguish his excursion true small fryhood to adulthood. Interestingly, the wise begins at the terminate of Alec’s journey as he waits executing â€Å"because I am no officer & axerophthol; a gentlemen they shoot given me my originbook, ink, pen, paper” and comes good circle. Immediately we wonder how Alec person so high up in the fightfare is beingness executed, indeed as we read on we begin to dupe how his journey through sustenance has left him degage and cold, returning to his prison cell at the scraggy of the novel. Despite Alec’s internal background or rather because of it, I now realise that the disembodied spirit breaking ending was inevitable.\r\nHaving studied the e truly(prenominal)ys journey I have gained many insights into how isolated minorren terminate be despite having a privileged background, isolation and image his amaze had over him was a major prohibition, with the protrude of friendship obstacles tail end come upm meaningless, psychology and Alec’s coping strategies, the come to the journey had on the protagonist and how people dealt with the trauma of war distinctly.\r\nAlec led a precise authorityled and confined life due to his vexs control and rein over him. Through prohibited the novel we reckon how Alec’s pose has in truth little sleep with for him which get hold ofs Alec the way he is, Alec has a dysfunctional family and a cruel cold hearted m some other who takes no sense datum of motherly hunch over towards him. He grew up as a lonely young boy â€Å"As a child I was alone… I was isolated from surrounding children of my protest age”. A lec erstwhile said â€Å"if I were to be born once again I would choose to be a rook.\r\nThey require such(prenominal) joyful, public lives” un standardised him, from this we can none that Alec is very unhappy in his life. Despite Alecs privileged life with no shortage of material goods he was deprived love and compassion from his mother. His parents were only in concert for appearances and status. We know this from when Alec puts â€Å"My father’s face would show little emotion”. The insight I gained from convey him to this was that â€Å"money really cannot buy you happiness”.\r\nDuring the novel we see how isolation plays a major obstacle in Alec’s journey. Alec wasn’t allowed go to develop day â€Å"he is delicate, Frederick my dear” From this quote it is behave how controlled Alec is by Alicia and the undercoat she has over her so, she isolates him. As we know his mother controlled his life and had a big influence on h is journey. Alec was cut off socially in many aspects. Alicia was not happy close him making friends this is clear when she sends Europe to stop his friendship with Frederick. In her eyeball it is an â€Å"unsuitable relationship”.\r\nAlec’s mother Alicia had a powerful upper hand over her son. some(prenominal) she cute was done. Her orders were obeyed. It wasn’t until the end of the novel that we see Alec trying to get back at his mother which costs him his own life. Alec went to war because his mother wanted him to â€Å"I want you to go for all the right hand reasons as strong as a a few(prenominal) of the wrong ones”. From this we can note that Alicia has the last say in every issue and is the decision maker. She forced Alec to go to war just so she could boast to her women friends over lunch about having a son in the war. alone that didn’t work out as well as endned as Alec deliberately score his own execution. Therefore Alicia coul dn’t gloat about her son being off at war and most certainly couldn’t tell them how he died as this was some liaison to be ashamed of in her eyes.\r\nThe power of friendship between Jerry and Alec helped the protagonist through his journey. The insight I gained from this was friendship is vital, it can help you through some of the hardest things in life and we see this at first hand in the novel â€Å"How some(prenominal) Miles”. Alec for the first time experienced love; he had neer experienced this emotion onwards up to this point he was a very cold character.\r\nAlec and Jerry were so in sync and understood apiece other so well â€Å"the beating of our black Maria was equivalent the cracking wings of a meander”. Jerry and Alec were like â€Å"tweedledum and tweedledee”. They both were extremely close and very unacquainted(p) â€Å"ever had a sup before?’ I considered my chances of getting away with a duplicity and then shook my head”, â€Å"I’d of thought you’d have been with a little girl”. From this we can take that both of these characters were very innocent and open with each other, they have great consider in one another and can trust in each other.\r\nTheir friendship was the only thing Alec had; they never let each other mountain and al ways supported one another. From my reading of the novel I learnt that Alec and Jerry always had each other’s backs â€Å"of course I’ll speak for you but my share is not very loud”. From this quote it certifies that my in a higher place statement is true. With the support of Jerry on Alec’s journey, his obstacles of isolation, Alicia, Glendenning, no father figure and his Anglo/Irish class all seem meaningless and in ways we can see Alec’s life improve aft(prenominal)(prenominal) he befriends Jerry. I gained a very valuable insight that friendship is vital in every walk of life and it really can ma ke lines seem meaningless when you savor you have someone else on your side willing to take the stemma with you.\r\nI learnt a very valuable lesson on psychology trough out this novel. From the very commence right up until the end we see how twist and devious Alicia is. She is willing to put her only child’s life at risk by forcing him off to war, his opinion does not matter. The way Alicia’s mind functions is very interesting. I personally was center with Alicia’s character. I had never even considered the fact that one’s mother could have such a negative influence on her own child’s life especially in these circumstances where Alec’s mother present and the sloshed background they had. Alicia as well intentionally sets out to shake up her child when she drops the bomb shell â€Å"Perhaps he were not your father”. This really helps me understand how perspicacious and devious Alec’s mother is. I had never even anticip ated how cruel a mother could be to her own flesh and blood. She was so bluff and carefree.\r\nI also found it tantalizing on how Alec evoked his mother. He obeyed her wish about overtaking to war but purposely left ahead of time so Alicia could not celebrate his departure with the neighbours like she had planned. Also how Alec did not write to his mother at the start, he rejected his mother. Alec also made trustworthy that Alicia did not get her way at the very end when he orchestrated his own execution. He felt he had no more reason to live, nothing worth to live for â€Å"I love no living person”. This really emphasises how Alec did not have any love for his mother. I learnt a valuable lesson on psychology and an insight into how Alec and Alicia feel about each other. How their relationship is not a usual mother/son type. Alec dealt with issues in his life a very different way than most, he would try his utmost best to ignore the line of work and forget it even happen ed.\r\nAlec was like a child in the way he dealt with his problems; he didn’t stand up and face the face problem head on like most men. The title of respect â€Å"How Many Miles to Babylon” is a perfect example of this; it is a nursery rhyme which hints to us that Alec is not very mature with his coping strategies. He also uses dodging as a way to block out the real issue, a perfect example of this is his plan to open up a riding school with Jerry. Which he knows deep down is not expiry to happen but forces himself to believe so. He focuses on the physical pain of war not the existence of it. Alec’s journey had a major impact on him. Throughout the novel we can see Alec’s character grow and mature. We see Alec assort with emotions we didn’t think he had for example he felt love for the first time, we know this from when Alec says after Jerry has died â€Å" I love no living thing”.\r\nFrom this we can note that Alec had deep feelings fo r Alec as a friend, he loved him like a brother. Alec journey makes him more of life, he led a very secured and protected up bringing he did not know the evil of this world they lived in. In ways going to war helped him understand and get a better grasp of life. Alec’s journey also allows him to open up more. We see this mainly with Jerry they announce feelings and thoughts to each other. As i mentioned above we precept him love and care for another human being but we also saw him express resentment â€Å" I picked up the poker and beat at the fire”. All in all this journey had a major affect on Alec in numerous aspects, but i got an insight into how it allowed him to have-to doe with with his feelings and allowed him to open up more.\r\nIn conclusion, after study this novel I gained an insight into many different aspects of Alec’s life which I would never have considered before, I learnt how Jerry assisted Alec on his journey and that with a friendship lik e that you get the feeling like you are in control and nothing can stop you. I also learnt a plenitude about how Alec and Alicia feel about each other after reading more into the novel.\r\n'