#trishi

Here are the Protags for Empires!

Zer - He/Him

Trishi - She/Her

The theme in Patricia Polacco’s children’s book entitled My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother is family. Polacco establishes this theme through several different means. First, she describes how the narrator and her family, (grandparents, mother, and older brother), live on a farm together in Union City, Michigan. After establishing the novel’s setting, Polacco describes how the narrator’s grandmother demonstrates her affection, which includes a mixture of baking and telling stories. Polacco’s chosen theme of “family” is expanded upon as she describes the kinds of activities that her characters perform together, such as sleeping outside beneath the stars. This is due to the fact that these actions express an important facet of the family: a sense of togetherness.

Perhaps most importantly, however, Polacco describes a deep-seated sibling rivalry between the narrator and her older brother, Richard. Their relationship is important because it establishes what the narrator is “lacking” and her “sear[ch] for completeness,” (Vogler 91). In the context of Polacco’s novel, the narrator is the hero of the story, and she lacks the ability to do anything better than her brother. The girl’s lack is reiterated several times throughout the course of the novel. Polacco writes, “he could run the fastest, climb the highest, throw the farthest, sit the longest, get the dirtiest, burp the loudest, and spit the farthest,” (My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother read by Melissa Gilbert, 2:50). The narrator also describes a blackberry-picking competition she had with Richard, in which she loses by a longshot as he sets a berry-picking record. Finally, more than a little fed up, she challenges Richard to a rhubarb eating contest, thinking that there is no way she can lose because he can’t stand rhubarb. Unfortunately, the narrator loses the rhubarb-eating contest as well because her brother lied to her. He “love[s] rhubarb!” (My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother read by Melissa Gilbert, 4:22).

The narrator, overcome with emotion as her shortcomings are lain out before her, seeks the comfort of her grandmother. By this point in the story, the narrator’s hatred for her brother and shame over her inability to best him in any contest is readily apparent. The narrator, driven by a mixture of rage and negativity, will do anything in order to prove that she is better than her brother at something. She has to prove to both herself and her brother that she is better than something, for, without this knowledge she will not be complete. Thus, she tries to get ahead by wishing on a star, by wishing that she could do “anything better than [her] older brother,” (My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother read by Melissa Gilbert, 6:07). Luckily, the narrator’s wish comes true—she manages to stay on the merry-go-round at the traveling carnival for a longer period of time than Richard, causing what she once lacked to disappear. However, her victory comes with a price because the narrator falls off the carousel and hurts herself, forcing her brother to carry her back home and fetch a doctor. At this point in the novel, readers recognize the fact that Palacco has introduced another important aspect of the family into her book in order to reinforce the “family” theme. This is due to the fact that her words allude to the idea that although family members may not always get along, they do their best to be there for one another. This concept becomes evident when Richard puts his rivalry aside to help his sister, who might have sustained more serious injuries without his assistance.

Finally, I think it important to note that Palacco’s book suggests that families come in many different shapes and sizes. I feel as though this is the case because the narrator comes from a broken family—she lives with her grandparents, mother, and older brother, but her father isn’t in the picture. Despite her lack of a father figure, the narrator is depicted as belonging to a “typical,” healthy family with close ties. They support each other and are there for one another, even if they don’t always get along. I feel as though this is an important message for young kids for two reasons. First, it demonstrates that they are not alone—there are other people who come from broken families. Second, it validates their experience, demonstrating and reminding children from broken families that their family structure is no less than any other.

Works Cited:

“My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother read by Melissa Gilbert.” Performance by Melissa Gilbert, Youtube, Storyline Online, 21 May 2012.

My first thought was: Shit not this again xD Well I think I already did this once but since @iciclequeentrishna​ tagged me again and I don’t really remember anything about my last time, imma just gonna do this. Again. Thanks for tagging me! Hopefully this will be easy.

As much as I know you just have to list your favs, without using a fandom twice, so let’s do this.

1. Ren Kouen from Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic 2. Kyouraku Shunsui from Bleach 3. Erwin Smith from Shingeki no Kyojin 4. Soryu Oh from Kissed by the Baddest Bidder (Otome) 5. Hannah Annafellows from Kuroshitsuji 6. Tsumiki Mikan from Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair 7. Peter White from Wonderful Wonder World 8. Suoh Mikoto from K-Project 9. Undyne the Undying from Undertale 10. Cia from The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Warriors