Enjoy this interview with Garth Stein. Information on the poem he mentions is linked below in the post.
Let’s begin exploring this year’s theme of resilience inside the community text. The following link provides ten ways to build resilience. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx# (Note that page 4 lists the ten steps.) Review the ten steps carefully and choose one that interests you.
Then, for part of our homework, write a thoughtful paragraph, five to seven sentences in Standard English, that locates a line, passage, or scene in the novel illuminating the step that interests you. I want you to write your response first in a word document on your computer and revise it carefully for Standard English. Then when you are satisfield with your prose, paste your small paragraph into the comment thread. Because you will be supplying a few words, a line or a small passage from the text, just use simple MLA format to cite the page number in the parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase. Click here for review: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/
ps: click here for “The Revenant,” the poem by Billy Collins that Garth Stein mentions in the above interview. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvqipvqn8zE
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Mr. Sullivan's Digital Classroom 
The APA recommendation to “maintain a hopeful outlook” is displayed when Enzo was locked in the house once Eve left with Zoe. Denny was also out of town for a race, so Enzo had no one to help him. Yet, in this drastic situation it might have seemed, Enzo did not loose control and kept himself cool. He thought to himself how God refrained to give dogs thumbs, so he gave them the ability to go long without nourishment. Enzo looked at himself, and was motivated by thinking of his abilities. With this positive attitude, Enzo thrived without kibble relying on scraps and toilet water for three days before Denny returned home.
The line, “No race had ever been won in the first corner, but plenty of races have been lost there”(206) exemplifies to me the second step in the APA’s Road to Resilience: avoiding seeing crises as insurmountable problems. This is one of Denny’s weakest points in the story but also his strongest. Denny faces a life alone, without his wife and possibly without his daughter. He almost allows the evils in his life to take over but Denny puts down his drink and explains to Enzo that he will not give up. He recognizes that he is in a highly stressful situation in which the odds are stacked up against him but he responds with tenacity and perseverance. I believe Denny conquerers the adversity that he faces and demonstrates admirable resilience in these situations.
From the APA’s list of 10 ways to build resilience, looking for opportunities of self-discovery directly correlates with a passage when Enzo is thinking to himself and says: “that which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and our failures have been brought on by none other than ourselves” (Stein 43). Following this realization Enzo follows up with thinking about how it has been because of his own actions that create the great relationship he has with Denny, but also the not so great relationship he has with Eve. It is what we choose to do that directly affects our lives and our own personal destiny. Being able to realize this, among other things, is a truly important step towards building resilience.
From the list APA supplies of ways to build resilience, avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems struck me as very important to succeeding in being resilient because crisis comes from anxiety and fear of an unfavorable situation that could be otherwise handled better. This relates to the scene in The Art of Racing in theRain where Eve is talking to Enzo about the fact that the cancer is taking over her body and her mind, and how she feels trapped by it. In particular, when Enzo is talking about his future life as a person and plans to “Separate [himself] from the burden, the angst, the anguish that we all encounter everyday. To say I am alive, I am wonderful, I am. I am. That is something to aspire to be.” (160). Enzo can see how Eve’s resilience has worn out, but because he is a dog, he sees this as a learning opportunity for his future life and he plans to avoid crisis by enjoying his presence on Earth no matter what the situation. He plans to disregard the sadness of upcoming death like Eve, but to fight until the very end, showing resilience with his passion for human life.
Maintain a hopeful outlook:
Denny becomes very frustrated and reassures himself in a negative way that rapists don’t get custody of their daughters. At this point Denny is very close to giving up, he falls into the hands of alcohol and all hope seems gone. Sometime while Enzo left Denny alone; Denny found that hope and resilience to put down the booze and not give up. He knows what he has to do and is determined take whatever risks will fall upon him in the near future. “No race has ever been won in the first corner, but plenty of races have been lost there.”(206)
In the book The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, the main character Denny demonstrates resilience by facing major obstacles throughout his life. One specific aspect of resilience as defined by the APA involves moving towards your goals no matter how insurmountable. This property is demonstrated by the quotation “There is no dishonor in losing the race, Don said. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose.”(289) In this quotation,the Don is expressing that the only way to win is to actually try first. Denny takes this advice and pursues the problems he is having with his custody battle and fights to get his daughter back. This form of resilience is important because it tells us that our hopes and dreams can only fail because we allow them to. Being resilient means holding on even when things look bleak. The Don is expressing this through the act of racing, but the theory applies to any situation where one faces odds that may seem too daunting to accomplish. Being resilient involves facing odds with courage and dignity no matter what theo utcome may be.
Resilience is demonstrated by Enzo through a few different ways. One of the greatest examples of resilience in The Art Of Racing In The Rain comes in the scene where Denny gets a settlement offer where he is asked to take misdemeanor harassment and in return the major lawsuit against him will be dropped. Enzo notices Denny’s fading strength and decides to influence his decision by grabbing hold of the papers. This is important because it further proves that Enzo is more of a ‘human’ in terms of logical thinking than anyone else in the story. He can make the hard choices, correctly, without becoming emotional. “I was an old dog. Recently hit by a car. And yet I mustered what I could, and the pain medication Denny had given me earlier helped with the rest… I reached out with my teeth. And the next thing I knew, I was standing at the kitchen door with the papers in my mouth.” (265). Enzo realizes that he needs to be a caring friend for Denny at this moment rather than being his faithful dog, and that ends up making all the difference. Without Enzo’s resilience, Denny would have never gotten his life back in order.
In “Art of Racing In the Rain”, Denny shows how resilience triumphs over anything. Out of the blue, Trish and Maxwell gain custody of Denny’s Daughter, Zoe. Denny, all sad inside, immediately goes home and pulls out a bottle of liquor. He sits down on the porch while Enzo stares at him with empathy, hoping he can help in some way. Usually, other people would react to the situation in a negative manner, but not Denny. After a couple of drinks, he realizes that he just lost his wife and he’s about to lose his daughter as well. Like Denny always says, “No race has ever been won in the first corner… But plenty of races have been lost there” (206). In the end Denny didn’t give up, he fought for the custody of Zoe and he won. Denny avoided seeing the crisis as an insurmountable problem. He rose to the occasion and found a solution to his dilemma. While many would give up, if there were in Denny’s shoes, Denny showed that resilience is always triumphant.
The novel The Art of Racing in The Rain by Garth Stein, illustrates resilience through the perspective of a canine named Enzo. Enzo truly portrays a step created by the American Psychological Association in order to build resilience, which is to accept that change is part of living. Enzo is having thoughts about another character in the novel “Her name was Eve, and at first I resented how she changed our lives. I resented the attention Denny paid to her small hands, her plump, round buttocks, her modest lips… For she was a person, unlike me. She was everything I wasnít” (Stein 21). This passage illuminates the step, to accept change because it is a part of living. Enzo realizes that he could not alter that he is not a human and that he has a different relationship with Denny, which allows him to build more resiliency. Enzo accepts the new changes occurring in his life so he could persevere to keep a great relationship with Denny because of his loyalty. Being able to take “curveballs” that life throws at you and to overcome them is truly a step in order to build resilience.
In The art of Racing In the Rain, resilience is shown throughout the novel with Denny. Denny is a resilient character because even when facing hardships, Denny always persevered. The first of many troubles that Denny is faced with is that his wife passes away. Furthermore, Denny is falsely accused of rape and as a result, and can no longer afford to have custody of his daughter. Human nature would tell one to give up in difficult times such as these, yet Denny’s resilient behavior does not allow him to give up. Denny continues to battle these false accusations and is eventually found innocent of rape. As a result, he finally earns custody of his daughter back. Throughout the novel, Denny maintained a positive outlook on life and did not let obstacles hold him back. Although Denny cannot earn his wife back, his resilient attitude allowed his life to return to normal.
Throughout The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein beautifully illustrates resilience. Resilience means rebounding from life’s unexpected events, and showing the ability to bounce back from hardship. The narrator in this story is dog named Enzo. He spends his time planning the life he will lead after his dog life is over. Dying is a cycle of life and Enzo is not afraid. He shows resilience to life by looking forward to his second life as a human. Furthermore, one of my favorite quotes in this book is, “Things didn’t turn out the way they were supposed to, but what can you do? You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it” (91). This is a saying we have all heard 1000 times in our lives, but it does not make it any less true. Be resilient and keep fighting the good fight, because that is the best organisms can do. For that is what racing in the rain is all about, patience and anticipation. Before you can be first in the race you need to finish it.
An instance that stood out to me as resilience, was when the “evil twins” aka Eve’s parents are battling for custody of Zoe. Even though Denny has to pour countless hours and a multitude of dollars into the legal case. He never gives in and always tells his daughter that he will come out victorious. To me this is a prime example of resilience because he stays strong adapts to the situation and wins. Denny also displays resilience because he has the ability to avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems, he accepts the fact that this situation has occurred and recognizes that he catching it. So in an effort to adapt and look twords the furture he strives to stay a great father and find the silver lining.
Each step given in the American Psychological Association’s list of steps to the road to resilience is clearly executed in The Art of Racing in the Rain. Throughout the novel, Denny often faces challenges and avoids seeing them as insurmountable problems. When Denny and Enzo are at the family reunion in Methow Valley, Enzo thinks to himself “the true hero is flawed. The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph, but whether he can overcome obstacles- preferably in his own making- in order to triumph.” (135) Denny’s battle over Zoey later in the book is a major challenge, one that certainly has the power and ability to destroy all aspects of Denny’s mind and future. Although some may argue that this situation is Denny’s responsibility because he seems to ignore Annikaís flirtatious behaviors, Denny fights to rise above this major obstacle in his life. He never gives up on the difficult custody battle over his daughter and works as hard as he can to acheive his racecar driving dreams. This will make him a champion in both areas of his life.
From the APA’s 10 ways to build resilience, “Accept that change is a part of living”: Although all ways to build resilience show in Garth Steins, “The Art of Racing in The Rain”, denny shows a great acceptance of change throughout his struggles. Despite the loss of his wife, the separation from his daughter, and his daily struggles with the court case, denny always manages to find a way through the day. He makes accommodations based on the changes in his hectic schedule to see his daughter, to take care of his dog, and most importantly keep striving for his dream to drive cars. Before Denny manages to find acceptance, he falls into a slum of drinking and is on the brink of giving up. He then realizes that life isn’t always easy and that there are obstacles, and the acceptance of change can help do great things. Great things such as moving on from his wife’s death, winning the court case and getting his daughter back, and most importantly, accepting that his dogs life has come to an end. Once Denny conquers the changes that he has gone through, he achieves his ultimate dream to drive cars.
In the Art of Racing in the Rain, Enzo displays many characteristics of resilience that correspond with APA’s definition of resilience. For example, his main obstacle of the book is dealing with the daily struggles of being a dog. However, he shows resilience towards this unfavorable circumstance by maintaining an optimistic outlook; he looks forward to the future and embraces his death, which will eventually lead him to his goal — becoming a man in his next life. He accepts the fact that he will die and lose his memories of being a dog, but he embraces it and is ready for change: “I am ready to become a man now, though I realize I will lose all that I have been. All of my memories, all of my experiences” (3). He maintains a hopeful outlook throughout his years of being a dog because he knows that eventually he will be reborn into manhood.
Look for opportunities for self-discovery.
One way resilience effects a person and his/her actions is that of moving forward, and accepting the cold hard facts. However, when facing the facts, don’t let them negatively impact you. Instead, take that something negative, and make it something more powerful, something you can actually do something with. Take them and carry on with them as a sort of reminder, such as in the book The Art of Racing in the Rain, the narrator explains how a “true hero is flawed. The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph, but whether he can overcome obstacles – preferably of his own making – in order to triumph”(135). This is the view and ideal trait to every resilient person, such as Enzo and Denny. It explains how you don’t have to be a perfect human being, and that no one is. But what a perfect person really is, is just like Denny and Enzo. How they take past mistakes and problems with them, but to fuel them and make them better, not to let them drag you down.
The very first step on the list of 10 ways to build resilience is ìMake Connectionsî, and while this step is a seemingly small aspect in the novel, it held the most weight of all the acts of resilience by Denny. As Dennyís wife became sicker, her family reached out to him, supporting and sensitive. Unfortunately, the character of Annika created a relationship that was inappropriate and led to challenges unforeseen by many. Nevertheless, these challenges allowed an act of resilience that was greater than any other in the book. This was not just overcoming the challenge by winning the trial against Annika, but in Dennyís compassion and unassuming nature as he went to speak to her in person. ìíI see her, too,í he said. ‘Let’s handle this with dignity’ (Stein 281). This is more than dignity, it represents the ability to overcome adversity with selflessness and to reach out for others even as one is falling down themselves.
In The Art of Racing in The Rain Denny showed true resilience when he persevered and moved towards his goal even when faced with the most difficult challenges. He did not waste time complaining about his problems, but instead took a proactive approach in finding the solution. Throughout the book Denny continues to find solutions to his problems. He rarely ever sees his challenges as insurmountable. He continues to look at his crises with a positive outlook. Denny’s determination and refusal to accept the hardships help him win back Zoe. As Garth Stein writes, “Many of us have convinced ourselves that compromise is necessary to achieve our goals, that all our goals are not attainable so we should eliminate the extraneous, prioritize our desires, and accept less than the moon” (246). Denny would not accept this statement. He did not give up and bounced back when faced with adversities. His ability to keep going even when faced with a challenge was a true example of resilience.
In the novel the Art of Racing in the Rain Denny embodies resilience perfectly. Denny faced many crises throughout the novel but never viewed them as insurmountable problems. One example of this would be when the grandparents had Denny arrested. This move was a message to Denny that he would not win this fight for Zoe. Denny did not accept this conclusion and continued to fight for Zoe. By viewing this crisis as a beatable problem Denny did not give up hope and showed resilience. This mentality of avoiding to see crises as insurmountable problems proves resilient Denny truly is.
I believe that in the novel The Art in Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, Denny is the most resilient character in the book. He goes through the many hardships of the life that he lives in, from losing his wife, going broke, an unreliable job, almost losing his daughter, getting charged with rape, the list goes on. I believe that he is the true hero in this story, and though he messed up at times, he stayed resilient. Enzo said it best when he said “The true hero is flawed. The true test of a champion is not whether he can triumph, but whether he can overcome obstacles– preferably of his own making– in order to triumph. A hero without a flaw is of no interest to an audience or to the universe, which, after all, is based on conflict and opposition, the irresistible force meeting the unmovable object”(135). Enzo has watched Denny evolve over the years that he has been is pet dog, and has been by his side every since. he knows what Denny has been through, and he knows that he is a true hero, for he did what was right, even though he may have gotten hurt along the way. True hero’s make sacrifices. I believe this ties in with the resilience factor, because he has to go through so much to get what he loves in life.
“The race is long. It is better to drive within oneself and finish the race behind the other than it is to drive too hard and crash.” This passage from Garth Stein’s “The Art of Racing in the Rain” relates to APA’s second step that states, “Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems.” I think that Enzo is trying to tell us that we have to reflect and look within ourselves to control our feelings/urges to want to drive too hard without thinking of consequences. When one who is behind sees the other in front of him drive too hard and crash, they make realizations which allow them to cope and better understand that there is more to just winning the race but living through the difficulties. Resilience is a road to get to your dream/goal it is not a competition of who finishes first or who gets to their ambition first but who truly has the motives and drive to allow them to reach their target.
“The car goes where the eyes go”(94).
Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems
Denny faces many challenges after his wife’s death. Along with the tragic loss, Denny is faced with the possibility of losing custody of his daughter, and potentially going to jail. Despite these challenges, Denny keeps on going. He never stops fighting for his daughter, and never gives in to his father in law. A phrase often used in the book is “The car goes where your eyes go”(94). This has a few meanings, and they are pertaining to the resilience step, “Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems” part of Denny’s resilience is his ability to look ahead. He is able to look forward just like he was on a racetrack. He can see a better future ahead for Zoë and himself, and that keeps him going. Denny also is able to control his life like his car. He sets his eyes on his goals, and his life follows. Denny shows strong resilience in his fight for his daughter, and by being able to see his goal, he accomplishes it.
Throughout the Art of Racing in the Rain, Enzo displays taking decisive actions of APAís list of 10 ways to build resilience. This is visible when Enzo theorizes, “That which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny” (Stein 43). Enzo truly demonstrates his resilience throughout the story by not wasting time moping around like any other plain old dog, but instead, makes great use of his time with the ultimate goal of being reincarnated into a man. This is directly connected to taking decisive actions because he spends his valuable time watching T.V. and attempting to learn from Dennyís race car driving. He later takes this information that he gathers and makes an effort to fit it into his everyday life. This ultimately describes the theme of resilience because he is becoming the creator of his own destiny by taking strong action.
Garth Steinís best-selling novel, The Art of Racing in the Rain, though oftentimes vapid and predictable, contains many examples of the APA’s “10 Ways to Build Resilience.” Though it is not one of the most important passages of the text, I find that the scene that describes how Denny made a seemingly impossible comeback simply because he said to himself, “I will win this race,” effectively illustrates step nine: Maintain a hopeful outlook. Although ideally one would not want to be in stuck in third place in the last lap of an important race, Denny did not let his resolve falter for a moment. Even when things seemed hopeless, Denny continued to think positively, producing unbelievable results. This idea remains with Denny as he fights the seemingly impossible custody battle for his daughter.
Without a doubt, resilience screams out throughout the entire emotional thrill ride that is Garth Stein’s story. More than any other character, Enzo offers the most resilient support for Denny in his time of despair. Once Eve passed away, Denny hit an all time low. At Eve’s funeral Enzo displayed this resilience as he stayed with Denny well after the funeral had concluded. “We stayed. We watched the men with their little Caterpillar as they shoveled all the dirt over her. We Waited” (p.214). These times when Denny could not be in a worse mental condition Enzo is his companion and stays with him through thick and thin. In order to keep on living, Denny must move on and Enzo is the main factor in helping him complete this daunting task.
Demonstrating the quality of resilience throughout the novel, Enzo, In The Art of Racing In The Rain, shows the reader how to keep a resilient mindset. Being handed a tough life it was up to Enzo to choose his attitude. He could have let the obstacles around him hinder his success and cause him to fall but that’s not what he did. Instead Enzo continues to stay resilient and bounce back from what he’s dealt. He also leaves the reader with this very important quote that emulates the resilience that he shows throughout the book. “That which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. (Stein 43). Here is a passage from a very wise individual who realizes that he is the soul person in charge of his destiny. Enzo shows the reader through his relationships with others in the book resilience in keeping this mindset and trying to better his relationship with those around him.
In The Art of Racing in the Rain resilience is seen everywhere; especially in Denny. While Denny faced many obstacles it was those obstacles that made him stronger, that the realization of him giving up was not an option. In the line “No race had ever been won in the first corner, but plenty of races have been lost there.”(206) explains that Denny’s attitude is about taking the positive choice rather than look at the negative side of life. While Denny’s life is falling apart around him, thinking to himself that he has lost that it’s over he remembers that based on his experience in racing that you have to stick with it. That bailing out on the race results in no chance of winning. Yet, Denny realizes that by sticking with the race he can achieve victory by taking action.
In The Art of Racing in the Rain we can find resilience almost everywhere, resilience is definitely the main theme. “He said to himself, I will win this race” (247) ” It’s never too late,” (247) This is the part when Denny tries to tell himself and to Mark that both of them are capable of doing what they are doing. When the situation that Denny’s facing is nearly hopeless he can still keep himself on the right track and deal all the problems with the right attitude, he can even encourage those people that are in the similar situation when he himself is in a bad situation already. This is totally a perfect example for this year’s school theme resilience.
In The Art of Racing in the Rain resilience is seen everywhere, it is a clear theme. This is mostly seen in the interesting character, denny. Denny faced a lot of controversy throughout the book but always seemed to come back from it stronger. Denny always seemed to choose the higher ground and be the better character throughout the book and never focused on the negative or downside of a situation. All though his life around him was falling apart towards the end of the book, Denny was strong and did not break down and give up.. He kept on fighting and kept his attitude positive.
Taking decisive action is a vital part of being resilient. In the book Life of Pi by Yann Martel the main character, Piscine, is forced to make a decision when the ship taking him to Canada starts to sink. “I stood nailed to the spot, frightened and incredulous and ignorant of what I should do next. Down there was where my family was”(129). A decisive action was necessary to be resilient from this terrible incident. Piscine made a swift decision to leave behind his family and escape the rapidly sinking boat. His decision to do so allowed for him to survive and bounce back.
The resilience is shown throughout the whole The Art of Racing in the Rain. it is proved in the book that one of the best ways to build the resilience is to nurture a positive view of yourself. people always need to have a positive view on themselves when trouble come. When Eve is in the hospital and she knows that she might not make it, but she still lives very positive. “’I want to come home.’ She replied. ‘ I will come home.’”(161). In this quotation, Eve shows the hope that she has for going home and it might be the thing that surport her to fight with the disease. The hope is always going to make people stronger and more resiliense. Till the last day of Eve life, she is still very positive. ” She laughed the Eve laugh that I remembered.”(161) The positive attitude that Eve has is making her being relicense. also in most of the cases that the positive attitude is going to lead people to success.
In Garth Stein’s, The Art Of Racing In The Rain, resilience becomes a quality that is obtained by Denny and Enzo during numerous situations. Denny shows resilience in one instance by finally steering away from his alcoholic ways, and realizing what is of true meaning in life. Enzo also finds resilience after the dealing with the death of Denny’s wife. He understands it will be a trying and difficult time for Denny, but realizes that he must stay strong and loyal to his owner, even if he is in just as much pain. Although both character’s suffered during situations that questioned their capabilities, they never would have gained resilience had it not been for each other’s support and love.
In the book, “The Art Of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein we learn about how resilient Denny has to be in order to get to his goals, but there is no shame in the fact that he might fail and have some pitfalls. Don tells Denny, “’There is no dishonor in losing the race,’ Don said. There is only dishonor in not racing because you are afraid to lose’” (277). Even though Denny was thrown down by the fact that his in-laws used his sex scandal against him and he was about to quit the case for his daughter, Don convinced Denny that there is no dishonor in losing. Don told him that he should keep on going and keep coming back till the case was over and he had either won or lost. This resilience was what kept Denny going to go back and get her daughter from his in-laws.
One part of, The Art of Racing in the Rain, that related to the APA’s Road to resilience’s, “Take Decisive Decisions,” was when Denny, after winning a big race and getting a offer to be on a great racing team, decided that his wife was far more important than racing and left it all to go tend to his wife’s pains at home. This showed resilience because Denny made the right decision by putting family over money and fame from racing. Denny could have easily said that his wife would be fine and it was nothing to worry about and get a contract with the race team but he decided that it was not worth the risk of letting anything happen to his wife so he left racing and the money that came with it to get home to his wife and care for her. Denny did the right thing and made sure his family was his first priority.
Accept that change is a part of living.
In The Art of Racing in the Rain, Enzo learns not only to accept the changes in his life, but also the changes in Denny’s life as well. When Denny first brings Eve home, Enzo realizes that she is special to Denny and struggles with the fact that he may no longer be the apple of Denny’s eye. “Her name was Eve, and at first I resented how she changed our lives…She was everything I wasn’t.” (21) Enzo eventually learns to accept this and becomes comfortable with Eve’s and later Zoe’s presence. Enzo shows that he has truly accepted the changes in his life by becoming an affectionate and protective playmate of Zoe and a pillar of support for Eve while her health was deteriorating.
In The Art of Racing In the Rain by Garth Stein, resilience is shown through out the book. “Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems” and “take care of yourself” are ways to build resilience, and Enzo accomplishes these very well. Such as in passage 11, Enzo was locked in the house for couple days, and shows its toughness; Enzo tells, “I did not panic.”(52) Enzo keeps being positive and how he interprets and responds to this shows resilience; he does not panic furthermore keeps calm, and later “protects” the home from the evil zebra. He finds ways to take care of himself, such as licking the yogurt off one chair leg to respite his hunger. Enzo’s resilience brings the whole family together and helps the family as much as he could as a dog.
There are many ways to build resilience as is shown in APAs list of 10 ways to build resilience. In Garth Stein´s novel The art of raising in the rain the rain more than one of these ways are present, but what I felt was able to help the main character most throughout the book was his ability to keep things in perspective. “But his attention – and his intention – was far ahead, to the next turn and the one beyond that.” (156) Denny has been taught, through his racecar driving, to always look ahead and is therefore able to make rational decisions. He looks at things from an arm length distance, but never looses sight of his goal. I feel that this is the reason to why he in the end is able to overcome the hardship and go back to life as normal.
In The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein illuminates the ninth step on the American Psychological Association’s “10 Ways to Build Resilience”. Stein especially expresses the idea of keeping a hopeful outlook on life when the main character, a dog named Enzo, thinks, “To feel the joy of life, as Eve felt the joy of life. To separate oneself from the burden, the angst, the anguish, that we all encounter every day. To say I am alive, I am wonderful” (177). By deciding to celebrate and idolize the life of Eve, Enzo shows the ultimate act of moving on. Rather than grieving and dwelling on the past, Enzo uses Eve’s life to inspire him to live a better, healthier life. Stein’s message that positive thinking breeds a happier future is an idea that exemplifies this year’s theme of resilience.
In The Art of Racing In the Rain by Garth Stein resilience is shown throughout the book, from loosing his wife, his daughter, and being convicted of a crime that he did not commit. Denny pushed through and did what he believed was right. “But we do not live in an ideal world. In our world, surprises sometimes happen, mistakes happen, incidents with other drivers happen, and a driver must react.” Denny had a lot of accidents in his life but he reacted and took control of the situation in his own hands. He stuck to what he believes and pushed through until end. Another piece of advice is to prepare for the next turn while dealing with the turn you’re on, so you can better prepare yourself for what is to come.
Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems:
Prevalent throughout the novel “The Art Of Racing In The Rain” by Garth Stein, the predominant theme of resilience can be identified in Dennyís personality. Denny faces several struggles such as losing his custody to Zoë due to the false accusation of raping an allegedly “innocent” young girl and risking to be imprisoned. One day, Enzo decides to snatch the papers that will give full custody of Zoë to the grand parents and urinates on it, which tacitly reminds Denny to not give up and to remain resilient. Afterwards, Denny says, “Iím going to win this thing or Iím going to run out of fuel on the last lap. But Iím not going to quit. I promised Zoë. Iím not going to quit” (Stein 267). This further emphasizes the fact that Denny came to an epiphany and “avoids seeing crises as insurmountable problems” since he did not give up even if the odds are against him. After Enzoís implication that Denny should not give up and endeavor to beat the odds, Denny followed the rule: “The car goes where your eyes go” (Stein 94), looked ahead for a brighter future, and ultimately prevails.
The Art of Racing in the Rain exemplifies the quality of resilience, particularly showing how to avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems. One way the main character, Denny, exhibits this trait is by his calm persistence in the fight for his daughter. Denny attends his wifeís funeral, where he is harassed. “Child molester!’ the first man hissed, flinging his hands into Denny’s chest. Denny didn’t budge. A man who drives a two-thousand car at one hundred seventy miles an hour does not get flustered by the honking of the geese”(212). Denny’s composure under crises makes him a strong and resilient character, and successful in many of his endeavors.
The Art of Racing in the Rain is all about over coming your setbacks. That to me is resilience. Resilience is the ability to alter your approach in order to achieve success. We saw this in the story when Enzo got hit by a car. Garth writes, “I was an old dog. Recently hit by a car. And yet I mustered what I could, and the pain medication Denny had given me earlier helped with the rest… I reached out with my teeth. And the next thing I knew, I was standing at the kitchen door with the papers in my mouth” (265). This here is a prime example of showing resilience and we clearly see how resilience and perseverance can help reach our goals. We see how not giving up will always benefit the person pushing through their tough times.
In the book “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein resilience was shown throughout to overcome hardships. One way to develop resilience is to take “decisive actions”. By doing this you are approaching a problem head on and not avoiding it. This takes courage to do and is shown in the book when Denny approaches Annika at her table of friends and explains the situation from his point of view. When Denny asks Annika for forgiveness and the truth by saying to Annika, “’…I wonder if you understand what is going on, what the fallout is. They won’t let me see my daughter.’”(283) Because Denny picked a solution that was straight forward, yet still solved the problem and he received positive results at the end of the book. Due to Denny’s exchange with Annika she realizes her wrong doing.
In The art of Racing In the Rain, resilience is shown throughout the novel with Denny. Denny is a resilient character because even when facing hardships, Denny always persevered. The first of many troubles that Denny is faced with is that his wife passes away. Furthermore, Denny is falsely accused of rape and as a result, and can no longer afford to have custody of his daughter. Human nature would tell one to give up in difficult times such as these, yet Denny’s resilient behavior does not allow him to give up. Denny continues to battle these false accusations and is eventually found innocent of rape. As a result, he finally earns custody of his daughter back. Throughout the novel, Denny maintained a positive outlook on life and did not let obstacles hold him back. Although Denny cannot earn his wife back, his resilient attitude allowed his life to return to normal.
In The Art of Racing in the Rain resilience is seen everywhere; especially in Denny. While Denny faced many obstacles it was those obstacles that made him stronger, that the realization of him giving up was not an option. In the line “No race had ever been won in the first corner, but plenty of races have been lost there.”(206) explains that Denny’s attitude is about taking the positive choice rather than look at the negative side of life. While Denny’s life is falling apart around him, thinking to himself that he has lost that it’s over he remembers that based on his experience in racing that you have to stick with it. That bailing out on the race results in no chance of winning. Yet, Denny realizes that by sticking with the race he can achieve victory by taking action.
In the novel the Art of Racing in the Rain Denny embodies resilience perfectly. Denny faced many crises throughout the novel but never viewed them as insurmountable problems. One example of this would be when the grandparents had Denny arrested. This move was a message to Denny that he would not win this fight for Zoe. Denny did not accept this conclusion and continued to fight for Zoe. By viewing this crisis as a beatable problem Denny did not give up hope and showed resilience. This mentality of avoiding to see crises as insurmountable problems proves resilient Denny truly is.
Many crises occur throughout Denny’s life. Denny copes with the crisis because he has relationships with people who care for him. Mike, Tony, Enzo, and Zoe were all people Denny built relationships with throughout is life. These people helped him be resilient when dealing with the misfortune in his life. When Eve dies Enzo and Zoe are there to comfort Denny. They help him be resilient and continue on with life. When Denny has to fight for his custody over Zoe Enzo is there by Denny’s side. So are Mike and Tony, who help take care of Denny by getting the groceries, or taking care of Enzo if he needs to be fed. Relationships and connections are important factors to be resilient. If Denny did not have Mike, Tony, Enzo, or Zoe, he would not have had the same outcome as he did. He would not have continued on with his life so smoothly without Enzo and Zoe, and he would not have fought as hard as he did with out Enzo by his side.
In the book The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, Denny shows lots of resilience that matches to some of those from 10 ways to build resilience: moving toward his goal, making connections, and accepting that change is a part of living. Although he experiences many ordeals before and after the death of his wife that are going to jail and almost losing his daughter, he accepts the change and never stops going. Later, he finds Enzo as an ally and assists each other. Moreover, I think resilience matches to Denny’s job as a car racer. Car racer never stops until they win or finish the race. In the story Denny says about this, “But all drivers spin. It comes from pushing the limits. But I’m working on it. Always working on it. And I had a good day.” (42). This quotation shows Denny’s mental attitude being as a resilience that goes through any harsh experiments.
In the Art of Racing in the Rain resilience plays a huge role in depicting the main character Enzo. The dog keeps everything in perspective, even though Enzo is going through a lot of changes and a lot of pain.
“…When a dog if finished living his lifetime as a dog, his next incarnation will be as a man”.
Enzo creates a goal for himself: to live through this pain and to become human. This belief that he has, makes him a lot more powerful than a person. Enzo is able, despite the fact that he is in a lot of pain and struggle, to put things in perspective. So even though he is dying the resilience helps him to see things differently – as a tough path on the way to achieving his dream.
Resilience is the act of never giving up. Enzo never gave up with his owner, Denny. Even when Eve passed away and her parents were fighting over Zoe’s custody, Enzo and Denny stayed together. With resilience not being mentioned in this story, relating the two are very simple. Enzo is a dog who has much respect for his owner and is always with him, never gives up when times get tough and is always there for Denny’s support. With Denny being a racecar driver, he is always away from home and Enzo is always by himself. But still the bond with the two is un-breakable and the two stay bonded until Enzo’s death.
Reading The Art Of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein we can appreciate resilience in many ways. Enzo’s ability to overcome difficulties, the relationship between Denny and Enzo and many other points make the book a great example of that quality.
“I am ready to become a man now, though I realize I will lose all I have been. (…) What can I do but force myself to remember? Try to imprint what I know on my soul (…)”(3)
This passage shows the acceptance on life’s changes and the hopeful outlook of life shown in the APA’s 10 Ways To Build Resilience 2nd, 3rd and 9th steps that make Enzo a really good example of human resilience.
Resilience is found throughout the story. It is the moral of the story, the message to all who read it. The line, “No race has ever been won in the first corner, but plenty of races have been lost there.” (206) strongly represents one of APA’s 10 ways to build resilience; avoid seeing crisis as insurmountable problems. Denny has never given up his love for racing no matter the size of the problem. He would go at it again and again, each time improving his tactics and returning with more desire and drive to win than before. When Denny had obstacle after obstacle thrown at him, he wanted to give up so badly. Just like in a race though, he knew that the win is only earned by learning to deal with the bad. If he gave up, he would have lost everything. While the odds were stacked against him, he tried. He worked through each and every problem instead of letting them fall on top of one another until the heavy weight broke him.
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