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A Complicated Kindness Character Analysis

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Religion is interpreted differently by all who are affected by it. Some believe in specific Gods, others believe in the general concepts, and some do not believe at all. These extremes and their impacts are clearly portrayed In Miriam Toews, A Complicated Kindness. The protagonist, Naomi ‘Nomi’ Nickel, is an outlier from the extremist values of her Mennonite community, as she is not a devout Mennonite and often criticizes their ideals. Her mother and sister were exiled because of their non-conforming actions and viewpoints, while Nomi and her father confront the restraining morals and their consequences during their absence. Through the mental and physical challenges that protagonists and minor characters cope with in their daily lives, Toews’s …show more content…
For example, Ray, Nomi’s Father portrays the characteristics of depression after his wife leaves the community. He does not move, and cannot function for a period of time. Nomi states that after Trudie is exiled “he didn’t move all day. And he didn’t speak and he didn’t eat” (Toews, 190). Ray clearly exhibits feelings of hopelessness and extreme sadness, which continues throughout the novel because of what his restraining community, has done. Furthermore, Naomi develops insomnia and nightmares, after Tash leaves. She states that “I developed insomnia. Nightmares of Tash screaming while she burned, a hand reaching out for help”(162). Evidently, the fact that Tash felt so controlled to the point at which she left, continues to have a lasting effect on Nomi, resulting in loss of sleep and PTSD like symptoms. Lastly, mental illness is directly described as a characteristic of the people in East Village. While in the Doctor’s office, Nomi sees “a book on his shelf that was titled How to Incorporate Mental Illness into Your Daily Routine” (134); after seeing this, she declares that “he really did understand us” (134). This unquestionably illustrates the magnitude of Mental Illness within the community, as even the doctor believes it is problematic. Overall, the negative outcomes of a controlling religion are shown through Ray’s depression, Nomi’s

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