Individual Reflection#6 Suit Up!

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame    

(Esmerelda)

Introduction

My name is Esmeralda, though my real name at birth was Agnès Guybertaut. I was created by Victor Hugo in his 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. I lived in France during the 15th century, where I became known as a beautiful dancer who performed with my little goat, Djali, in the streets of Paris. People often saw me as cheerful and full of life, but inside, my story was filled with pain, loss, and injustice. I was kidnapped as a baby by gypsies and grew up never knowing my true family. Despite the hardships I faced, I always tried to live with kindness, hope, and faith in love.

Life Event

The happiest moment of my life was when I finally reunited with my mother after so many years of being apart. The reason I came to Paris alone in the first place, the reason I worked so hard to protect myself, and the reason I never gave up, no matter how difficult things were, was all because of the hope of seeing my mother again and the determination to see her. From the moment I learned that I had been taken from her as a baby, I lived with the dream of meeting her again. That dream gave me the strength to keep living, even when I was alone, poor, or treated unfairly. When I finally found her, I felt a love that was pure and unconditional, something I had never experienced before. It was not about beauty, fame, or romance; it was about feeling belonging.

This moment was my happiest because it fulfilled the one hope that guided my whole life. For the first time, I did not have to dance to earn love or attention. I was loved simply because I was her daughter. Even though the happiness did not last long, that reunion gave me peace. It reminded me that true love, the kind that comes from the heart and asks for nothing in return, really does exist, even in a cruel world.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

(Huckleberry Finn)

Introduction

My name is Huckleberry Finn, but everyone calls me Huck. I was created by Mark Twain in his famous novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I live in a small town called St. Petersburg, Missouri, along the Mississippi River during the 1800s. I lived most of my life without a mother and was homeless. I'm used to wearing ragged castoff clothes. I’m a boy who doesn’t like being forced to behave “properly” or go to school; I would rather do whatever I want than be told to. I’d rather be outdoors, hunting, fishing, and trapping. I’m not afraid to break rules if I think something is unfair.

Life Event

One of the biggest events in my life was helping Jim, a runaway slave of Ms. Watson, escape to freedom. Jim and I traveled down the Mississippi River on a raft, trying to reach a place where he could live as a free man. During our journey, we faced storms, steamboats, tricky strangers like the two conmen who call themselves the Duke and the King, and moments of real danger along the way. At the end of my journey with Jim, we realised that Jim had been free all along. This is because Ms. Watson had died and set Jim free in her will.

I liked that moment because it showed me what real friendship and courage mean. I learned that being a good person sometimes means going against what others think is right. Even though the journey was hard and dangerous, it helped me understand what freedom and kindness truly are.