Dust Over The City Essay, Research Paper

For Love Or Money People inevitably encounter many problematic situations in their lifetime. Some problems may be more serious than others, but the fact remains that it is alsways their choice as to how they will react and whether or not they will "sink or swim." A survivor is aperson who, depite whatever hardships they encounter, will face their problems head on and will not back down. They always do whatever humanly possible overcome these obstaclsand supersede eveyone?s excpectations and sometimes even their own. Such people share common characteristics ; steadfest courage, the ability to adapt and adjust and a perservering attitude. Through Jim and Masdeline Dubois the central characters in Dust Over the City, the author presents such a case as shown through their many ordeals and their reactions to them. This is evident in their encounter with other and Alains patients, their battle with loneliness and the decision to move to the mining town, adjusting to the new city and accepting the fact with little provisions this is where they must live now. In Andre Langevins novel Dust Over the City the characters Alain and Madeline are the embodiment of two people that are newly wed and the problems that each other face may or may not be normal. Alain and Madeline were a very unhappy married couple and there were many things underlying their true feeling about each other. This is proved when Madeline meets someone. Alain is confronted with this great big beast of a man who works in a bare and owns the restaurant. The only thing Alain could do to survive the marriage and win Madelines live back was to fight back despite the unequal balance and size of strength and the poor odds of winning. When the author writes "The man was the size of a great black bear against this liitle man." This proves Alain love for Madeline was unconditional and leading to great advances. Through this incident we can readily see that this man was truly brave. He stood up, remained calm and the ultimately defeated this enormous man where he could have easily chose to give up and he would of most likely been slaughtered. It was his bravery that allowed him to survive. Also this married couple was being torn apart by the wife Madeline. She had moved with Alain to this new city and Alain a succesful doctor, may not have the greatest looks or a muscular body but he loves Madeline more than anything in the world. She plays the unmarried role in front of the city when Alain?s not around. The author states "She was dancing throughout the night with every guy at every table, like a single drunk woman would do, not knowing she was married." (183) Alain felt that all he could do was love her and treat her the best anyone can treat someone else that they love. He shows his loyalness to her and gives her the world and then some. Alain was a man who?s marriage was falling apart because of his wife who now showed him and proved to him that she was in it for the money and not for the love. Madeline who showed no care towards the man she had walked down the aisle with and moved to this city where neither of them wanted to live but thought that they could live on love. These adventures were also able to adjust abd adapt to adverse conditions and situations. When Alain and Madeline had took a trip to the woods one weekend they were presented with very dreary circumstances. Madeline had badly bruised her leg, their plane was destroyed and had lost a good portion of their food supply. This is clearly proven by the quotes, "Let?s see your leg?I bet it hurts, but it isn?t broken. Only bruised. You will be able to run in a week at least." (196) Further , "no fire no food ? these were blows to strong to bear," (199) but fortunately " there was enough equipment here for any real woodsman to make a living for weeks." (201) Despite these setbacks they were able to live off the land, catching fish and squirrels for food proving the Dr. Alain Dubois was more than a doctor. They finally had started a fire with a magnifying glass and the fire problem had been beaten. These two people were very innovative a saving their marriage by working together. Creativeness with the equipment that had been found they had and in dealing with their numerous adversities. They were able to live off what they had and managed to survive despite limited supplies and many hardships. They had to learn how to hunt and fish with just line and hook, showing how they could adapt to the difficult circumstances. Adaptability is necessary for survival and Alain won?t give in to difficult situations but they will modify themselves to them because he is a fighter and not a quitter. The couple?s ability to adjust to a demanding situation is continually proven and exemplified through the changes the go through in the novel. A excellent portrayal of this fact is Alain having to guide a group of four without knowing how to guide. Quote to prove this is "I have never been in one of those boats. What about fishing " Oh I know very little about that". (209) Madeline watched closely to other guides for the next few days and was able to learn the necessities of guiding. The following morning Alain did everything he had watched ad observed the other guides do. He picked up a wooden box from the store, filled his gas tank, checked with his guests to see if they wanted beer in the boat, then filled a large pail with ice from the fish hut and put in twelve bottles of bee. When his guests arrived he got them seated and fiddled about until Madeline was ready then followed him out on to the lake. (183) This shows how Alain was able to learn quickly by observations of others and still be able to be a very successful guide. Alain and Madeline continually showed a perserving attitude in all the decisions they made and the struggles they overcame. They never once gave in or considered it as an option. This is illustrated in their decision to stay in the Barrens and brave the winter because it was their last option for survival. The dreadful revelations of no rescue and the departure of Jones didn?t make them want to give up but they decided to continue to strive to survive. "they knew not to go home" (99) The characters show their strong will and perseverance in the quotes, "But if the Eskimos can live here all year long, then so can we," (100) and, "You are right. If we can get food and clothes and shelter we will be all right. We can get all those things if we really try." (101) Alain and Madeline were dealt a very serious blow which could have made others want to give up but they decided to do whatever they could in order to guarantee their survival. They did feel, at times, that the situation seemed desperate and hopeless but they overcame these feelings because they knew it would lead them nowhere. It is not in the their character to "throw in the towel because it is in them to fight to the very end." "Alain was continually persistent in everything he did when a challenger rose he would accept it deovote all his strength to overcoming it. During his journey to Canada he had to overcome great distnces and defeatd to get there. Proff of these trials "Then the both stared in horror the canoe emerged in a quiet eddy at the foot of the reapids" (245). During the duration of the lengthly trip she struggled to keep up with Alain and Madeline for they were strong and skilled. They were only able to stay alive with backbreaking determination and hard work. But despite his sore muscles he plotted onward for he knew the importance of his job. It meant staying her in the little city and pusuing his career. "remebering the urgenty need for meet at the home camps." (251) Alain showed great strength of will and character in the ardest journey. Throughout the entire novel Alain had showed his love towards her and never let her out of his sight. He truly loved this lady with all his heart and devotion proving in the novel Dust Over The City. He had fixed his marriage with her and now they both figured out what loved had to do with marriage and it wasn?t because he was a doctor or because she was beautiful it was the four letter word love. Love is the most important thing two people can have to love and be faithful. Some cuples it takes extra long time but they end up loving one to the point of which they are inseperable which these to people obtained in their life. Love is an innense word meaning different things to everyone but to these two it menat saving their marriage and loving each other to the point of actually death for one another.