“When a character acts selflessly against the prevailing vice(s) of the dominant social order, true virtue exhibits itself.” Examine pivotal moments in Brian's childhood and discuss what life lessons he experienced that put them on a path of virtue. Finally, what conclusions do you reach about the universality of the human condition as you see it play out on Prairie?
In the story "Who Has Seen the Wind"by W.O. Mitchell, the pivotal moments in Brian's childhood teaches him the cycle of life, which allows him to accept the faits of the world and people and earth around him; the faits within his life. Specific selfless characters in Brian's life allow him to recognize the main statement, rather than him preform acts that represent the main statement like in Anthem and The Pearl. Throughout the book, Brian is seeing the way the world brings and takes life. He experiences the birth and death of his dog, the birth of chickens, the death of his father, what deadly storms are capable of. By experiencing each of these predominant life events, he does not only learn the cycle of life, but he learns what the earth is truly capable of, and that this is not his world, he has no control over nature. Although all of these recognitions are beginning to happen for Brian, he is too young to understand what these major experiences have really given him. In the end, it will be these understandings that allow Brian to develop into a virtuous character. We can recognize that Brain has come to such an understanding when we read his thoughts on page 246 "People were forever born; people forever died, and never were again. Fathers died and sons were born; the prairie forever, with its wind whispering through the long, dead grasses, through the long endless silence. Winter came and spring and fall, then summer and winter again; the sun rose and set again, and everything that once was -- was again-- forever and forever. But for man, the prairie whispered--never--never. For Brian's father -- never" (Mitchell, W.O., 246). In Who Has Seen The Wind, Brian is able to observe virtuous behaviour from other characters in the story that "act selflessly against the prevailing vice(s) of the dominant social order". I would like to recognize one character in particular that Brian is able to observe virtue from in his day to day life, the first character being The Young Ben. All along, The Young Ben has rebelled from the exclusive, judgmental society that he lives within. He goes where he wants, when he wants. He acts how he wants, when he wants. Although his character may seem futureless and dingy, what's important about The Young Ben is that he puts himself at risk to protect what he cares about, showing attributes of the main statement. He is a role model for Brian throughout the book and caters to Brian the importance of selflessness. We see selfless acts from Young Ben when he sacrifices himself for the prairies and the creatures on it when it is being attacked by the other young boys in Brian's group. As well as this, he is always there for his alcoholic father, although by helping his father when he is in such inebriated states puts Young Ben's safety at risk. He does not need to put up with his hazard of a father when he gets taken to jail for storing substances illegally in the basement of the church and causing an explosion. However, he visits his father and brings him food in jail, once Brian even went with him. The Young Ben has been a quiet, virtuous role model for Brian, as we can tell by the amount of attention Brian has for The Young Ben, that Brian has always looked up to him for his straying from the hypocrite society they both live in.
Finally, the conclusions I have reached after reading this book about the universality of the human condition as I saw it play out on Prairie is that nothing, and nobody, lasts forever. There is a time limit to all things, and as soon as you are able to realize this, you can figure out the value of time. In true conclusion, Brian says it best, "People were forever born; people forever died, and never were again. Fathers died and sons were born; the prairie forever, with its wind whispering through the long, dead grasses, through the long endless silence. Winter came and spring and fall, then summer and winter again; the sun rose and set again, and everything that once was -- was again-- forever and forever. But for man, the prairie whispered--never--never. For Brian's father -- never" (Mitchell, W.O., 246).
