A Fortunate life – What I’ve learned
A Fortunate life, the autobiography of A.B.Facey tells the story of a boy becoming a man. There are many themes explored in the novel, but I found that there is a lot to learn from Faceys life and how it can be applied to my own. Facey shows perseverance, gratitude and optimism and enlightens readers of what it means to have a “Fortunate Life” and how it can be achieved.
Facey’s childhood was extremely different from the lives many Australian children today. Facey grew up without an education; he saw his illiteracy as a personal drawback. “I don’t understand the names you put in the menus. My reading is limited, you see. I never had any schooling P123”. This makes me feel as though I should invest a lot more time in my learning, seeing as Facey took it upon himself to learn to read and write, I believe I am capable of doing the same. I’ve noticed how Facey’s personal success would have been in vain, if not for taking initiative when learning to read and write. The novel has taught me how success comes from failure. In Facey’s case his failure was lack of literature skills, and I understand mine is the same, from having to write this essay three times over.
Facey spent most of his life out in the bush, away from civilisation and family. He’d been abandoned at the age of two and grew up without a mother. “It seemed to me that that woman who was my mother showed she had little feeling for me P118.” This has made feel grateful for my own mother. It’s made me realise the value of a parent who cares me, holding a sense of responsibility within them for my wellbeing. I spose I frown upon my own childhood too harshly in comparison to Faceys. Facey had none of his family’s support, and only succeeded because of his willpower; it suggests that only the strong will succeed. This could be applied to almost all aspects of my life, though it is a quality I lack, I understand the profit that comes from having it.
Facey was exposed to many things, but none more than violence. “I think he will die. What were