The novel, “Hawk” by William Wallis is a story about an Arkansas family and survival. The novel combines the Southern literary tradition of Conroy and Faulkner with current expression. The novel builds on the poet and the focus of essayist to narrate happiness and conflicts in the seventh year of Will Falke, the central character in the novels written by Wallis. Wallis chronicles the pains undergone by Falke, a seven-year old who awakes to the world mostly in Monticello, Arkansas, in the early 1950s. The protagonist in the novel is a child of the fifties, both blessed and cursed, both prevailing and enduring.
The novel is a modern adventure of modern Huckleberry Finn. The author tries to investigate why so many people stand in silent witness to violence. The protagonist in the novel “is cursed by the loss of an eye by the stinging pain of a brutal punishing hand of his father” (Wallis 5). He was brought up in a family learning the importance of responsibilities given to him by his father, Ray Falke. At a tender age, Falke received many beatings from his father, which piled many psychological pains than physical. He also suffers from the humiliations and taunts from schoolmates and from a mother who almost abandons him and his family because nature almost causes her to abandon herself. Despite all these suffering, the young boy does not receive help from the society and endures all the suffering to emerge a as a tragic hero. Growing up in the farm with daily chores and discipline for his father, Will grew to love violence of nature, its flooding currents, acrid lightningHe also grew less sensitive to burns and cuts and the other irritation of rural life.” (Wallis 4).
Falke also had blessing despite the hard life he experienced with his parents. He stays strong in the face of mocking, abuse and humiliations. His father taught him how to handle domestic chores and fortitude, one black neighbor taught him how to play chess and make friends. Another neighbor of Jews origin bestowed upon him the lyricism of classical music. He was nursed and anointed with love from women and a little bird showed the boy what freedom looked like. Falke survives these childhood hardships with the help of these characters who gave him the support he needed to brighten his future. According to Grotberg (233), “children cannot gain resilience and courage on their own, but with the influence from strong significant events and people”.
In his book, Willis highlights the importance of family values in the upbringing of children. The pain experienced by Will at a tender age helped him survive through the mysteries of life to become a successful adult. The book helps readers acknowledge the fact the despite hardships in life, there is always hope in achieving a brighter future. The environment in which people live can also help in overcoming hardships in life. Will was able to realize his dreams from the assistance he received from his neighbors. In her poem “Hawk” Mary Oliver describes its flight “into the wind, belly first””all the time its eyes fastened harder than love” (Oliver 34). This manifests that people can always bounce back on track and find a way to improve their life.
Wallis presents a world to the reader as seen through the eyes of a seven-year old, “harder than love.” The Hawk is a best read for anyone who happens to survive and cherish a childhood of his or her own. The book helps people learn their luck is with them and there is no need to look for it in the blue sky.
Works cited:
Grotberg, Edith. Resilience for Today: Gaining Strength from Adversity. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2003
Oliver, Mary. Owls and Other Fantasies: Poems and Essays. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2006. Print.
Wallis, William. Hawk. Bevis Ave, Sherman Oaks, CA: Stone & Scott Publishers, 2006. Print.
