Analysis Paragraphs

By Brett

In Neil Gaimans book American Gods Mr. Wednesday leads Shadow down a path of bad

deeds and questionable acts that go against Shadows vow to stay out of trouble after prison

forcing him to make bad choices. The night Mr. Wednesday met Shadow he almost immediately

made him fight Mad Sweeney, He just told me to be there at that bar and to pick a fight with

you. He said he wanted to see what youre made of (Gaiman 275). Mad Sweeney is forced to

fight Shadow at the bar because Wednesday forced him too. He intentionally put Shadow into

danger just so he could prove himself. Shadow shouldnt trust a man who intentionally puts him

into harm's way. People with good intentions dont purposely harm their friends. Trust should be

placed in those who will keep one safe, not place them on a dangerous path. Not only does

Wednesday ask someone to harm Shadow, he also involves him in a bank robbery, He pulled up

to the parking lot lot of a bank. This, he said is the bank I shall be robbing. They dont close

for another few hours. Lets go in and say hello (Gaiman 137). Mr. Wednesday is a man who

enjoys breaking the law and does it to earn a living. Taking from the people who make an honest

living. He brings Shadow into these wrong deeds to help him as an accessory. A god who leads

one to break the law of the land isnt a god to follow. People should follow those who set good

examples. Not sets one up to do wrong and commit foul acts. Not only does Wednesday get

shadow beaten up by Sweeney, he also gets Shadow kidnapped by an enemy that isnt even

Shadows, but the gun barrel hit him over the left eye, and he started to fall. He put out an arm

to steady himself as he went down. Someone pushed something soft into his mouth, to stop him
from crying out and taped it into position (Gaiman 183). This happens as Shadow parks the car

after transporting Mr. Wednesdays friends to a restaurant. He is then taken by surprise and

beaten up by men asking for Mr. Wednesday. If Shadow hadnt involved himself with Mr.

Wednesday he wouldnt have become the punching bag for his enemies. Mr. Wednesdays actions

have led him to be brutally taken and beaten. One should distance themselves from toxic people

to prevent themselves from being poisoned by them. Its never right to involve others into one's

own mistakes. Shadow has been forced into a life of pain because of Mr. Wednesdays bad

choices and it is negatively affecting Shadow and leading him down a bad path.

By Marijose

When life takes a turn one was not expecting, it makes them lose a sense of themselves.

They believe what they are feeling is normal and how they handle situations is not out of the

ordinary. When they are making decisions or acting upon it, they are doing whatever they are

doing solely and only because it is without question the right thing to do. And that is what makes

them dangerous (Gaiman 233). People do not second-think themselves, they do not think what

may happen; can be seen as an optimist. In this case, it is purely neglecting all the possible ways

it can hurt others, not being reasonable. It plays along how one may not feel themselves,

everything they do is different, even when they talked, as if there was something empty at the

bottom of all her words (Gaiman 319). Actions and mentality do not match up and it affects

how people act around others. Just how they talk, can define how they are feeling on the inside.

Soon enough, people with individual stories, the statistics become people-- but even that is a lie,

for the people continue to suffer in numbers that themselves are numbing and meaningless
(Gaiman 322). Feeling numb clouds their judgement; they do not know what they are doing.

They keep doing their actions because it is what they are being told to do and they do not know

any other way. Much in American Gods, Shadow is not fully aware of what is going on around

him; he lost his wife and best friend, he lost a sense of who he is.

By Jessie

People struggle to find their way when crisis surround them unexpectedly. Some people

like Mad Sweeney lose something important to them and their spirit cant be replaced with a

resigned flatness that signifies a hopelessness (Gaiman 283). Having problems arise around

oneself is disorienting at first and leaves an impression of hopelessness. When hope that survival

or endurance begins to be found spots of color appeared in his cheeks (Gaiman 276). Humans

need some sort of end goal to look for so that they will not stray in a different direction than they

want to go to. When toughing it through the time of crisis and danger, people can still excel and

push out the other side as shabby but proud showing that they have overcome the danger that

they have faced (Gaiman 300). People can brave and endure the obstacles that present

themselves when they are given the chance. Humans will put themselves on the right track if

they can find it during a disaster.