Cause and Effect..... in Our Books!!!

For the past week or so, my ELA group and I have been searching for examples in our books of characters being inspired by other characters' actions and what, specifically, motivated them to do these things. So far, I have found many examples of this inquiry in the books, Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr, all book in the series titled the Inheritance Cycle, by Christopher Paolini, and I am excited to share them with you.

 My first observation was in Brisingr. I noticed that, near the beginning of the book, the author shows the reader the thoughts of Arya, one of Eragon's acquaintances throughout the series, who intends to go after Eragon as he is trapped in the Empire, and her reasons for doing this, most of which include paying off the debt of Eragon saving her life while she was captured by a shade. This brief look provides great insight, though, on how she thinks compared to humans, because she is an elf. This snipit was enough for me to understand just how logical elves are and how feeling don't have an effect on their actions for the most part. This look at Arya's mind also allows the reader to understand the extant of her affection for Eragon, which she cannot express verbally. Based on this event you can infer how much Arya's long time spent with humans has affected her mind.

 My second observation took place in Brisingr as well. In the beginning of the book, Nasuada, leader of the Varden, is challenged to the the trial of the long knives by a tribe leader, this trial is used to determine which of the two leaders is more willing to make sacrifices for their people. It includes each participant making incisions in their forearms, six on each, until one surrenders and can no longer do it. By participating in this trial and setting a record for most incisions ever made in the trial of the long knives, Nasuada proves her willingness to sacrifice all that she has for her people, even if that means her own blood. By doing this, one can predict that a different character in the book will be inspired to do something miraculous to save Nasuada's, or someone else's, life in the future.

 As you can see, characters are often inspired to do things they otherwise wouldn't by actions performed by others. These types of things happen in real life too. If you pay attention you might be able to find some good examples.