In the novel, The Power of One, written by Bryce Courtenay, the main character, Peekay, had lost his childhood from many traumatic experiences he had faced. The journey from his boarding school to his new home made him grow up fast. “The two days between the first tackies and the snuggly fitting ones I now wore were the beginning of the end of my small childhood, a bridge of time that would shape my life to come.” (122) Peekay had grown up and learned so much from the people he met on his journey and the new experiences he had never faced before. His journey opened up his eyes to a new perspective and culture. Peekay’s childhood ended very abruptly, “As I sat on the rock high on my hill, and as the sun began to set over the bushveld, I grew up. Just like that.” (142) Peekay let go of his lonely feelings and decided it was time to grow up and face the world.
Since Peekay’s childhood ended, his perspective on life and loneliness had changed. The boarding school he attended almost forced him to grow up and learn to adapt on his own. His adaptation in life was his camouflage, of not showing fear. “Of course, she did not know she was dealing with a veteran of interrogation and punishment since I had suddenly grown up on the hill, I was uncrackable. A real hard case.” (147) He became resistant to punishment or fear. Being grown up, he thought it meant not being scared, and it almost made his heart resistant and cold. Also, Peekay’s perspective of loneliness had changed quite a bit. “The loneliness birds had flown away and I had grown up and made a new friend called Doc and had learned several new things.” (148) Peekay was done dwelling on the past and the people from the past, and wanted to focus on the people who he was with and who he had fun with. Peekay, being mature and all, decided to forget the past and have fun with the present, and even if there will be punishments, he won’t be afraid.
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