A Complicated Kindness Book Analysis Essay

“Enjoy every moment you have. Because in life, there are no rewinds, only flashbacks. Make sure it’s all worth it.” – Anonymous Life can go by so fast and it can be so unexpected, Nomi was a girl who had everything a family, and friends, she was a very good girl. But due to all of the events and factors that happened in her life she bartered and started to become reckless and irresponsible. Nomi Nickel, the protagonist of the novel A Complicated Kindness, undergoes a metamorphosis. She is a nice, innocent Mennonite girl who believes in God at the start of the tale. While her father Ray was the only good influence Nomi had in the entire book. There were many factors such as Nomi Mother Trudie, her Boyfriend Travis, her Sister Tash, and her friend Lydia that caused Nomi character development to transform into becoming reckless and irresponsible towards the end of the novel, as these people were reasons 

Trudie, Nomi's mother, fled in the middle of the night without even saying goodbye. Trudie has been missing for the past three years. Trudie's absence had a negative impact on Nomi. Trudie had a rebellious streak additionally. Trudie, on the opposite hand, didn't come out that way. Trudie was a school teacher and worked within the church library. Trudie adored being a component of the church. Trudie had the identical variety of metamorphosis as Nomi when Tash departed. Trudie's trust in God waned, and she was finally expelled from the Mennonite Church. Following the events surrounding Nomi's mother, Nomi began to use drugs." My mother, Trudie Dora Nickel nee Rosenfeldt, has gone away. Irrefutable face, although where she is is up to me, right? I mean I don’t know but who cares - that’s not how stories work around here” (Nomi, 54) This quote that is found in the story tells the reader that Nomi is asking herself a question, Nomi is asking her self was Trudie dead? Nomi admits that one of the reasons why she does drugs is to numb the pain of her mother being gone, we know this because she says “I use drugs and my imagination to block out that question". (Nomi, 54)

Lydia was sent to a mental facility, and Nomi had a psychotic break when she learned where Lydia had been committed. “I just want to, you know, rip my head off, or just, shit, shit, like fuckin’ annihilate… everything. I don’t know, I mean I wonder if some kind of painkiller, like Asprin, or morphine, or…. surgery. I don’t know. An X-ray. But I think I’m gonna die, you know? Did you hear me? I feel that way. I feel halfway there.” (Nomi, 229) By reading this passage from the narrative, the reader may see that Nomi's mental collapse indicates that she is losing control. This mental breakdown alters her personality, as she begins to have outbursts of emotions that have a long-term impact on Nomi's typical way of thinking, feeling, and interacting with people, and she is no longer the lovely and innocent Mennonite girl she once was. It is the collapse of Nomi's healthy mental faculties as a result of learning that Lydia has been committed to a mental institution. Nomi will have painfully strong stress symptoms if she is suffering an emotional breakdown. They will be unable to cope with her life's difficulties.

Tash was the first of Nomi's family members to abandon the Mennonite faith. Nomi aspired to be like her elder sister. She was Nomi's mentor. Tash was a devout Christian who later turned an atheist. Tash was a heavy drinker who was frequently out late with her lover Ian. Nomi was a heavy drinker who was frequently out late with her lover Travis. I suppose there was a part of Nomi who wanted to follow in her sister's footsteps, which is why she became more like Tash and rebellious. Nomi begins to follow in Tash and her mother's rebellious footsteps, becoming increasingly reckless and irresponsible.

Travis is the major reason why Nomi changed so much in being reckless and irresponsible throughout her life, out of all the individuals who have intervened in her life. Travis was never a positive force in Nomi's life. Travis would complement Nomi and then slam her down. Travis was never romantic or nice, and he didn't give a damn if Nomi was happy with how their relationship was going. Travis also persuaded Nomi to shave her head and wear make-up, both of which are prohibited. Mennonite women did not cut their hair at one point in their history. During the day, Nomi and Travis would spend time together, leading her to skip church and school. Travis and Nomi used to drink and use drugs together, the reader knows this because in the story Nomi says “I spelled Travis name with cigarettes” This shows her use of drugs with Travis (Nomi 230). Travis had an affair with a lady he works with and cheated on Nomi. This just added to Nomi's sorrow. Travis didn't even have the courage to tell Nomi he had broken up with her. Travis' parents were home when Nomi arrived, but he was not. Travis's mother told Nomi that it was time for her to leave, and Nomi returned to seek her bracelet. Travis's father left Nomi alone in Travis's room, and the only closure Nomi had was saying goodbye to Travis's room. Nomi went to the motel where Travis and his mistress were staying, and she set fire to Travis' truck. At the end of the novel due to Travis's influence on her, she was able to achieve, that when the Mennonite church learns that Nomi set a truck on fire, she is expelled from the congregation. Ray also left the church as a result of this. Nomi had never considered sex till Travis came around. I don't believe it was ever said in the novel that Nomi had intercourse with Travis, but it was stated that they roamed about nude in a field together during a rainstorm.“It didn't really matter because mostly he was interested in running around naked in fields. […] You left me lying naked out in the rain?” (Nomi, 81) Travis also advised Nomi to take the tablet. Travis showed Nomi this house he owned in the woods one day when they were travelling and intimated that they would be alone there and that is where he would want to have sex with her. So I'm going to presume Nomi and Travis had a relationship. Travis also made Nomi use drugs since there was a scene in the book where they were both waiting for The Comb to get some pot. We know this because the book mentions that they were both waiting for The Comb to get some weed. “The Comb comes outside from his trailer. He once worked at the chicken plant, and could kill four chickens at once. Nomi gives him some money and the Comb throws her a bag of weed.”(Nomi 232) 

Ultimately, a variety of things influenced Nomi's change. Many individuals impacted Nomi's life along the road, including her mother Trudie, whom she adored, and whose absence prompted Nomi to begin taking drugs. Tash was a role model for Nomi, and she encouraged her to follow in her footsteps. Lydia, Nomi's only genuine friend, was likewise taken away from her. Nomi had a nervous breakdown as a result of this, and she turned to narcotics for solace. Travis, who impacted Nomi in a variety of ways and exposed her to a variety of rebellious activities, which contributed to her downward spiral. Nomi’s uncle “The Mouth” He expelled Nomi's mother from the Mennonite church, and he finally expelled Nomi as well. The power of influence “The Mouth” The lack of Nomi's faith was the only thing that remained. Finally, Nomi's father, Raymond Nickel, stood by her side and, despite being a Mennonite, bravely left the church to be by his daughter's side. In the entire book, I believe Ray was Nomi's only positive influence. With the exception of Lydia, who gave Nomi hope and something to look forward to. Lydia may be cruel at times, as when Nomi attempted to wash Lydia's hair. Lydia, on the other hand, was constantly interested in Nomi's life and wanted to hear what new things she was up to. Nomi drives away at the end of the story and discovers her own independence. Although all of these obstacles stood in her way Nomi finally found her own happiness.