HOME of the BRAVE

We have been reading the book HOME of the BRAVE and we have been having great discussions and questions. Here is one of the questions: Gol is a cow, but Katherine Applegate (author of Home of The Brave) also uses her as a symbol. How does Gol represent Kek’s past, present, and possibly his future?  

A way Gol symbolizes Kek’s past is because Gol means family and it may remind Kek of his life because his father herded cows and when he hugs Gol it feels like he is hugging his past, his family. Another idea for this response is that Gol lost her family and is very lonely and Kek also lost his family and can feel Gol’s struggle in life because they don’t have anybody to communicate too. A way Gol symbolizes Kek’s present is because Gol’s family is gone and she is lonely and Kek can relate to that because his family is gone as well. Another way Gol symbolizes Kek’s present is because Gol is old and Kek can relate because he feels his life is so much longer because of how his life story went how he is so lonely. He feels that his 13 years of life have been much longer.

A way Gol symbolizes Kek’s future is that they both want to have someone to depend on and be able to tell them more personal things and their inner feelings, so maybe they will try together to find someone who can help them with their struggles. In the book it says that Gol is going on into a new life and a new start and now Kek can feel the great feeling of being able to feel home again. Overall, I think that Gol is a SUPER important part in this book because Kek has someone to relate to and I also think that Gol is important in this book because she is a good example to Kek because she faught through the loneliness  just like Kek but they both got through it.

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