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In this podcast episode, the host discusses the novel "A Complicated Kindness" by Miriam Toews. The main themes explored in the novel are self-reflection, embracing change, and discovering self-identity. The protagonist, Nomi, faces struggles with her family and religion, leading her to question her beliefs and seek change. The author uses symbolism throughout the novel to highlight the importance of taking personal action for growth. The host relates to Nomi's journey and emphasizes the message of creating change in one's own life. Overall, the podcast encourages listeners to reflect on their own lives and take control of their own paths. Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of the Aaron's Analysis, the AA podcast, the podcast where we would dive deep into the themes and analyze some of the most intriguing books out there. I'm your host, Aaron, and today we have a fascinating novel to discuss, A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews. In today's episode, we'll be exploring the themes of self-reflection, embracing change, and discovering self-identity through the lens of our protagonist, Nomi. We'll delve into three main topics, the repercussions of Nomi's family departure, her rebellion against Mennonite religion, and the rich symbolism throughout the novel. Nomi is a character experiencing family struggles and feels as she's in a void due to her loss and confusion. The author provides a deep message to this relatable character, but before we dive in, let me share a personal anecdote that ties into our discussion today. Growing up, I often found myself conforming with the expectations placed upon me. Much like Nomi, I struggled with finding my own path while dealing with the weight of societal expectations. This novel resonated deeply with me, but also provided me with new perspectives on life. The book, A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews, demonstrates how individuals should embrace change and engage in self-reflection for personal growth and discovering self-identity. This message is demonstrated through the repercussions of Nomi's family departure, Nomi's rebellion against Mennonite religion, and symbolism. By navigating through Nomi's life, Miriam Toews teaches the audience the importance of taking personal action to create change in your own moment rather than waiting for it to happen naturally. Our discussion today will highlight the importance of forging your own identity. Let's start with the first topic, the repercussions of Nomi's family departure. The limited stability Nomi has at home reflects themes of loss and abandonment. Without a stable family, she struggles with her identity. Nomi's mother and sister have been absent for most of her life, and now her father is left too. These losses force Nomi to confront her identity and her beliefs. The immense amount of storytelling through memories in the novel emphasizes how important those people were to her. Nomi has lived without her mother and sister for the entirety of the novel, and her dad leaves her at the end of the book. However, Nomi has a tornado of a mind, and it's reflected within the book's writing style. The writing style filled with fragmented memories mirrors Nomi's confused state of mind. Her thoughts jump from one place to another, reflecting her instability. She clings to relationships and sometimes conforms to Mennonite norms, while also being inspired by those who rebel against it, like Tosh, Trudy, and Travis. Being alone in this confused state, while also being excommunicated from her town, showcases the necessity of embracing change and engaging in self-reflection for personal growth. Nomi slowly begins to understand the importance of her own desires and beliefs, especially once her dad leaves, and she is completely alone. This abandonment forces her to question her surroundings, beliefs, and the values she was raised with. To progress in life, it's important to seek change and put yourself in uncomfortable situations. This is a powerful message we can all relate to. Nomi doesn't seek change, but only questions the position in life that she's in. Her confusion in life leads me to our second topic, Nomi's rebellion against Mennonite religion. Her rebellion showcases her alienation from the community, and her struggles in accepting her identity. Nomi skips school, uses drugs, listens to secular music, explores outside of town, skips church, idolizes her mom and sister who were also rebels, and forms an attachment with Travis, another rebel, even though the love is not reciprocated. Nomi's need to take action to understand and discover her life is emphasized through her continuous rebel against the norms in this town. The most pivotal moment that reflects the author's message is when the mouth determines Nomi's excommunication from the church. Nomi's rebellion is a cry for help, a metaphor for isolation and independence. She reflects upon her actions, displaying self-growth. She does not conform to the community's expectations, isolating herself in the process. Nomi is a relatable character for the readers of this novel. She's a good person but has no interest in following expectations. She wants change in her life. A complicated kindness does a great job at displaying how searching for change can be difficult. Although she is a good person, helps others, and is considerate, she does not follow the typical path that a Mennonite individual would follow. She creates her own path but is yet to understand her purpose. Nomi's interests outside of being Mennonite challenge the rigid and forceful nature of her religion. By creating a character who explores herself and other interests rather than conforming, the author highlights the importance of discovering one's own path and identity. These situations are not the right situations for people. Just because some people are satisfied with something doesn't mean everybody will be. The audience realizes this through Nomi, as she challenges the norms of this town, doing whatever she can to change her life to get away from, and I quote, the least progressive town in the world. This may be a boring town, a simple character, and a long book that doesn't cover much of a plot, but the underlying message of the novel is very well portrayed by the author, and I want to veer toward our third topic, symbolism in a complicated kindness. Many symbols are present in this novel, reflecting the struggles and positives in people's lives, teaching the audience the importance of taking personal action to create change. The first symbol I want to cover is the lagoon. The lagoon is outside of the town, and Nomi takes a visit to the lagoon. The lagoon symbolizes escape and freedom. A symbol similar to this one is a raised lawn chair. Raised lawn chair symbolizes routine, comfortability, and hope. It's a coping mechanism for dealing with loss. Nomi's statement, I sat in his yellow lawn chair for a while, staring at the highway, waiting, in case he changed his mind, highlights the importance of seeking change rather than waiting for it. Nomi sat in her dad's chair after her dad left. Her father used to sit in this chair all the time after his wife and daughter left. Ray had no change in his life until the buildup of his departure. The lawn chair represents the stagnation in their lives, urging the need for personal growth. These were some positive symbols. These represented hope in the novel, while other symbols such as Nomi cutting off all her hair and the mouth, the leader of this town, represent negative symbols. Nomi cutting her hair represents change, rebellion, and individuality, while the mouth symbolizes the oppressive power of the community and the natural problems in life. Nomi's excommunication forces her to find her own identity elsewhere, highlighting the importance of taking control of one's destiny. In this novel, I thought that the mouth is a symbol of evil. He represents problems that will catch up to you in life. Nomi didn't take action to get herself out of this town, but she had to pay for her actions. The mouth excommunicating Nomi from church leaves her with no option but to leave this town. The author wants the audience to understand that it is beneficial to put your life in your own hands. People shouldn't be waiting for a motive that inclines them to make a decision. This novel made me reflect on my own life. Why should I adhere to expected norms? What's stopping me from shaping my own path and identity? I'm 17 years old, about to graduate high school. No one at my age is a millionaire. But who says this isn't possible? The reason no one at my age is a millionaire is because everyone conforms to society's expectations. This novel emphasizes the importance of seizing your opportunity for self-growth and paving a pathway for yourself at the right time. This doesn't mean to rush it, but rather to seize your opportunity, or even create your own opportunity at self-growth. To sum up, we've explored the repercussions of Nomi's family departure, her rebellion against the Meta Knight religion, and the symbolism in Uncomplicated Kindness. Each of these points highlights the novel's themes of self-reflection, embracing change, and discovering self-identity. Remember, it's essential to take personal action to create the change you want in life. Don't wait for it to happen naturally. Realize when change is necessary. Reflect upon your own life. Make your own decisions. Don't wait for the time to come. Realize when the time is now. Enjoy your weekend and tune in for the next episode of the AA Podcast.