By Matthew Lim Si Yuan
- Compare & contrast the two Tuck brothers, saying which character appeals to you more and why.
Jesse Tuck is a cheerful, stress-free, playful seventeen year old guy, while his brother, Miles Tuck, is a sad and serious twenty-two year-old guy. Jesse wants to roam all around the world and enjoy life to its fullest. Miles wants a purpose in life, instead of travelling and not settling down. He wants to get a proper career.
Miles is sad because he has lost his wife and children due to his immortality. His wife thought that he has sold his soul to the devil in order to become immortal. So his wife and children left him, making Miles thinks that immortality is a curse. “I was more’n than forty then,” said Miles sadly. “I was married. I had two children. But from the look of me, I was still twenty-two. My wife, she finally made up her mind I’d sold my soul to the devil. She left me. She went away and she took the children with her.”
On the other hand, Jesse is so stress-free and cheerful as he has never lost anything dear to him. He is still single. The only important people he could lose are his parents! But even then, his parents are immortal! “I’m glad I never got married,” he declares.
Miles is serious as he wants a purpose in life, instead of constant travelling. He wants to settle down and get a proper career. “Someday, I’ll find a way to do something important. The way I see it, it’s no good hiding yourself away, like Pa and lots of other people. And it’s no good just thinking of your own pleasure, either. People got to do something useful if they’re just going to take up space in the world.”
In contrast, Jesse takes things too lightly and is thinking of selfish enjoyment only. He thinks that immortality is a blessing to be used to enjoy life to its fullest. “Just think of all the things we’ve seen in the world! And all the things we’re going to see!” He wants to take Winnie as his wife, so that both of them can stay immortal and roam the world and enjoy life together. “But the thing is, you knowing about the water already, and living next to it so you could go there any time, well, listen, how’d it be if you was to wait till you’re seventeen, same age as me-heck, that’s only six years off-and then you could go and drink some, and then you could go away with me! We could get married, even. That’d be pretty good, wouldn’t it! We could have a grand old time, go all around the world, see everything. Listen, Ma and Pa and Miles, they don’t know how to enjoy it, what we got. Why, heck, Winnie, life’s to enjoy yourself, isn’t it? What else is it good for?”
As to which character appeals to me the most, it would be Miles. Miles appeals to me more as even though he has lost his wife and children, he still moves on. He wants to find a purpose in life, whereas some people will just grieve and grieve and not do anything and hence, waste their life away. As for Jesse, I think he should “grow up” and stop being so playful like a ten-year-old child and be more sensible like Miles. Life is more than just self-enjoyment.
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