Hard TImes

Author’s note: This was a piece I wrote about the main conflict in the book The Art of Racing In the Rain. I was working on using a/b transitions, and text analysis.

When almost everything you own is taken from you in a matter of weeks will you still fight for what’s yours? The main character Denny from The Art of Racing In the Rain, looses almost everything in an instant. His wife, daughter, money, and home, are all taken. But he still fights for what’s his.

Denny’s first problem starts when his wife gets brain cancer, and dies 6 months later. Denny is heartbroken, and starts to set into depression. His parents-in-law, offer to take Zoe his daughter for a while, and eventually stay with them forever. Denny refuses, then the problem escalades to a level uncontrollable by anyone. The “Twins” (his parents-in-law), sue him for custody rights over Zoe. Denny is then forced to shove out huge amounts of money for a lawyer. But this is only his first obstacle.

Denny is still going through incredible adversity, but possibly the worst is yet to come. Along with the “Twins” law suit, they then decide to charge him with assault. They claimed he had inappropriately assaulted a 15 year old relative. This is all false. Now Denny is forced to get another lawyer to help on this front, all the while sinking deeper into debt. At one point Denny tries to get drunk and utters the words “I honestly don’t think this is worth fighting for anymore.” Denny is forced to sell one of his cars, his home, and move into a small apartment, just big enough for him and his dog. Denny appears to have hit rock bottom.

But when you have hit rock bottom, for some people, it gives them even more motivation to fight. And within a few more months, Denny is proven innocent on the assault, and the Twins finally give up trying to take Denny’s daughter. Denny’s live is now back on track, and when a famous racecar driver offers him a job in Italy for Ferrari, his spirits are soaring. But two weeks, his dog Enzo dies. Denny is heartbroken, but understands that he needed to go. Denny, with an open mind agrees to move to Italy, and become a driver for Ferrari.

Through all the struggles Denny faced, it turned out the way he wanted it. He lost his wife, home, job, all his money, and almost his daughter. But he does not stop fighting. He did not let someone take from him what was not theirs.