American Shaolin 1

In American Shaolin, Matt, the main character has a defining characteristic of being idealistic. To be idealistic one has to be merely honest. The concept of idealism is to act or practice of envisioning things in an ideal form. This idealism is rapidly seen in first chapter of book one, Matt develops a list of things wrong with him, he annotates the following, “Things that are wrong with Matt: 1. Ignorant 2. Cowardly 3. Still a boy/not a man 4. Unattractive to the opposite sex 5. Spiritually confused (14). Matt wrote the list at age fifteen, which was back when he was a bully’s favorite target. Since the beginning of the book Matt seemed to point out that he was “weak. ” It was mentioned a numerous amount of times that throughout his school years Matt was a ninety-eight pound boy, which one knows is not heavy at all, so it’s very easy for bullies to pick on him if they wanted to. Referring back to the list Matt wanted to change himself, he wanted to one day become a tough fighter that would be able to protect himself in similar situations to those the same he had faced from his past.

In doing so he took action and decided to take a year off college, Princeton, and use that same college money to travel to China. Matt was on a mission to find the Shaolin Temple. He had figured out that in order to break out of the shell of being bullied he wanted to study the martial arts of kungfu. “[He] had been taking kungfu classes since freshman year, because when [he] was nine years old [he] had seen a rerun of David Carradine’s Kung Fu and was never the same again (15). He didn’t figure this out alone, with the help of Professor Gu, he made his decision. Are you afraid of chi ku? ” Professor Gu asked “Eat bitter? ”…“No,” I lied…“Then you must go to the Shaolin Temple (16). ” Although Matt did not have the support he wanted, his idealistic mind did not stop him. He was going to do what he set his mind on. In taking money from his college fund he was really taking action for what he wanted to do. Not only was it something his parents did not agree it, but it was something he had to go through alone, which one can say depicts the “cowardly” part off the list.

Although he claims to have been a coward since grade school, if Matt was truly a coward he would have not taken that big step in life all on his own. But since this was something he did want, he did the actions to make his dream possible. Not only does he manage to get to China alone, but he has to find his way alone. All he can do is ask directions it doesn’t take a coward to confront random people, whom don’t speak English, and ask them for help in a different continent in which one is new to.

Although he claims to not be so good at his Chinese, Matt seems to get plenty of compliments of how well he does speak the language. “Aiya, you speak Chinese! ” she cried clapping her hands to her mouth “Just a little. ” “Your Chinese is so good! (16)” Since the beginning Matt seemed to cross off “ignorant” from his list all on his own. Since his junior year of high school Matt decided to take steps forward and become a very successful person. He felt that although he was only at his junior year of college, he was done with college. As I finished, I leaned my head back in my chair with pride, and the list flashed in my head. I was suffused with a sweet glow of success (14). ” After having the feeling of relief Matt soon started to feel like he needed to work on eliminating more of the factors wrong with him from the list. That is when Matt’s idealistic mind take role and speaks for itself. His steps to going to China were getting closer, [his] obsession with kungfu had led to an interest in Chinese culture… [He] was all flight ad no fight (15). As much as Matt was learning about the Chinese culture to link with “unattractive to the opposite sex he learns that “because the Chinese tend to hit puberty later (at fourteen to sixteen) and because it is a sexually conservative country, especially in rural regions, the Chinese don’t usually start dating before they are eighteen…It was common for Wushu Center monks who had reached the peak of their power to find a special female friend to focus the extra energy they no longer needed to improve their kungfu skills (116). Matt has an open mind and is learning much from his time in China. One can say that if things go well for Matt, maybe after he’s completed his kungfu training he might just find that one girl who will make him cross off his factor from the list. Towards the middle of the book Matt sets an example of how he was a coward, when one day he had a conversation with Coach Cheng and he was asked if he was afraid of being hit, Matt replies, “The pain. ” He looked at [him] for a long time. When you were little, did they beat you? His question caught [him] off guard. [His] eyes got hot. “Classmates? ” [He] nodded (161). ” Matt shows that he is being idealistic because he really wants to change the way things have been from his childhood, he doesn’t seem to give up. His actions speak louder than the words he himself speaks. With his mind set in moving forward, he is acknowledging more wisdom as every day goes by. To be idealistic is take action as to for one wants to accomplish in their lives.

Matt has shown that he is very idealistic by going to China to study kungfu. Generally, Matt’s idealism is negotiated throughout his character, affecting his decisions to change the way he is and the way he will be for the rest of his life. If it wasn’t for his idealism, Matt would not be where he has gotten so far, he would have been back at home lacking the experience he went through still depicting about how he lived a bullied childhood. Matt’s idealism developed from the moment he was back at home to now when he lives in China.

Calculate the price
Make an order in advance and get the best price
Pages (550 words)
$0.00
*Price with a welcome 15% discount applied.
Pro tip: If you want to save more money and pay the lowest price, you need to set a more extended deadline.
We know how difficult it is to be a student these days. That's why our prices are one of the most affordable on the market, and there are no hidden fees.

Instead, we offer bonuses, discounts, and free services to make your experience outstanding.
How it works
Receive a 100% original paper that will pass Turnitin from a top essay writing service
step 1
Upload your instructions
Fill out the order form and provide paper details. You can even attach screenshots or add additional instructions later. If something is not clear or missing, the writer will contact you for clarification.
Pro service tips
How to get the most out of your experience with MyStudyWriters
One writer throughout the entire course
If you like the writer, you can hire them again. Just copy & paste their ID on the order form ("Preferred Writer's ID" field). This way, your vocabulary will be uniform, and the writer will be aware of your needs.
The same paper from different writers
You can order essay or any other work from two different writers to choose the best one or give another version to a friend. This can be done through the add-on "Same paper from another writer."
Copy of sources used by the writer
Our college essay writers work with ScienceDirect and other databases. They can send you articles or materials used in PDF or through screenshots. Just tick the "Copy of sources" field on the order form.
Testimonials
See why 20k+ students have chosen us as their sole writing assistance provider
Check out the latest reviews and opinions submitted by real customers worldwide and make an informed decision.
LEADERSHIP
excellent job
Customer 452773, August 12th, 2023
BUSINESSADMINECO535
excellent work
Customer 452773, October 6th, 2023
Leadership Studies
awesome work as always
Customer 452773, August 19th, 2023
Criminal Justice
The paper was not accused of plagiarism and was written very well. I will let you know the grade once it is graded. Thank you
Customer 452671, April 26th, 2021
Human Resources Management (HRM)
excellent
Customer 452773, June 25th, 2023
10th grade English
very good
Customer 452773, March 26th, 2023
Philosophy
Thank you
Customer 452811, February 17th, 2024
Leadership Studies
excellent job
Customer 452773, August 26th, 2023
Business Studies
Thank you very much for a good job done and a quick turn around time.
Customer 452615, March 31st, 2021
Humanities
Thank youuuu
Customer 452729, May 30th, 2021
Business and administrative studies
great job as always
Customer 452773, February 26th, 2023
Business and administrative studies
excellent job
Customer 452773, March 12th, 2023
11,595
Customer reviews in total
96%
Current satisfaction rate
3 pages
Average paper length
37%
Customers referred by a friend
OUR GIFT TO YOU
15% OFF your first order
Use a coupon FIRST15 and enjoy expert help with any task at the most affordable price.
Claim my 15% OFF Order in Chat
Close

Sometimes it is hard to do all the work on your own

Let us help you get a good grade on your paper. Get professional help and free up your time for more important courses. Let us handle your;

  • Dissertations and Thesis
  • Essays
  • All Assignments

  • Research papers
  • Terms Papers
  • Online Classes
Live ChatWhatsApp