Swede Land

Every person experiences the process of growing up that is full of changes that lead to the transformation of someone into a mature human being. This process is different for each person, either in time, magnitude, or circumstances. In the book “Peace like a River”, the author, Leif Enger, presents many characters that go through situations that help them to grow and learn, one of them is Swede Land. Enger presents Swede as a character that at an early age needs to go through a fast process of changes that transforms her into a mature girl to help his family through the journey of life.
At the beginning, there is a description of Swede as an “eight-year-old girl with enormous stock in courage” (9). Reuben also says that Swede opinions “were
This is the moment of direct impact for Swede that marks a “before” and an “after” of her life. After returning from that horrible moment “she was not crying and her face was white” (36), which gives the reader a clue of the detestable moment that she lived. She expresses her change within the story that she is writing — it is worth highlighting that Swede is an astonishing writer of Old West stories that most of the time have a relation with real life occurrences— with a turn in the view that she has for the villain, Valdez. As a writer, at first she had a weakness to pen the death of the villain (proof of her innocence and childhood), but when she returns, Reuben finds her “killing off Valdez with no compassion” (38), showing that her mentality has changed and her innocence was abruptly taken. The next day, Swede takes her doll and plays with it so impatiently but “the doll had grievous, unmothered expression, as if it knew its time was short” (38). This is a physical representation of Swede’s starting point of transition from a child’s mind to an adult’s
With Davy murdering the ones that kidnapped her, running away before judgment, his disappearance, and all the struggling that they face as a family, Swedes becomes a wiser person with new responsibilities and thoughts. The reader can perceive her new role as an “adult” since the moment that Jeremiah, her father, gets sick. She has many tasks, and since Reuben cannot help with his dad because of his lung’s problems, she takes care of everything at home. The doctor says to Reuben: “Let’s Swede give it [medicine] to your Dad (. . .) Swede should take him his meals, too” (110). She takes the role of a mother for her sick father and Reuben. Swede is an important character in the novel because she is one of the biggest supports for the family.
As a young lady, Swede bears more than a person ought to in their initial nine years of life. She demonstrates her grit, quality, and empathy all through her battles to remain alive in negative temperatures additionally hazards her life for her dad and siblings. Swede is a dynamic character. She conveys expectation and love to her family all through her youth, despite the fact that at a youthful age she was compelled to develop rapidly and couldn't grow up playing with toys. Swede Land is the angel sent by God for one reason; that will be a gift to the ones she cherishes the