Discussion Topic
Conflict resolution in "Dear Mr. Henshaw" by Beverly Cleary
Summary:
In "Dear Mr. Henshaw," Leigh resolves his conflicts by expressing his feelings through letters to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, and through his diary. This process helps him cope with his parents' divorce, loneliness, and the challenges of growing up, ultimately leading to personal growth and a better understanding of his own emotions.
What is the conflict resolution in Dear Mr. Henshaw?
There is indeed a resolution to the story's main conflict—Leigh's difficulty in dealing with his dad's absence from his life—but it isn't neat and tidy. Leigh has spent the whole story hoping against hope that his parents will somehow get back together again. But as time goes by, he starts to realize that this is never going to happen. This is the resolution to his conflict. It isn't a very neat one, as we've already seen, but it's a good deal more realistic than the kind of trite, artificial reconciliation we might expect from a less talented writer.
Leigh's pleased to see his dad show up at his house at long last, but by this late stage in the story he's developed sufficient maturity to realize that his old man isn't here to stay. Once upon a time, that would've been way too difficult for Leigh to handle, but not...
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now. He's changed, even if his father hasn't, and this significant change in Leigh, this personal growth, has provided a partial resolution to a conflict that had been dogging him for so long.
Much of Dear Mr. Henshaw focuses on how Leigh Blotts learns to become a problem solver. Minor problems present themselves throughout the course of the narrative, and Leigh learns how to manage the situation, cope with the difficulties, or solve the problem completely. An example of this is Leigh's writing. He would like to become a much better writer, like Mr. Henshaw, so upon his favorite author's suggestion, he begins to keep a journal. Because of his hard work and effort, Leigh later wins a writing contest.
Another example of conflict resolution in Dear Mr. Henshaw is Leigh's stolen lunches. His mom always puts in special treats and tidbits from her catering job, and Leigh becomes frustrated when they keep getting stolen. He cleverly solves the problem by creating an alarm for his lunchbox that would sound when somebody opened it.
The main conflict of the novel, however, is a problem that Leigh cannot solve on his own. Leigh really wishes for his family situation to improve. He worries about his mother working so hard to support him and wants his truck-driving father to have more time for him. These conflicts, of course, are issues that Leigh cannot fix by himself, but his efforts at being a better writer and trying to solve the problem with the lunchbox have helped him realize that some problems cannot be solved right away. Leigh learns patience and an appreciation that some things in life just take time.
How is the main problem resolved in "Dear Mr. Henshaw" by Beverly Cleary?
The main character in "Dear Mr. Henshaw", Leigh Botts, learns a lot about problem solving during the course of the narrative. Leigh aspires to be a writer when he grows up, so he works to eliminate the obstacles to that dream by practicing, sometimes even against his will. Mr. Henshaw's list of questions helps Leigh in this respect, and even though he answers the questions under duress, his writing improves because of his hard work. Leigh wants to enter a writing contest, but finds he is not ready to write an imaginary story. He overcomes this problem by focusing on the things he can do, and writes a nonfiction piece instead. His entry is picked as a runner-up, and when the first-place winner is eliminated, he receives a prize in her place. Leigh learns that being proactive helps him solve a lot of his problems. When his lunch is being pilfered at school, he invents a lunch box alarm to thwart the petty thief.
Leigh's main problem, though, is not one he can solve in the way he would like to. Leigh wishes that his father would be there for him, and that he and his mother would get married again. It is not to be, however, and Leigh discovers that, in order to solve this problem, he must learn to accept some things the way they are. When he comes to terms with this reality, Leigh takes a giant step towards maturity, and feels "sad and a whole lot better at the same time" (Saturday March 31).