A New Apprentice - Summary Essay

Another week, another short story. A New Apprentice, told by Birchpaw.

This had another different theme for Warriors. The books have looked at pride in various ways before, but it’s always been shown as unfavourable. This is one of the few times that the positive points of this emotion are explored.

One thing that does make short stories easier is there is often one, sometimes two main characters. They’re pretty easy to spot, and in the guide books, it’s especially so, as they’re told in the first person by the main character.

I’ve said before that short stories are challenging in terms of coming up with a theme. I don’t think I’ve ever touched on the situations, though. I find it difficult to summarise a whole book in a few short sentences. Still, it’s harder to stretch out a short stories synopsis for an entire paragraph.

I’d love to know your thoughts on the short story too. You can tell me in the comments or let me know over social media.

The central theme in A New Apprentice is pride. Pride is often seen as a negative emotion, but that isn’t always the case. Taking pride in your accomplishments gives you the confidence to do more. You can also be proud of someone else you know, which can allow you to feel gratitude. Birchpaw considers himself lucky to have Ashfur as his mentor. He lists several traits that make him proud of Ashfur. Birchpaw’s pride at hunting helps make him want to follow the rules and not eat before feeding the elders.

The main character in the short story is Birchpaw. He is the protagonist and tells the story to the reader in the first person. Although he names several other characters in A New Apprentice, each one is only mentioned briefly. They are all incidental players in the short story.

The main situations in A New Apprentice follow. Birchpaw is excited about being an apprentice. His mother sometimes still treats him like a kit. She lost two of her kits and is worried about him. Birchpaw is excited that Ashfur is his mentor. Birchpaw likes going on hunting patrols. He doesn’t want to break the rule of hunting for the elders before he eats. Birchpaw is excited about going to his first gathering. He is looking forward to seeing ShadowClan cats that he made friends with on the journey from the forest.

Thank you so much for reading.

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Alice B Hutley

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