In The Serpent King, author Jeff Zentner presents the thematic idea of ​​courage. Through plot events, character dialogue, and other literary elements, Zentner develops the theme that courage allows people to overcome adversity and be driven to attempt situations that the individual has fear of undertaking. For example, when Travis was being abused by his father, Travis finally stood up to him: “Travis threw the belt in the corner, looked his father in the eyes and pointed at him, his hand shaking like his voice. “If you lay your hand on me again, I’m going to break your hand.” You lay your hand on me again, I will (blasphemy) kill you.” Throughout his life, Travis had to deal with his father's cruel ways, which caused him much pain and torment. However, Travis had been bold enough to confront his father about his wrongdoings. Travis knew that the only way to protect himself and his mother from danger was to face the problem head on. Travis' actions support the theme because courage has compelled him to act for what he believes is right, despite fear of the consequences. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Throughout the book, the main character, Dill, had to face many of his struggles and also do things that he was afraid to undertake. Namely, on the day of the talent show, “Dill was feeling nauseous that morning. He couldn't eat breakfast. He and Lydia didn't speak at all on the way to school. He couldn't pay attention in class. The talent show assembly was held after lunch. He was shaking as he entered the room, guitar case in hand.” However, as he took the stage, “Dill took a breath and started playing and singing. He sang as if the Holy Spirit had descended on him with purifying fire.” The first quote shows that Dill had a feeling of apprehension and was hesitant to play; perhaps because he was afraid of the reactions he would receive. However, based on the second quote, Dill was able to muster up his bravery and express his love for music. Previously, Dill was unsure about the possibility of achieving positive results, but his courage gave him the ability to control his nervousness and muster his will to perform. Additionally, after Travis died, Dill began to neglect the type of person he was. He began to feel guilty, blaming himself and his legacy for being the cause of Travis' death. He even almost committed suicide: “Then he got up, gathered his courage and decided to end his life and try his luck the next time.” This does not explain that Dill actually wants to "end his life", but figuratively means that he is going to build a new life for himself. Dill plans to achieve this by going to college: “I'm here because I made you a promise. I have to leave and go to college or I'm going to die. I can’t do this without your help.” It takes immense strength to be able to continue living after mental suffering and also deviate from the path that has been laid out for you. Since the outcome of Dill's future was one of the conflicts he grappled with, this corroborates that Dill possesses the courage to forge his own path, given his parents' perspective on the matter. Similarly, another event where resilience helped Dill deal effectively with his problem was when he addressed the school bully: “Dill came between Madison and Lydia. “Hey, Madison, Tyson. You don't understand? You can no longer.