Shadow The Novel Character: The Physical and Psychological Obstacles (Essay Sample)

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American Gods
Novels, films, and general acting have become important devices of entertainment. Equally, all these methods are often used in the passage of a message. In the case of novels, these books have been used in the past to write captivating stories that leave readers thrilled with the contents therein. As is the case with films, novels also take different genres with some being horror, fantasy and other styles. Neil Gaiman’s American Gods is a novel that has become very popular due to its thrilling story. In this paper, the focus will be on the physical and psychological obstacles that Shadow overcomes.
Shadow is a character in the novel that undergoes a series of psychological and physical challenges. Incredibly, despite the magnitude of these challenges, Shadow somehow overcomes albeit with the help of some spiritual powers. The first physical obstacle Shadow overcame was the early release from the prison. In the story, Shadow is in the prison, but is expected to be released soon, and this would grant him the chance to live in freedom. Secondly, having been released from the prison, Shadow had no job, no family and no friend. However, Shadow accepted Wednesday’s offer to work as the latter’s bodyguard (Gaiman p.200).
At some point, Shadow is able to overcome physical barriers by stopping an attempted murder of Odin at the Rock City. Apparently, Loki had sanctioned the killing of Odin as this would catalyze a battle between the Old Gods and the new ones. In the novel, the new gods included the fashion, the media, and the celebrity while the Old Gods were the previously-held beliefs about Gods (Gaiman p.211). In this scenario, Shadow did not necessarily fight Loki; rather he convinced them the battle would be irrelevant. Another case that Shadow withstands physical pain occurs when he is hung on a tree. In this scene, he hallucinates about a man with a seemingly elephant head. Also, he becomes extremely thirsty and has to rely on the rainwater.
Concerning the psychological obstacles Shadow overcame, the first was withstanding the unexpected demise of his wife, Laura. Also, the death of Robbie was pretty touching to Shadow especially because he thought he would secure a job at this friend’s gym. More mental anguish is suffered by Shadow when he is drugged by the agents of the modern gods. This incident occurred after Shadow decided to sleep in a different room since it became hard to sleep in the normal room without Laura. Worse still, Shadow continues to suffer psychologically when his wife keeps showing up in his dreams. On several occasions, Laura appears to Shadow though she still appears dead (Gaiman p.230).
The pain of witnessing the disappearance of children in the lakeside proves too touching to Shadow, but there is nothing much he can do. There is more mental strain to withstand when Shadow’s close friend Wednesday is killed. Though the two did not have a good beginning, they had formed a bond and Wednesday’s sudden death leaves Shadow in more psychological pain (Gaiman p.390). These children are kidnapped without anyone knowing the person behind this menace. Evidently, Shadow is psychologically affected by the issue. However, at first, he cannot do anything because he and Wednesday are in a hurry.
As the plot continues, Shadow strives to ensure that the kidnapping of the children has stopped. Though at first there was little he could do, Shadow later comes to the rescue of the village. Hinzelmann is the man behind these kidnappings and is seemingly untouchable. Apparently, Hinzelmann remains protected and blessed because he makes the community prosper while other regions are grappling with abject poverty. Incredibly, Shadow brings about Hi...