Burn Your Maps, by Robyn Joy Leff, provides an excellent example of how the character’s inner personality could be completely different than what it appears to be on the outside. Specifically, Wes, the child of quarreling parents Alise and Connor, fills this roll. On the outside, Wes seems to be a Mongolian wannabe child with insanity problems. But if one would take a look at the quotes mentioned throughout the story, it would become evident that is not the case. Wes is actually traumatized by the death of Connor’s father, who, due to Alise and Connor’s quarreling, formed the strongest bond with Wes.
He mentions the “slow white death” (Leff, 52) of his grandfather towards the beginning of the reading. This is extremely important to his character, as it gives the reader some background as to why he dresses and acts as a nomad; without his grandfather, Wes develops feelings of loneliness, chill, and self-dependence. These characteristics, rather than pure insanity or the enjoyment of a Discovery channel program, lead Wes to “be” a Mongolian Nomad. He expresses these traits by wearing Mongolian clothing, sleeping out of comfort, separating himself from his parents, and even by hiding his true feelings from them.
His dishonesty to his parents not only shows off his loneliness, but also reveals the true innocence and kindness found in his spirit. By saying “You guys always think it’s ‘cause of you. But sometimes that’s not true” (Leff, 60), Wes, in sympathy for his mother’s worrying, tries to calm his mother with words of assurance. These passages explain that, before the realization of his parents’ acceptance and love in the conclusion to the story, Wes is just a kindhearted child who feels alone in a world with no boundaries.
