Question

in both selections, the main characters want the approval of their fathers. how does this affect their actions? do these characters change in any way? write an essay of two to three paragraphs explaining whether phaethon and sara’s desire to win the approval of their fathers affected their actions or changed them.

in your answer, be sure to

• explain how the desire to win their fathers’ approval affected phaethon and sara’s actions
• explain how this need for approval changed phaethon and sara
• use details from both selections in your essay

check your writing for correct spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation.

Explanation:

This response addresses the prompt by analyzing Phaethon (from the Greek myth of Phaethon and the sun chariot) and Sara (assuming the reference is to Sara from Sara Crewe or a comparable literary work where paternal approval drives her) through the required lenses. First, it connects their desire for paternal approval to their core actions, then tracks their character changes, and integrates textual details as specified.

Answer:

Paragraph 1: Actions Driven by Paternal Approval

Phaethon’s desperate need to prove himself to his father Helios, the sun god, pushes him to demand control of Helios’s fiery sun chariot—an act Helios repeatedly warns is beyond his skill. This reckless choice stems entirely from his desire to validate his identity as Helios’s son and win his father’s public approval; he ignores all warnings to avoid appearing weak or unworthy. For Sara, in A Little Princess, her longing to uphold her father’s pride and remain the "perfect princess" he raised leads her to hide her grief and poverty when she loses her fortune. She continues to act with grace and dignity even as she is abused at Miss Minchin’s school, fearing that any display of weakness would disappoint the father she believes might still return. Both characters’ most defining actions are directly shaped by their drive to earn their fathers’ approval.

Paragraph 2: Character Changes from the Pursuit of Approval

Phaethon’s quest for approval leads to his tragic downfall, but it also strips him of his naive overconfidence in a fatal, irreversible way. When he loses control of the chariot, scorching the earth and endangering humanity, he realizes his hubris—fueled by his need to impress Helios—has destroyed him. He goes from a cocky, eager boy to a humiliated, desperate figure, learning too late that approval cannot be forced through reckless acts. Sara, by contrast, undergoes a redemptive change. Her commitment to honoring her father’s teachings of kindness and resilience, even when she believes he has abandoned her, deepens her empathy and inner strength. She moves from a privileged, sheltered child to a compassionate leader who cares for the other mistreated students, her desire for her father’s approval evolving into a commitment to live by the values he instilled, rather than just perform for his praise.

Paragraph 3: The Divergent Outcomes of Their Desires

While both Phaethon and Sara are motivated by paternal approval, their responses to the consequences of that desire define their changes. Phaethon’s inability to temper his need for validation leads to his destruction, a cautionary tale about the danger of prioritizing others’ approval over wisdom. Sara, however, channels her desire into moral integrity, using her father’s memory as a compass rather than a pressure point. In the end, Phaethon’s change is a tragic, final lesson in humility, while Sara’s is a growth into a more compassionate, resilient person—both shaped entirely by their drive to win the approval of the fathers they adore.