Phillips 1

Emma Phillips

Baditoi

(H) English 9

28 April, 2017

The Split-Second, Life Changing Choices We Make

Have you ever judged a person? When you make eye contact with someone through the

window of your car on your way to work, do you ever suddenly criticize the type of car they

drive or the color of their suit? We may not even realize that we ask these questions, and assess a

person based on their car of choice or fashion decisions. However, a study done by the Scientific

American, an online news database that focuses on science, found that these subconscious split-

second judgements are often wrong, because they rely on crude stereotypes and other mental

shortcuts (Krakovsky, 1). Still, prejudices exist and often determine our decisions regarding the

people around us. Human society has judgement at its core, but this facet of everyday life is

reflected in a totally new perspective by the New York Times bestselling book A Man Called Ove

by Fredrik Backman. Printed in thirty-five different countries, and commended by Booklist, an

online news as the most charming book of the year (...) hands down, A Man Called Ove has

sold more than 2.8 million copies worldwide. While these public accolades of the novel are well

deserved, the reader is privately and equally rewarded with a deep story that teaches us to look

beyond our immediate judgements of others. We can all unearth something meaningful from the

main characters bittersweet, funny, and timeless rediscovery of himself and as he opens himself

up to strangers.

In the novel A Man Called Ove the main character, Ove, is forced to cope with the

unfortunate death of a loved one by going against his unethical beliefs about strangers. As a
 Phillips 2

result, he develops new relationships by helping others conquer their own personal struggles. The

people he meets display qualities and values like acceptance and cordiality that help shape Ove

into the empathetic person he becomes. Backman also revisits Oves past life and memories

throughout the novel, and reveals to the reader all of the hardships that Ove went through to

arrive at his current curmudgeonly outlook, where the story starts. By providing this insight into

Oves earlier experiences, we also learn who the main character really is--a kind and gentle man.

This surprises the reader more and more as the story gradually unveils itself. Through this, we

realize that our own judgements have the capability of being incorrect. After all, the reader

misjudges Ove, exactly as he misjudged his community, teaching the reader that we may not be

alone in our struggles to be accepted.

Ove withstood death, untrustworthy people, and grief all because he chose to open

himself up to others who he incorrectly perceived. Ove looked past dreadful first impressions in

order to develop personal relationships that, eventually, would save his own life. This provides

the audience with a heartfelt story of overcoming individual obstacles that can inspire people of

all ages to look past their perceptions of others.

 Phillips 3

Works Cited

Haggas, Carol. Rev. of A Man Called Ove . Booklist 15 May 2014: n. pag. Booklist. Web. 25

Apr. 2017.

<https://www.booklistonline.com/A-Man-Called-Ove-Fredrik-Backman/pid=6636691>.

Krakovsky, Mariana. Mixed Impressions: How We Judge Others on Multiple Levels. Scientific

American. N.P., 06 Dec. 2009. Web. 20 April. 2017.

<https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mixed-impressions/>.