who is a teenager, who only wants to become a great surfer so that he can join the pro tour and make money. Shane however, has no interest in joining the tour and making money, even though he is probably the best surfer in the world. Shane’s other companion is Mickey, who was the second best surfer in the world eight years prior, but “lost a step or two in his old age.” Through out the story both Mickey and Keoni try to convince Shane to join the tour, but he refuses. Mickey even punches Shane at one point and virtually starts a fistfight with him, saying “get on the tour and make some money while you still can.” Shane is not driven by money and success, like his friends, and thrives only on his love of surfing. At the end of the story Mickey is killed trying to surf a wave that is to big to be surfed, and Keoni gives up on traveling and returns home to his parents. Shane, however, continues his travels, and in the end is able to find what he is looking for. He fins his ultimate wave, and surfs it with no one else around, proving to himself that he is the best surfer in the world.Though these three works differ in many ways, they all share a common theme about individuality. The idea that happiness can be found without conforming to popular opinions is expressed in each of these literary pieces. The speaker in The Road Not Taken, Sonny, and Shane all achieve personal success by living life in their own way....
