Character Development -- the Yugoslavian Bodybuilder Prologue Essay

Character Development -- the Yugoslavian Bodybuilder

Prologue

Kristoff Savi-ic is a first-generation Yugoslavian-American (of Serbian descent) whose parents immigrated with their three children to the United States in the 1990, having narrowly escaped the Balkan Wars that ensued immediately afterwards in the early 1990s. At 29, he is the youngest of three much older brothers and he bore the brunt of considerably intense and somewhat cruel teasing on their part as a child and as a teenager. His brothers were both jealous and resentful of the comparatively easy life that Kristoff enjoyed growing up in the U.S., both of them having experienced much more difficult childhoods in Yugoslavia and without any of the comforts and opportunities that were always available to Kristoff, who moved to the U.S. when he was 7. Partly because of his love of American junk food as a child, Kristoff became somewhat overweight as a child and his brothers, both of whom had military experience, tormented him about his weight. They also routinely showed off their manliness, mainly through their boxing and they taught Kristoff just about everything he knows about what kinds of traits and behaviors are admirable in men, including an extremely chauvinistic, mistrusting, and predatory sexual attitude toward relationships with women.

Kristoff was never a particularly good student but his parents always made excuses for him having to do with the fact that he had to overcome a language barrier. One of the predominant themes in the Savi-ic household has always been the relative ignorance of Americans in comparison to Serbians, and Europeans in general, especially in relation to their ignorance of world history and culture. No matter how poorly Kristoff performed in school, his parents always reinforced the family narrative that he (and all of the Savi-ics) are much smarter than Americans. Pavel ("Paul") Savi-ic, Kristoff's father, was studying to become a mechanical engineer before leaving Yugoslavia but never managed to complete his education in the U.S. And has worked as an automobile mechanic since arriving in the U.S.

When Kristoff finally graduated from high school at the age of 20, he enrolled in the local community college, for which he received considerable praise from his parents. He subsequently dropped out in his second year, having discovered bodybuilding and having also begun devoting all of his free time to his new hobby instead of studying. His bodybuilding finally enabled Kristoff to earn the respect of his older brothers, but now, at almost 30 years of age, Kristoff still lives with his parents in his childhood room and sleeps under posters of bodybuilders, swimsuit models, and Lamborghini sports cars. He earns approximately $1,000 per month as a personal trainer, passing out his business cards in the gym and he hopes to become a successful model after breaking into professional bodybuilding. His last girlfriend, Maria, recently left him last week after enduing Kristoff's continual insensitivity, self-centeredness, insecurities, unpredictable temper, totally unfounded jealousy, and perpetual cheapness. Her parting words to him were "I'm sorry Kristoff, I just want a nice normal boyfriend who doesn't yell at me all the time, who isn't always fighting, who has his own apartment and a regular job, and who doesn't need me to pay his gym memberships all the time."

Kristoff's Tale of Woe

American women all the very same thing. They caring only about money…about money and what you have…not who you are…what job you are doing and what you buy for them maybe, you know what I'm saying? And they all sluts…whores…you must watch them always…always you must watch them or they look around at all other men, you know? They don't care about you inside…they care the money you make and the car you are driving…for them to be seen in. They are caring what job you have so they….....