Student essay on Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Teamwork
Artemis Fowl by Eion Colfer is an adventurous story of a twelve-year-old millionaire genius who
tries to rob fairies of one ton of gold. Artemis’ father was presumed dead which drove his mother
crazy, so all she can do is take sleeping pills and stay in bed. The closest he had to a father is his
servant, bodyguard and friend, Butler, who Artemis often teams up with. Artemis and Butler’s
trust in each other and their commitment to always stay a team is what makes their teamwork
successful.
Butler’s trust in Artemis is a critical part of the success of their team. Without it, they could not
work well together. Butler even tells him, “I trust you Artemis” Artemis then responds, “Yes. I
know.” Without that element of trust, the bomb the fairies drop on Fowl Manor probably would
kill them both. Soon after Butler is asked, “But your sister. Are you willing to risk her life out of
loyalty to a felon?” Butler simply answers “Artemis is no felon miss,” showing that he will risk
his and his sister’s lives because of his trust in Artemis. This trust is what makes the teamwork
between Artemis and Butler so successful.
Another element of Artemis and Butler’s teamwork that makes it so rewarding is their
commitment to each other and to stay a team until they die. One way this commitment is shown
is when the author says, “Once a Fowl and a Butler were put together, they were paired for life.”
If they vow to always stay a team, then they must be very committed to each other. Another
example of this attachment is when Butler tastes tranquilizer in the wine Artemis gives him
before Fowl Manor is bombed. Butler could have tried to hurt Artemis since he thinks Artemis is
trying to kill him, but Butler’s commitment holds him back. Artemis and Butler’s teamwork is
successful because of their commitment to each other.
There are several examples of teamwork between Artemis and Butler in Artemis Fowl. One of
these examples is when Artemis asks Butler to create a diversion so he can work on his plan to
rob the fairies of gold. If Butler had not been there to create that diversion, it would have caused
several delays. Another example of this teamwork is when Artemis needs to leave the security
monitors. Artemis tells Butler, “We have a guest. I’ll show him in. You get back here and police
the surveillance cameras.” If Butler were not there to do that, something might happen in another
part of the house and the guest could be used as a distraction. Butler could also protect Artemis
from anything the guest might try to do to him because if anything started to happen, Butler
could run over to help. As you can see, there are several examples of teamwork between Artemis
and Butler in Artemis Fowl.
In Eion Colfer’s Artemis Fowl, Artemis and Butler’s teamwork is what makes them so
successful together. Their team is so successful because of their trust in each other. Another
element that makes their team so successful is their commitment to always stay together as a
team. This teamwork is shown in many ways throughout the book. In Artemis Fowl, Eion Colfer
shows that a good team always wins.
Used with permission from Janet Angelillo.