Let me
just say that completing my second English class assignment was very difficult
for me. Not that I did not understand
the parameters of the assignment, I understood unequivocally what was expected
of us. What I did not expect was to be moved, and actually be reduced to tears,
while doing the assignment. The first
article speaks of bullying and its effects. I know this only too well, as I was
bullied quite a bit when I went to school. This article brought back strong and
hurtful memories.
The
next article brought back the horrors of my Jr. Year in High School. While I
don’t know if alcohol was involved, I do know that circumstances were very,
eerily similar. It changed my life forever. I think that was the year that I truly
lost my childish innocence. That I learned that nobody is immune to death.
-Rowing the Bus
-A Drunken Ride
“Rowing
the Bus,” by Paul Logan; is a first person narrative. Words used in the essay;
which reflect a first person narrative, are the continuous use of the words,
such as “I” and “Me”. Through Logan’s narration, we are allowed a glimpse
into what his life was like as a child “Besides my outdated clothes, I wore
thick glasses, had crossed eyes, and spoke with a persistent lisp. For whatever
reason, I had never learned to say the “s” sound properly, and I pronounced
words that began with “th” as if they began with a “d.” In addition, because of
my severely crossed eyes, I lacked the hand and eye coordination necessary to
hit or catch flying objects.” (Logan 638)
Paul Logan shares with the reader, very
personal memories, of being bullied in school “When I was in elementary school,
some older kids made me row the bus. Rowing meant that on the way to school I
had to sit in the dirty bus aisle littered with paper, gum wads, and spitballs.
Then I had to simulate the motion of rowing while the kids around me laughed
and chanted, “Row, row, row the bus.” I was forced to do this by a group of
bullies who spent most of their time picking on me.” (Logan 638) His desire to
fit in with other children “For four years, from second through fifth grade, I
prayed nightly for God to give me school days in which I would not be insulted,
embarrassed, or made to feel ashamed.” (Logan 638)
“A
Drunken Ride,” by authors Theresa Conroy and Christine M. Johnson; is
written in third person narrative. In this essay, all thoughts, and point of
views are shared. The opinion of the authors, is left out. Phrases that support
a third person narrative would be “The evening of September 13 began in high
spirits as Baxter, behind the wheel of his gold Blazer, picked up seven high
school chums for a drinking party for William Tennent High School students and
graduates at the home of a classmate. Using false identification, according to
police, the boys purchased one six-pack of beer each from a Warminster Township
bar.” (Conroy, Johnson 638)
“Killed in that flash were: Morris “Marty”
Freedenberg, sixteen, who landed near a telephone pole about thirty feet from
the truck, his face ripped from his skull; Robert Schweiss, eighteen, a Bucks
County Community College student, whose internal organs were crushed when he
hit the pavement about thirty feet from the truck; Brian Ball, seventeen, who
landed near Schweiss, his six-foot-seven-inch frame stretched three inches when
his spine was severed; and Christopher Avram, seventeen, a premedical student
at Temple University, who landed near the curb about ten feet from the truck”
(Conroy, Johnson 638) As gruesome as it is, the authors are bringing the
readers back to that fateful night, so that they can experience the events for
themselves.
I think both essays have been
written to have a major impact; to make the reader feel something, move the
audience to change their point of views. Whether that is to not be a bully, or
to consider the repercussions of drinking and driving. While both essays are
intended for children and teenagers attending grade school and high school; I
think it would be difficult for anyone to read these articles, and not feel
something. Because they effected me very deeply.
Works Cited:
-Logan, Paul. English
Skills and Writing. “Rowing a Bus.” (pg. 638). New York, NY. The
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2008. Print.
-Conroy, Theresa. Johnson, Christine M. English Skills and Writing. “A Drunken Ride.” (pg. 638). New York, NY. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2008. Print.
(If you have any questions, shoot me an e-mail! kaye.warren@hotmail.com)
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