Week 5: Essays on Remembrance

The essay "Calling Home," written by Jean Brandt is a story about a time in Jean's young life when she shoplifted and was faced with an irrational punishment. People say that every action a person makes has an equal and opposite reaction. But jean's consequences were unlawful. I feel that the story was overly exaggerated. Would the police take a young child to jail for stealing an item that is less than a dollar? I think not. The significance of the essay explains the emotional effect and expression of shoplifting. The moral of the story is to not steal because there are consequences for each action. The emotional trauma will teach her not to repeat the action again. The essay “An American Childhood,” written by Annie Dillard explains the joy to “fling” oneself at opportunities presented in life. The story goes on to her childhood memory. She explains that when she was young, she threw a snowball at a car and the owner got out and started to chase her. At the end of the pursuit, all the man said was, “You stupid kids.” The significance explains that goals in life are to be met and pursued “wholeheartedly and fearlessly”. Another perspective can suggest that she learned her lesson: be careful in what you do. The essay “On Being a Real Westerner,” written by Tobias Wolff is a story about his childhood experience with ammunition. The significance of the essay explains a certain characteristic that is expressed in role playing. Wolff experiences bravery as he played soldier. He also enjoyed the role of a soldier and being able to hold a rifle—feeling the sense of power. He also experiences the emotional trauma of killing an animal. The essay “100 Miles per Hour, Upside Down and Sideways,” written by Rick Bragg is a story about a time when Rick got into a tragic accident and survived. The story in itself is a miracle because the police officer said that he surely should have died from the crash. He saved up his earnings to purchase the car and got into a reckless accident. He was speeding on the highway and a police car spotted him. He slammed on the gas and ended up landing in a ditch upside down because he lost control of his vehicle. In the end, he got the car fixed and eventually sold it to a pastor’s son. I find the ending to be ironic because Rick and others proclaim that his survival is due to God’s will for him. The story sounds unbelievable and I feel that it is exaggerated, and perhaps even made-believed.