The Edge and Cassie Jones English
Cassie Jones English 1123 #005/V05 16 January 2013
"Who's Responsible?"
When death occurs one might point a finger at who they think should be responsible. In the story, "Samuel", by Grace Paley, the tragedy could have been prevented. Alfred, Calvin, Samuel, and Tom are four boys who enjoy living on the edge. One would assume they are responsible enough to make wise decisions since their mother's let them go unsupervised to the missile exhibit. The boys whose age we do not know, had been warned by other passengers of the consequences that could occur due to hopping to and from subway cars. Although, one lady was scared of embarrassment, she knew that she had to say something. She had her own boy at home. "You boys will be hurt. You'll be killed", she said. The boys acted like they were going to obey her but instead made a mockery of her. If they would have respected her words and listened, things might have been different. A successful gentleman who witnessed the boys laughing and forbidding to obey decided he would put a stop to it. The story states, "He walked in a citizenly way to the end of the car, where he pulled the emergency cord". Some may blame this man because pulling the cord halted the train which sent passengers tumbling. Samuel was then pitched forward and crushed between the two cars. The passengers sat silent. Some may have been thinking they could have prevented this tragedy if only they interfered and not worried about embarrassment. The gentleman ultimately feels guilty because if he had not pulled the cord, maybe Samuel would still be alive. The mother's who sent their four sons off on a train without supervision may feel responsible also. Who's to blame? The four boys, regardless of their ethnic background, are responsible. They are old enough to know the difference between right and wrong. What seems like a fun pastime at the moment can bring many years of sadness to families. No one can be
"Who's Responsible?"
When death occurs one might point a finger at who they think should be responsible. In the story, "Samuel", by Grace Paley, the tragedy could have been prevented. Alfred, Calvin, Samuel, and Tom are four boys who enjoy living on the edge. One would assume they are responsible enough to make wise decisions since their mother's let them go unsupervised to the missile exhibit. The boys whose age we do not know, had been warned by other passengers of the consequences that could occur due to hopping to and from subway cars. Although, one lady was scared of embarrassment, she knew that she had to say something. She had her own boy at home. "You boys will be hurt. You'll be killed", she said. The boys acted like they were going to obey her but instead made a mockery of her. If they would have respected her words and listened, things might have been different. A successful gentleman who witnessed the boys laughing and forbidding to obey decided he would put a stop to it. The story states, "He walked in a citizenly way to the end of the car, where he pulled the emergency cord". Some may blame this man because pulling the cord halted the train which sent passengers tumbling. Samuel was then pitched forward and crushed between the two cars. The passengers sat silent. Some may have been thinking they could have prevented this tragedy if only they interfered and not worried about embarrassment. The gentleman ultimately feels guilty because if he had not pulled the cord, maybe Samuel would still be alive. The mother's who sent their four sons off on a train without supervision may feel responsible also. Who's to blame? The four boys, regardless of their ethnic background, are responsible. They are old enough to know the difference between right and wrong. What seems like a fun pastime at the moment can bring many years of sadness to families. No one can be