The Medicine Bag By Virginia Sneve Analysis
1G1012002
English 2 HP
Room 109
9 May 2013
The Medicine Bag Have you ever thought that family traditions were stupid and worthless? In the short story, The Medicine Bag, by Virginia Sneve, a young boy, named Martin, learns that a bag has been passed down from generation to generation, and that it should keep going on towards the future. Martin used to lies to his friends about his grandpa to make him sound amazing. However, his friends see the grandpa’s true form which shames Martin, but the friends love him and Martin begins to as well. At first, Martin doesn’t want to keep the medicine bag, but after listening to his grandpa, he finally decides to preserve the ritual. Keeping a tradition alive may teach a person the true value of family; it doesn’t have to be important to someone, but it is important to preserve family happiness. …show more content…
The grandfather explains, “I kept the bag until my son, your mother’s father, was a man and had to leave us to fight in the war across the ocean. I gave him the bag, for I believed it would protect him in battle, but he did not take it with him. He was afraid that he would lose it. He died in a faraway place,” (5). The medicine bag was believed to protect the carrier form any evil spirits; since his son didn’t bring it, he died. This is significant because the grandpa wants the security of his family’s safety, and the only way he thinks that is possible would be by carrying the bag. This may spook Martin as he is still young, so now he is fully paying attention to him and admiring how he started the tradition instead of before, when
English 2 HP
Room 109
9 May 2013
The Medicine Bag Have you ever thought that family traditions were stupid and worthless? In the short story, The Medicine Bag, by Virginia Sneve, a young boy, named Martin, learns that a bag has been passed down from generation to generation, and that it should keep going on towards the future. Martin used to lies to his friends about his grandpa to make him sound amazing. However, his friends see the grandpa’s true form which shames Martin, but the friends love him and Martin begins to as well. At first, Martin doesn’t want to keep the medicine bag, but after listening to his grandpa, he finally decides to preserve the ritual. Keeping a tradition alive may teach a person the true value of family; it doesn’t have to be important to someone, but it is important to preserve family happiness. …show more content…
The grandfather explains, “I kept the bag until my son, your mother’s father, was a man and had to leave us to fight in the war across the ocean. I gave him the bag, for I believed it would protect him in battle, but he did not take it with him. He was afraid that he would lose it. He died in a faraway place,” (5). The medicine bag was believed to protect the carrier form any evil spirits; since his son didn’t bring it, he died. This is significant because the grandpa wants the security of his family’s safety, and the only way he thinks that is possible would be by carrying the bag. This may spook Martin as he is still young, so now he is fully paying attention to him and admiring how he started the tradition instead of before, when