Lynda Barry
William Caleb N’Doua
Prof. James Malerba
English 101-1203
The essay on page 69 of The Blair Reader entitled: “The Sanctuary of School” was written by Lynda Barry. In this literary work, Lynda Barry remembers her Seattle grade school in a racially mixed neighborhood as a nurturing safe haven from her difficult family life. In the following essay, we will discuss how through this descriptive and pathetic story, Lynda Barry glorifies schools and reveals the importance of public schools by comparing her life at school and her life at home. In the first paragraph of the essay, the way the writer starts the essay set up the tone for the whole work. In fact, the first sentence of the essay tells us the story of a seven years old girl who gets out of her house when it still “dark” outside and also when it’s cold as specified in the second sentence of the essay. A question jumped right here: what’s a girl doing outside of her house alone in such circumstances? Isn’t that pathetic? “Yes” for some and “No” for others. However, as far as I’m concerned I’ve never been outside early in the morning when I was 7 years old and especially in winter. I was always accompanied by my parents no matter where I was going. Latter in the essay, Lynda Barry tells us that her parent were “fighting all night” and also that they were through a difficult financial and emotional situation. Another fact is that Lynda Barry and her brother used to give up their bedrooms to their relatives. This is really a sad story of children ignored by their parents and that really makes the essay pathetic. In the fourth paragraph the author reveals where she was going so early. And that place is school. But why is she anxious about getting to school? I don’t know how many children are anxious about getting to school. However, the comparison made by the author between the life at school and the one at home explain why the young girl “woke up filled with a panic about needing to get to school.” In
Prof. James Malerba
English 101-1203
The essay on page 69 of The Blair Reader entitled: “The Sanctuary of School” was written by Lynda Barry. In this literary work, Lynda Barry remembers her Seattle grade school in a racially mixed neighborhood as a nurturing safe haven from her difficult family life. In the following essay, we will discuss how through this descriptive and pathetic story, Lynda Barry glorifies schools and reveals the importance of public schools by comparing her life at school and her life at home. In the first paragraph of the essay, the way the writer starts the essay set up the tone for the whole work. In fact, the first sentence of the essay tells us the story of a seven years old girl who gets out of her house when it still “dark” outside and also when it’s cold as specified in the second sentence of the essay. A question jumped right here: what’s a girl doing outside of her house alone in such circumstances? Isn’t that pathetic? “Yes” for some and “No” for others. However, as far as I’m concerned I’ve never been outside early in the morning when I was 7 years old and especially in winter. I was always accompanied by my parents no matter where I was going. Latter in the essay, Lynda Barry tells us that her parent were “fighting all night” and also that they were through a difficult financial and emotional situation. Another fact is that Lynda Barry and her brother used to give up their bedrooms to their relatives. This is really a sad story of children ignored by their parents and that really makes the essay pathetic. In the fourth paragraph the author reveals where she was going so early. And that place is school. But why is she anxious about getting to school? I don’t know how many children are anxious about getting to school. However, the comparison made by the author between the life at school and the one at home explain why the young girl “woke up filled with a panic about needing to get to school.” In