When Jessie Came Across The Sea Analysis
THIS IS IT - UPDATED FOR MARGARET’S EDITS
I fill a large cardboard box with the books of my childhood from my spot on the bedroom floor. Watching the books that defined me, the ones that put me to sleep at night, and those that inspired the dreams of waking hours disappear one by one into the container covers me with a blanket of warm sadness. Before saying goodbye to all my old friends, I stop to reconnect with just one, Jessie, from When Jessie Came Across the Sea.
I remember when Jessie and I first met. Criss-crossed on my bedroom floor an hour after my mother read aloud this immigrant girl’s tale for the first time, I was still flipping through the pages: mesmerized. I understood the small stories each stroke added to the character. …show more content…
The eight-year-old Peruvian student stared at me, clearly hoping to hear the lesson was useless, so he could play fútbol with his friends. However, I would not grant his wish.
Instead, after a moment of internal translating, I replied, “Porque algún día, nunca se sabe, es posible que contar algo,” “Because someday, you never know, you may want to count something.” Just like Jessie’s grandmother, I pointed towards the utility of knowledge. To me, learning is not about finishing a series of tasks in order to earn a grade, but rather building the tools that will help address the unknown challenges in the future. So, this past year in biology, when my teacher briefly mentioned pregnenolone, a hormone in the brain, I asked a followup question. To my disappointment he replied, “Rachel, this is not going to be on the test.” I didn’t see a reason why my knowledge should be limited to what can be covered on a thirty-question quiz. So instead of dropping the idea, I dug deeper to find out what pregnenolone did and how its’ chemistry impacted behavior. Months later this independent research came in handy in my psychology class when my group was struggling to understand how hormones impact behavior. The curiosity and enjoyment in seeking answers to interesting problems is what drives my passion for learning. As Jessie’s grandmother said, “You never know when you might need
I fill a large cardboard box with the books of my childhood from my spot on the bedroom floor. Watching the books that defined me, the ones that put me to sleep at night, and those that inspired the dreams of waking hours disappear one by one into the container covers me with a blanket of warm sadness. Before saying goodbye to all my old friends, I stop to reconnect with just one, Jessie, from When Jessie Came Across the Sea.
I remember when Jessie and I first met. Criss-crossed on my bedroom floor an hour after my mother read aloud this immigrant girl’s tale for the first time, I was still flipping through the pages: mesmerized. I understood the small stories each stroke added to the character. …show more content…
The eight-year-old Peruvian student stared at me, clearly hoping to hear the lesson was useless, so he could play fútbol with his friends. However, I would not grant his wish.
Instead, after a moment of internal translating, I replied, “Porque algún día, nunca se sabe, es posible que contar algo,” “Because someday, you never know, you may want to count something.” Just like Jessie’s grandmother, I pointed towards the utility of knowledge. To me, learning is not about finishing a series of tasks in order to earn a grade, but rather building the tools that will help address the unknown challenges in the future. So, this past year in biology, when my teacher briefly mentioned pregnenolone, a hormone in the brain, I asked a followup question. To my disappointment he replied, “Rachel, this is not going to be on the test.” I didn’t see a reason why my knowledge should be limited to what can be covered on a thirty-question quiz. So instead of dropping the idea, I dug deeper to find out what pregnenolone did and how its’ chemistry impacted behavior. Months later this independent research came in handy in my psychology class when my group was struggling to understand how hormones impact behavior. The curiosity and enjoyment in seeking answers to interesting problems is what drives my passion for learning. As Jessie’s grandmother said, “You never know when you might need