Thursday, June 14, 2012

Chapter 10 (The Water is Wide)


“The goal I developed the first week that never changed was to prepare the kids for the day when they would have to leave the island for the other side.”

I chose this sentence because it showed what Conroy’s real intentions were for going to the island. It shows again what kind of person Mr. Conroy is. He went to the island to help prepare these kids for life outside of Yamacraw. When he arrived he was shocked at how uneducated the children were and although some progress has been made he still knows inside that they are not ready for the world outside of Yamacraw. At this moment in the chapter he was feeling down and saw his days on the island coming to an end. He was upset with the little progress even though he knew he had done a good job. He was reassuring himself with this sentence that that was still his goal even though he was in a depressing mood.

In chapter 10 Mr. Conroy plans a trip to Washington D.C. for the students. He went through so many obstacles to be able to do this. He had money issues, transportation issues, and had problems getting the parents and guardians permissions to let the children go. After all these problems were solved Conroy and his wife Barbara along with the two California boys took the students to D.C. They had a wonderful time exploring the museums, zoo, and the overall city life.

Conroy in the end of this chapter realizes just how remote these children were from a real society. When Jasper asked what the lines in the road were for. Conroy did not know what he meant because he was so use to seeing the yellow lines that separated the highway. After his wife explained to Jasper what they were for Conroy reflected on how much these children had to learn just about regular life outside of the island. 

2 comments:

  1. I like that you pointed out this sentence and the true meaning behind it. You showed his true meaning for going to the island and what his full intentions were. He knew that these children didn't have a life outside the island and wanted to prepare them for the day they did. In the sentence he states when they leave the island for the other side, this showed that he had the hopes for them that soon they would. I think by him saying this he was trying to reassure himself that he would be the one to get them off the island and they would be prepared for the world outside of it. It's a shame that he never got the chance to prove himself right. I often wonder whatever happened to the children. I wonder if they ever left the island or if any of them ever became successful. I hope that they remember him because he surely remembers them.

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  2. I love that you chose this sentence, if the children got nothing else from Conroy at least got to experience life outside Yamacraw. I think that the Washington trip was good for the children. This trip was a lot less hectic than the last, and I think the children really enjoyed themselves. I could not imagine not knowing what the lines on the highway meant. When Jasper asked what they were I had to think about his comment as well. It is sad that places in the untied States are still like this today. Every child should get to experience things outside their school and have educational experiences that last them a lifetime.

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