When reading a narrative, I always hope to get a reaction out of it. A proper narrative should have a lot of relatable material in it with a strong message.
I thought "The Sanctuary of School" was a well written narrative. From the first few sentences, I could tell the author put a lot of emotion into her writing. I could imagine myself watching the little girl struggle to be seen at home and sneaking out to go to school early. I agree with her opinion on the preservation of art in public schools. She knows how it feels to be a child who doesn't have a home life and uses school as her escape.
In this narrative, the author addresses the issue of public school budget cuts. For the past few years, public schools have been losing their art, music, and other creative activity programs due to budget cuts. On page 87 from paragraphs 19-21, she explains how art is an escape for some children who struggle at home. Extra activities in school give children the happiness that they might not have at home. "Babysitting" is the wrong term to describe creative activities after school. They are meant to broaden children's minds and to let them express their individuality. If activities like art were taken away, some children would become invisible, not knowing how to express themselves.
Barry's usage of the word "light" in her narrative was symbolic. I think light stands for hope, and that hope is "as far away as stars" in some children's lives. For children in struggling homes, hope is not something they have confidence in. Children can feel like they will be living the same limited life with no way out.
I agree with you that light symbolized hope. But for the stars, I wondered if she was making fun of President George H. W. Bush's speech, "A thousand points of light." On the bottom on page 87, it said that in that speech, Bush compared community organizations to stars that spread across the nation. So could Barry mean that the children are so distant from the help of these community organizations? I was just wondering because I don't know the right answer.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your opinion on how schools can be an escape for kids coming from troubled homes. I also agree with your belief about how art programs should be preserved. Having been a part of an art program for three years I can honestly say that I did witness a couple of kids whose whole demeanor would change just when they a pencil or brush in their hand.
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