By: Cynthia Rylant
This was one of my favorite books that I read during my author study of Cynthia Rylant. Again, I love the way that she can really make you feel something through her stories. This story was somewhat quirky and funny, the way that it referred to objects the woman named by name throughout the story (her car was Betsy, her chair was Fred) however the character was so relatable in her emotions and the story was more than just funny. I haven't necessarily felt the loneliness that this character feels in the story, however, the way it is written allows me to feel that, and because of that I was really rooting for her from the beginning. There is a strong sense of predictability in this story, but I still wanted to keep reading and let it unfold. I liked this story because it was entertaining but it was also more than that, and you could really have intelligent conversations about it in the classroom. What stuck out to me the most was the old woman's fear, and the fact that she didn't name anything that she might outlive, because then she would form an attachment to it. However, she forms an attachment with the dog regardless. I think that this really touches on a general human need for companionship. I think that a lot of people live in fear of companionship, and becoming too attached, even though it is really what they might need the most. This could be a really interesting discussion to get into with kids.
No comments:
Post a Comment