high school essay

Question

In the following literature selections, individuals experience rites of passage in various ways:

1. "The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant" by W.D. Wetherell
2. "Oranges" by Gary Soto
3. from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
4. "First Lesson" by Phillip Booth (Standard course only)
5. "On Turning Ten" by Billy Collins
6. "Hanging Fire" by Audre Lorde
7. from My Forbidden Face by Latifa
8. "The Scarlet Ibis" by James Hurst (Standard course only)
9. "My Brother's Keeper" by Jay Bennett
10. from Riding the Bus with my Sister by Rachel Simon (Foundations course only)

Choose at least two of the selections above and write about the rites of passage that individuals in the selections confront. Provide evidence by including names of characters as well as specific details from the text to support your claim.

RUBRIC

Ideas/Purpose (× 2):

The main idea or purpose is clearly stated. The response is fully relevant. The response strongly supports the main idea or purpose.

Textual Evidence (× 1):

There at least four specific details, examples, and/or citations that make clear reference to the text.

Conventions (× 1):

There is a strong command of conventions. Punctuation, capitalization, and spelling are consistently correct.

Answer 1

In the story "The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant" by W.D. Wetherell, there is a young guy who is going through a big change as he grows up. He is not named in the story, but he is a teenager. During one summer, he goes through a lot of changes in how he feels and what is important to him.

The protagonist is going from being a kid to becoming a teenager, and it is all about how he feels about love and understanding himself better. He starts liking a girl named Sheila Mant who is older and really attractive. This crush makes him think about who he is and what he wants. He faces a tough decision when he catches a big fish while he is on a date with Sheila. He realizes that keeping the fish means giving up his chances with her, because she does not like fishing.

This tough choice he has to make shows that he is growing up. He is going from trying to impress his crush to valuing what he wants for himself. He decides to let go of the fish, which shows that he is becoming more mature and understanding himself better.

The story thus illustrates the protagonist's journey from childhood innocence to adolescent self-awareness. The use of the bass as a metaphor for his personal growth highlights the transformative nature of this rite of passage.

Title 2: "On Turning Ten" by Billy Collins

In the poem "On Turning Ten" by Billy Collins, the speaker talks about getting older and losing the innocence of being a kid. The poem is about growing up and going from being a child to a teenager.

The speaker looks back on when they were younger and wishes they could go back to that time. They remember thinking that there was only happiness inside them, but now they know that's not true. This shows how they have started to understand the world in a more grown-up way.

The rite of passage in this poem is the speaker's realization that growing older means leaving behind the simplicity and magic of childhood. This transition is marked by the speaker's awareness of time and mortality, which he expresses through phrases like "a magic trick" and "a bicycle never suddenly leap into the future."

Through its poignant reflection on the passage of time and the loss of innocence, "On Turning Ten" captures the emotional and psychological aspects of the transition from childhood to adolescence, serving as a universal representation of this rite of passage.

Answer 2

Layna, it was nice of Carolyn to give you an essay, but I agree with what I think Laurie is nicely hinting at... If you don't learn how to read critically and write analytically with a teacher, you're robbing yourself of important critical thinking and communication skills you'll absolutely need later. Just think how empowering it will feel to tackle an essay like this and turn it in on your own. There are many tutors and mentors on this site to help you feel confident in your abilities!

Best,

Will

Answer 3

I think literacy is a human right and that reading promotes tolerance and empathy. I also believe that reading is a portal to joy! I want to share the pleasures of reading with students.

I can do this because I have a master's of curriculum and instruction with a specialization in reading education and literacy from George Washington University and because I'm trained in Lindamood-Bell's interventions of Seeing Stars and Visualizing and Verbalizing. I also have a Ph.D in Linguistics from NYU, so I have a deep understanding of how the speech sounds are formed in the mouth. I can help students with phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, spelling, paragraph and essay writing.