Reaching Out
The two essays, "The Sanctuary of School," by Lynda Barry and "'I Just Wanna Be Average,'" by Mike Rose, are two essays concerned with children and the way a school system affects a child's life. Barry and Rose use situations in their own life to help readers understand their point of view. The responsibility of parents, the assertiveness of their teachers, and the way they used their unique situations to help solve problems in our fallible society.
Parents can have a profound effect on a child's interaction with society because the emotional bonds between a child and a parent can be very strong. Neglecting or abusing a child will usually have adverse affects. "I was 7 years old the first time I snuck out of the house in the dark." explains Barry, "It was winter and my parents had been fighting all night" (308). In the case of Barry, her parents did not know or care that she was missing from ordinary family functions because they did not have any.
English: Lynda Barry on tour for her 2008 Book, WH...
Gen. T.H. Barry, Mrs. Lindley Garrison, Mrs. Barry...
clare and barry paintingsThis type of neglect sent Barry searching for social interaction, whether good or bad, where she knew she could find it. Linda was lucky enough to have an institution that she could go to and escape the scant behavior of her parents. Parents can also put too much burden on themselves so that they are apt to a different kind of neglect. Parents get wrapped up trying to do what is best for their children and they do not see what is really going on. Rose states, "The current spate of reports on the schools criticizes parents for not involving themselves in the education of their children. . . . The error went undetected, and I remained in the vocational track for two years" (313). Although Roses'...