“The Clown,” a realistic fiction selection written by Patrick McManus, indicates to readers that people are different on the inside than on the outside and that being modest is important. The main character in this story was Pat, “a fairly timid fellow” (McManus 59). Additional important characters in the story were: Clifford Slick, “the class clown” (McManus 60), and Miss Bindle, a mean junior high math teacher who was “tiny, scrawny, and fierce, with an eighty-year-old face and twenty-year-old red hair” (McManus 58). “The Clown” takes place “at Delmore Blight Junior Junior High” (McManus 58). Throughout the story, Pat’s major goal was to “...make it safely through to the end of the school year…” (McManus 59) without getting in trouble with Miss Bindle.
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However, one day, Pat “made the mistake of bragging to Slick” (McManus 60) that he had never been in trouble with Miss Bindle and was “‘going to make it all the way through the year without getting snatched’” (McManus 60). After hearing this, Slick took it upon himself to prevent Pat from reaching his goal: “‘Today you’re going to bust out laughing right in old Bindle’s class!” (McManus 60). Later, in Miss Bindle’s class, Clifford Slick kept to his promises and attempted many times to get Pat to laugh: “...he stuck two yellow pencils up his nose, his impression of a walrus… Slick next imitated a walrus taking a dainty sip of tea’” (McManus 60). Then, Pat couldn’t hold back it back anymore and his laugh “detonated like a bomb in the frozen silence of the room” (McManus 61). Immediately, Miss Bindle yelled at the students: “Clifford!
However, one day, Pat “made the mistake of bragging to Slick” (McManus 60) that he had never been in trouble with Miss Bindle and was “‘going to make it all the way through the year without getting snatched’” (McManus 60). After hearing this, Slick took it upon himself to prevent Pat from reaching his goal: “‘Today you’re going to bust out laughing right in old Bindle’s class!” (McManus 60). Later, in Miss Bindle’s class, Clifford Slick kept to his promises and attempted many times to get Pat to laugh: “...he stuck two yellow pencils up his nose, his impression of a walrus… Slick next imitated a walrus taking a dainty sip of tea’” (McManus 60). Then, Pat couldn’t hold back it back anymore and his laugh “detonated like a bomb in the frozen silence of the room” (McManus 61). Immediately, Miss Bindle yelled at the students: “Clifford!