Booker T. Washington once said “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” This proves that doing well in life depends on how well someone overcome challenges in life. In the short stories “the scholarship Jacket” by Marta Salinas and “Rules of The Game” by Amy Tan, we meet two smart and brave girls, Martha and Waverly, who excel in their fields and who want recognition form others. To overcome obstacles, Martha and Waverly have to define their sense of self and have to commit to their talent even if it means hurting others.
In the scholarship jacket, Martha is a very bright child. She was a straight A student and was able to maintain the highest grades …show more content…
She wanted the jacket so much because it represented the eight years of hard work that she deserved to be rewarded for. Therefore, she decided to ask her grandfather for the money to pay for the jacket even though she knew it was unfair. However, he chose not to give her the money because she deserved the jacket and shouldn 't pay for it. When she told the principal about her decision it made him reconsider his actions. He knew that her family could afford to pay at least for the jacket but they still refused to do so. He realized that no one could disagree that she the most qualified to have it and should earn it. Therefore, he decided that he would give her the scholarship jacket and called it “an exception in her case” instead of simply apologizing and admitting that he made a mistake. Even though in reality things don’t usually turn this way, it’s easy to say that this been a lesson for Martha. She learned that being an adult doesn’t mean being a saint. They make mistakes and they could use their authority in the wrong way. However, she, now, knows that she needs to fight for what she deserves and that she needs to value her talent and hard work.
Waverly, on the other hand, acted differently from Martha. Instead of accepting her mother’s comments and actions, she decided to speak up her mind and face her. She says “One day after we left a shop I said under my breath, "I wish you wouldn 't do that, telling everybody I 'm your daughter.”” (p11, para 1). She disliked how her mom was bragging about
In the scholarship jacket, Martha is a very bright child. She was a straight A student and was able to maintain the highest grades …show more content…
She wanted the jacket so much because it represented the eight years of hard work that she deserved to be rewarded for. Therefore, she decided to ask her grandfather for the money to pay for the jacket even though she knew it was unfair. However, he chose not to give her the money because she deserved the jacket and shouldn 't pay for it. When she told the principal about her decision it made him reconsider his actions. He knew that her family could afford to pay at least for the jacket but they still refused to do so. He realized that no one could disagree that she the most qualified to have it and should earn it. Therefore, he decided that he would give her the scholarship jacket and called it “an exception in her case” instead of simply apologizing and admitting that he made a mistake. Even though in reality things don’t usually turn this way, it’s easy to say that this been a lesson for Martha. She learned that being an adult doesn’t mean being a saint. They make mistakes and they could use their authority in the wrong way. However, she, now, knows that she needs to fight for what she deserves and that she needs to value her talent and hard work.
Waverly, on the other hand, acted differently from Martha. Instead of accepting her mother’s comments and actions, she decided to speak up her mind and face her. She says “One day after we left a shop I said under my breath, "I wish you wouldn 't do that, telling everybody I 'm your daughter.”” (p11, para 1). She disliked how her mom was bragging about