Throughout my life, people have always asked me if I need help with anything or if I need to be closer to the front of the room. This is because of my hearing. When I was two, my parents found out that I was hard of hearing. I have always felt as if I can’t do anything because of this. I also felt as if I was stupid and I wasn’t smart enough to be like the other kids. As I got older, my parents always had to reassure me that I wasn’t stupid or dumb and that I could do anything that the other kids could do. When I finally started believing that, I also started to realize many other things too. This relates me to the protagonist in “The Great Rat Hunt” by Laurence Yep because in this story, the boy always doubts himself and feels upset
…show more content…
He thinks this because he has asthma. His asthma prevents him from being able to participate in sports. “During the times I felt well, I tried to keep up with them, but my lungs always failed me. When I had to sit down on the curb, I felt as if I had let my father down. I’d glance up anxiously when I felt his shadow over me; but he looked neither angry nor disgusted-just puzzled...” (2).The author uses imagery to describe the way the protagonist’s dad feels about his asthma. Thus, even though he can never play sports, his dad is still confused. In the main character’s mind, it is evident that his dad has only one perspective of life, which is playing sports. Since he can’t play sports, he thinks that also means that his father doesn’t love him. This affects the boy because it makes him think he is less than his brother and that he isn’t good enough for his …show more content…
When the protagonist finally feels loved, the text states, “I felt a real love and assurance in that embrace” (13). Right now in the story, his dad is hugging him because he is telling the boy it’s okay that he can’t play sports, everyone is good at something, he just has to find that something. This shows that the boy is ambiguous about the situation, because although he wishes he could play sports with his father and brother and be like them, he still feels that it is okay to be different and still be loved. It is clear that the protagonist changes the way he views his family and their love for
He thinks this because he has asthma. His asthma prevents him from being able to participate in sports. “During the times I felt well, I tried to keep up with them, but my lungs always failed me. When I had to sit down on the curb, I felt as if I had let my father down. I’d glance up anxiously when I felt his shadow over me; but he looked neither angry nor disgusted-just puzzled...” (2).The author uses imagery to describe the way the protagonist’s dad feels about his asthma. Thus, even though he can never play sports, his dad is still confused. In the main character’s mind, it is evident that his dad has only one perspective of life, which is playing sports. Since he can’t play sports, he thinks that also means that his father doesn’t love him. This affects the boy because it makes him think he is less than his brother and that he isn’t good enough for his …show more content…
When the protagonist finally feels loved, the text states, “I felt a real love and assurance in that embrace” (13). Right now in the story, his dad is hugging him because he is telling the boy it’s okay that he can’t play sports, everyone is good at something, he just has to find that something. This shows that the boy is ambiguous about the situation, because although he wishes he could play sports with his father and brother and be like them, he still feels that it is okay to be different and still be loved. It is clear that the protagonist changes the way he views his family and their love for