Part A
Question 1
We went up to the attic, into a long, low room under the eaves where I’ve squirreled away some boxes of old stuff; I dug into one box, and the first thing I hauled out was the very thing he wanted. A thigh-length leather vest covered with fringe and studded with silver, it dates from around 1967, a fanciful time in college-boy fashions. Like many boys, I grew up in nice clothes my mother bought, but was meanwhile admiring Roy Rogers, Sergeant Rock, the Cisco Kid, and other sharp dressers, so when I left home I was ready to step out and be somebody.
The description in this section is nostalgic, and the use of the dusty attic is particularly impactful because it allows the father to physically remove himself from the present and travel back in time to see himself as he was as a child or young adult, in the same way his son is a young adult in the passage.
Another good descriptive paragraph is:
Pull on the jeans, a shirt with brilliant-red roses, a pair of Red Wing boots. A denim jacket. Rose-tinted glasses. A cowboy hat. Or an engineer’s cap. Or, instead of jeans, bib overalls. Or white trousers with blue stripes. Take off the denim jacket, take off the rose shirt, try the neon-green bowling shirt with “Moose” stitched on the pocket, the black dinner jacket. Now the dark-green Chinese Army cap. And an orange tie with hula dancers and palm trees.
The description that the speaker gives of the clothing is short and simple, but it still manages to convey the rushed nature of youth extremely well. The reader can imagine the younger version of the speaker trying clothes on and discarding them quickly; the short sentence structure reflects the rushed nature of the subject matter.
Question 2
This story is written in the first person point of view because it allows the writer to examine the feelings and memories of the narrator much more closely. Because the text deals with the differences between the generations and the memories that the narrator feels when looking at his son. The feeling of the piece would be different if it had been written from the son’s point of view or the third person, because the connection to the past would be tenuous at best, rather than strong and nostalgic as it is here.
Question 3
A good example of a description of an idea can be found here: “He can burst in a way that, done by an older fellow, would mean that angels had descended into the front yard and were eating apples off the tree, and he does it whenever he’s late—as being my son, he often is.” The idea of “bursting into [a] room” is the idea that is being described here, and the idea is very vividly described by the narrator.
Question 4
The general thesis of this piece is that time moves on, and that the things that people leave behind in the past-- memories, so to speak-- are not lost, nor are they things that the individual should try to reclaim. Things that are happening in the present should be celebrated and enjoyed, and good times should be remembered and cherished.
Question 5
The intended audience for this piece could be anyone, but it speaks most clearly to parents or people who have lived long enough to feel nostalgia for times that have gone by. Younger people may appreciate the piece, but they will not feel the emotions of the narrator as strongly or as clearly as parents and individuals who understand the pain and nostalgia that the passage of time causes.
Question 6
Imagery also plays an important role in this piece. The imagery of the angels in the garden and the dusty attic give the piece a very real feeling, as though the reader is actually there, watching the interactions between the father and the son. Similarly, when the narrator describes his son bursting through the door it is so vivid that the reader can almost see and hear it.
Part B
Question 1: Hurricane
When the dawn broke across the skyline the wind was finally dying down, but the damage had already been done. Everything outside was in disarray; branches as thick as a man’s arm had been ripped from the trunks of trees, windows were shattered, and the neighbor’s grill lay in the swimming pool. Hurricanes hit the coast of Florida every year, but this one caused more damage than any that had come before in recent memory. The extent of the damage was not clear for days, and when it was finally assessed, the state and federal government decided that a new plan of action in case of another Category Five hurricane.
Question 3
Homework in elementary school: good or bad idea?
While there are good arguments for the assignment of homework to elementary schoolers, elementary schoolers will benefit more from the unstructured after-school play time than they will from completing homework assignments for long periods of time after school.
The legalization of marijuana for recreational use
Marijuana should be legalized for recreational use, as there is no evidence to suggest that there would be significant legal, social, or economic repercussions from legalization.
Returning to high school for an extra year of study
Because high school is an environment where young people are learning to be adults as much as they are learning academics, individuals who are in need of an extra year of study before attending a tertiary institution should take advantage of other adult education programs rather than re-enrolling in high school classes.
All-day kindergarten for four year old children
All-day kindergarten should be an option for parents to explore when their child reaches the age of four, as kindergartens are often more well-equipped to deal with the needs and interests of a four-year-old than a babysitter.
Delaying body contact in hockey until players are sixteen years old
Instead of delaying body contact for young hockey players, children who play ice hockey should be taught from a young age how to hit and be hit to minimize the potential for injury when they are older, stronger, and able to hit harder.
