This is a story about a mother and her daughter on the first day of school. They go to one school, which the mother prefers because it is close to home and to her church, to register but they are told they need to go to another school to register. At this other school, the mother asks another woman to help her fill out the form because she can't read or write. When the mother leaves, she leaves her daughter in the safekeeping of this school with hopes that her daughter will get an education, be able to read and write, and and have a better life than her mother.
It is debatable whether this story is about the mother or daughter. This is an important day in the daughter's life: her first day of school. She may be 6 years old and she is telling the story later on when she is an adult. But, the focus seems to be on the mother and how she handles the daughter's first day of school.
From the first sentence, it seems that the daughter realized her mother couldn't read and write and this was embarrassing for her later on. She became ashamed of her mother. This is why this first day is remembered so vividly by the daughter.
The second school is a real school in Washington, D.C. but it's not clear exactly where it is in D.C. It may be in NE Washington, D.C.
This story has a lot of sensory details. For example, in the second paragraph, the clothes of the daughter are described and when the mother plaited the daughter's hair, her "scalp tingles." When [she' turns [her] head quickly, [her] nose fills with the faint smell of Dixie Peach hair grease....." For another example, at the end, the sound of the mother's footsteps as she leaves the school, is emphasized.
This is a story about "leaving home"; the little girl is "leaving home" to start the first grade of school. Many children are apprehensive about this step in their lives. Parents and teachers try their best to facilitate a smooth transition so it is as easy and comfortable as possible.
I don't recall my first day of school when I was six years old. I do remember vaguely a few experiences in the first grade. I remember drawing and being commended for my drawing. I remember there being about fifteen others in the classroom. It is all a blur, however, because I was deaf but no one knew it on the first day of school in the first grade. But, apparently my teacher noticed something because I had a hearing test that fall and got a little hearing aid.
This story is very interesting that the mother's daughter decided to wrote the book about her mother. She tried to show everyone that we need the educations to be success. So, I have seen that her mother not able to read the form. She glad that someone would like to fill out for her. Now, she's success of her life and wrote this book. I am so sure that this book will be impact people. I am surprised that the occur in Washington, D.C. This story is very good.
ReplyDeleteThe story was kind of little sad about mother's daughter had little embassies how her mother handle at school. But I think when she grew up and look at the past, she learned about her mother to how is her mother care about her daughter's education and want to have best education for daughter than she had. The daughter should be glad that she got better life and thanks to her mother.
ReplyDeleteThis story was very touching because of the fact that the daughter is ashame of her mother when she should be happy and not being ashame of her mother because her mother worked hard for her to get good education. SInce the daughter have an oppurity to get good education when her mother didnt have the same oppurity she should be grateful for the scarfices and struggles her mother made for her to be able to get a better education and better oppurities that her mother didnt receive when she was younger and her mother believe in her daughter. she believes her daughter deserves the best. I admire her mother for the struggles and scarfices she made to make sure her daughter get a good education!
ReplyDeleteThe story has touched on the bottom of my heart. It inspired me that the mother desires her daughter to go to a school and to be succeed. She wouldn't give up on attempting to get her to a school since she doesn't know how to read or write. Not a lot of parents are like that. Most of time, they'd accept they cannot read or write and don't think of something which is the best for their child. The daughter should be lucky to have her mother to be there for her and have a wanting feeling to help her out throughout difficult times. That's what a real mother is! (:
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this story because my best friend's english is not proficient. She is bilingual like me. She speaks spanish and english. It reminded me of her because her mother does not speak any english at all. But my best friend still went ahead and got her education. She ended up being valedictorian of my school!
ReplyDeleteReading this story has made me realize, every childhood isn't always perfect when you are with your parents or whoever; there is something with a reason behind the situation. Understanding why this little sweet daughter went through with her mom, this daughter is an inspiration to her mother.
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ReplyDeleteThis story was interesting to me because it shows how a mother tries to sign up her daughter to school. She could get a good education and not end up like her. Her mother tries to make her daughter be successful in life and wants her to accomplish all her dreams that she never had. She doesn't know how to read or write, but She was feeling to help her out throughout difficult times. Her daughter should be glad and get a good life in her future. Also, this daughter is very impression to her mother.
ReplyDeleteI assumed this story supposed to make us realize that we should be very appreciated for what our mothers had done for us.
ReplyDeleteWow this is a very heart touching story. The mother, maybe didn't go to school and so it was hard for her to read and write or maybe didn't have the best education at her time. The Daughter, might not want to go to school, mother might notice that and she might realized that she don't want to go to school and had to put her in school. The mother don't want her daughter like her being a shame of her mother and being shame of herself when she have kids of her own. So, The mother has to put her daughter to school for her to learn as much as she could.
ReplyDeleteThis story is motivating to not only mothers but to anyone who reads this story because of the example this mother shows for her daughter. Even though the daughter realizes its embarrassing to have a parent who can't read or write , she should also realize that her mother is doing her job as a parent by providing her a education she never had. Not many people are able to have an education like her, so to have one is a gift.
ReplyDeleteI am the inspiration for the life story of “The First Day.” As main character, the mother is unable to filled out the school registration form because she cannot read and write. Likewise, my friends cannot read and write and find it very difficult to face when there is an important situation. In the story, the mother can probably believe that her daughter will achieve a success in the school. Thus, I actually cherished the memory of that day that my mother strongly encourages me to acquire a good education in Gallaudet University.
ReplyDeleteI find this story kind of familiar with my mother, however she already have the establish language. Which she can read and write in Spanish not English. Therefore, I grew up witnessing my mother not able to comprehend English. So she had to rely on my father who already know English or anyone else who can translate for her. I remember feeling the frustration when it comes to when I need to help with my homework. I remember seeing my mother feeling bad about how she cannot help me with homework. So I find the girl story to be kind of similar experience of how I used to feel about my mother not knowing English language. As I grew up I realized that I am wasting my time being embarrassed. Instead of helping her out with English which she already have the motivation to learn; I realized the importance of the education and my mother taught me it's never too late to get an education.
ReplyDeleteI would like to comment on one part about the school situation, I happen to have the different opinion on why the mother was told to have her daughter to go to different school. I think it's the fact that the school thinks that the mother cannot afford to pay her daughter to attend the best school. So the lady suggested the mother to have her daughter to attend other school which the mother didn't want makes me think that the school is not the best education for her daughter to attend.
Other than that, I think this story is very sad to know that the girl was ashamed once she learned that her mother cannot read or write. The girl should be grateful she had a parent who is willing to fight for her to receive an proper education instead of sitting around and do nothing.
This story remind me and my mom. She had a hard time finding me school with sign language but no luck to put me in a better school, only school with SEE. Until my mother and I moved to Phoenix AZ and went to the deaf school for the first time, my mom started to cried because she wished I should have gone to this school and learn lots. This story is very inspiring and how mother work really hard for her daughter to find a good school for her to learn writing and reading, because the mother do not want her daughter to be like her. She wants her daughter to be smarter and brave.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this chapter, I was touched. The mother had a lack of education. She felt afraid that her daughter would receive a poor education, too. She could not read and write. Because of that, she decided to take her child and her enroll in school. She encouraged the child to pay attention to th teacher and hoped that her daughter would receive a good education. From this chapter, I recalled my experience; I could not write and read English language, so my mother encouraged me to study my English and keep my goal to get into Gallaudet University.
ReplyDeleteA warm and interesting story. I like it:)
ReplyDeleteI am very appreciate about mother works so hard even she can't read and write. She wants to do best for her daughter. Her daughter could have chance to get better education so she will give thankful to her mother.
ReplyDeleteIt was very poignant story because that the mother's daughter decided to wrote the book about her mother. Her mother got her to get marvelous education that her mother does. She doesn't know how to read or/and write, but the daughter knows that her mother's struggles and sacrifices what she did in her childhood. However, she did right decisions that what she does to her daughter. She should be very appreciated for what her mother had done for her.
ReplyDeleteIt touch my heart when mother put her daughter as her top priority to get her an education she need. I can imagine in the future, mother's daughter will thankfully her mother very much and have a lot of opportunity in her.
ReplyDeleteI am impressed by her mother that took her daughter to school for a good education. I'm glad that my mother took me to a good mainstream school that taught me a lot, there I can learn English and Spanish with an ASL interpreter. Without them I wouldn't be successful and I'm thankful for that. It is really important to go to school to have a better future. That is why I'm impressed of her mother and then her daughter taught her mother.
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