Chapter 4 -Narration & The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry Response

        Many people use the word narration but have no idea what it truly means. Let me simply things for you: Narration is listing accounts of events. It tells you what happened at a particular place and time. We write narratives for many reasons, to connect with other people, to entertain, to explain events,and to persuade others to accept a certain view. When writing a narrative you have to consider your audience and your purpose for writing. Then you'll know how to organize and which details to include in your writing.  To properly organize a narrative events need to be put in chronological order and used with appropriate transitions. Correct verb tenses and the sequences of them help connect events in time. To have a compelling story you have to have a plot and tell it from a consistent point of view. By adding dialog into first person narratives you introduce the points of view of other people in to story.You can use techniques such as brainstorming and clustering to find raw materials for your narrative. When planning a narrative keep asking who what where when how and why. You can analyze the causes and effects of the characters actions compare contrast one character to another. This may not seem as easy as it sounds but with some practice you’ll notice significant changes, when it comes to writing a narrative. A prime example of a well done narrative is The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry. It was interesting from the beginning of the narrative. I was curious how or why a 7 year old would sneak out the house. Then when there was no specific reason why she snuck out, I thought I would be disappointed but I wasn't because for some reason I understood her. Even though she didn't know at the moment, it became clear that she needed an escape from her life. Her only escape was her school, her “Sanctuary,” and that’s the reason her subconscious just brought her there. I liked how Linda inserted her own voice on what she thought about her past experience. So not only did she give us a descriptive story she also expanded on how she feels in the future and how that event impacted her life. I agree with overall argument, stated at the end of the narrative, that the government shouldn't be dropping before and after school programs and art-related activities. These programs definitely do help the students and their parent’s as well. It keeps their children in a safe environment doing productive things. Lynda Barry’s narrative essay reveals the benefits of these programs through her personal experiences with them. Barry uses the metaphor "a thousands points of light," at first this phrase was a little confusing, but after reading the footnote it became a little clearer. Those points of light represent the many programs that Lynda Barry is advocated for. But sadly because of the government budget cuts those programs seem as if they are as far away as stars, because children across america don't get the privilege to benefit from them anymore.

There are only a few things I would say could have been added or done better in The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry. If I was the Lynda I would have definitely added some commentary of highly known and recognized individuals who also support her idea that the government is doing the wrong thing by canceling these programs due to budget cuts. That would have made the essay a little better. Maybe Lynda could have added other perspectives of children who also benefited from the programs. But other than those two things the essay was well done and entertaining to read.

                                                                                                                                     Terry Tafari

                                                                                                                                          9-15-13