Amy Lpez

Writing and Inquiry

Discussion #2

1. How does McDonald organize his essay? What period of time would you estimate is

covered in this essay?

McDonald narrates his essay chronologically; they event follow a sequence. I think this

essay cover about 10 or 15 minutes.

2. What clues lead up to the revelation that the boy is blind? Why does it take McDonald so

long to realize it?

What leads up to the revelation that the boy is blind is that he keeps asking about the

things he has in front of him, like the shrimp and the fish. I think that McDonald didnt

realize earlier because his attitude did not let him figure it out; he just wanted to keep on

going. When he was interested in being there and was really paying attention, he noticed

the boys blindness.

3. Notice the way McDonald chooses and adjusts some of the words he uses to describe the

fish to the boy in paragraphs 33-36. Why does he do that? How does he organize his

description of the fish so that the boy can visualize it better?

 I think he chooses these words so the kid can imagine the fish. McDonald started

describing the dimension of the fish, general features and then, he is more specific about

the details. Like drawing, you start with the contour and then you make the details.

4. By the end of the essay, we know much more about the boy beyond that he is blind, but

after the initial description, McDonald characterizes him only indirectly. As the essay

unfolds, what do we learn about the boy, and how does the author convey this

knowledge?

The first thing I can see about the kid is that he is grateful and polite because even when

Mr. McDonald wasnt nice with him, he said thanks and kept a good attitude. He also

wanted to share with this man his happiness for catching something. I can also see that

hes a good boy, he fish because he wants to see this fishes but he doesnt want to hurt

them so he take them back to the water. At the end, he seems to be positive because he

sounds so confident that someday he will catch other fishes he wants to see.

5. McDonald tells much of his experience through dialogue. What does this dialogue add to

the narration? What would have been lost had McDonald not used dialogue?

I think McDonald uses dialogue in his essay because when we witness an event we feel

involved in the story more than when we just hear about it. And that is what dialogue adds

to stories. It makes it easier to imagine what the writing is narrating.

6. What is the connotation of the word view in the title? Of the word bridge?
I think view means paying attention to the details, or realizing things that sometimes we

dont see even when they are so obvious and bridge refers to a place where you are able

to see the big picture a bigger perspective.