Maggie Proulx

Mrs. Gosnell

ENG2D1

07 September 2023

“The Little Boy”

The short story “The Little Boy,” written by Helen E. Buckley, displays many

themes that can be interpreted as both positive and negative. In the beginning, it

describes how the little boy conforms to his teacher's demands when she asks him to

create art projects in class and how he stops creating projects of his own. Nevertheless,

at the end of the short story, the little boy moves to a new school and is introduced to a

teacher with a new approach to teaching, uniqueness, and individuality.

The ending can be positive or negative, depending on how you view it. The end

of this short story is positive because the little boy is finally free in a creative school and

allowed to do any project he wants. In the passage, it states, “And pretty soon the little

boy learned to wait, and to watch and to make things just like the teacher. And pretty

soon he didn’t make things of his own anymore.” demonstrating how his creativity was

suppressed by his previous teacher. Being in this new school is a positive path for his

creativity to thrive and expand, as this change will allow him to express himself freely.

The ending of this short story can also be seen as negative because it shows

how much his creativity has been restricted when he goes back to his previous
teacher's instructions. In my personal experience, my creativity has been limited when it

comes to projects, causing me to lose part of my creative edge. This has been

detrimental to my writing, art, and other areas of my life. Lack of creativity has also

made it so I need clear instructions before beginning projects, which is one of the most

substantial weaknesses that I still need to overcome.

In conclusion, I believe that the ending is mostly positive, as the little boy is free

to prosper in his new environment and make the most of his creativity. I think the little

boy drawing the red flower with the green stem reflects his experience at his old school

and shows the difference between the two types of teaching environments.