Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Unforgettable Miss Bessie Summary

Satisfactory Essays
342 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Unforgettable Miss Bessie Summary
Unforgettable Miss Bessie
Summary:
Carl T. Rowan begins by describing his former high school teacher, Miss Bessie, and how her teachings had a deeper meaning than just the subjects she taught in class. Carl shares a memory of when he, like many most kids his age, wanted to be accepted by people which meant lowering his educational standards. From the help of Miss Bessie, Carl became valedictorian, got into first string of football, and still had respect from his friends. Although Carl came from a background of poor wealth, Miss Bessie taught him that money should not limit in what he can achieve. She taught Carl to never be bothered by what he doesn’t have and to do the most he can with what he does have, his brain. Miss Bessie became a big impact to Carl’s life. Despite the fact that he may not have lived under a roof of the necessary support he needed, Miss Bessie was an important factor to his life because she gave him the push and motivation he needed to succeed the way he did. She was influential to many students and to Carl in particular. Even after the death of Miss Bessie, he still keeps her in a special place in his heart.
Analysis:
In the introduction of this article, he begins by describing his teacher which got my attention. The title of this article ties in with everything Carl T. Rowan talks about. He stayed on topic and in order throughout the story. I was intrigued with the story the entire time on how he talked about Miss Bessie because he gave great supporting details on why she was such an inspirational teacher to him. The dominant impression that he left was how vital teachers like Miss Bessie is to students like Carl because of her caring, supporting, and motivating nature. The concluding paragraph was good as well because he restated what the message of his writing is about, which is how she was his favorite teacher and what made her so unforgettable.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    September 2009. It’s his first day in his new school with his new classmates. After a rough last year due to an unsupportive group of people around him, he is unsure of what is going to happen this year. However, when he looks into his teacher’s eyes and engages into a conversation with her, he knows that this year was going to be the exact opposite rough, and he was immediately happy. Moments like these show how much a teacher can impact a student’s life in a positive way. Everyday, thousands of kids who are neglected by their parents like author Lynda Barry go to school which is more of a home to them due to the amazing teachers and classmates creating a stable and safe environment for them to thrive in. Whether it be comforting a child or…

    • 1076 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The teacher’s role was to provide a safe and learning environment, encourage students to try to perform to the best of their abilities and facilitate the structure of the curriculum to meet the needs of the students and grade level standards. I could tell she is very supportive to all her students and serve as a motivator because she is always encouraging them to do better and never give up. She also shared a story about her childhood…

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    John Carrol "My Boy Life"

    • 1190 Words
    • 5 Pages

    After reading the short story “My Boy Life” which is the memoir of John Carroll, I was from time to time envious of Carroll’s life but also relieved that I was not born in the 1800’s. Born just before the war of 1812 in Upper Canada, Carroll’s life was very simple. His prospective future occupations only consisted of a few and were predetermined from birth. How simple is life when everything is already set in stone? From the age of twelve to seventeen, Carroll worked at a tannery and as a currier. Carroll’s job was associated with his father’s work, his father being a saddler and harness-maker. Only grinding the bark in the tannery, Carroll’s life was consistent and did not require much effort of having to plan out his future. Sadly, much has changed and the current world does not allow me to walk a single, straight-forward path. With so many choices to be made, the world is more complex and much harder to survive in. I spend hours thinking of my future and what I want to be to no avail. To have our futures determined for us sometimes feels much better than having to choose between thousands of different paths we are able to take. Carroll is also not weighed down by expectations to complete schoolwork. In the century that Carroll lived in, education was not held in the highest regard. Children usually helped out with menial work in their house or assisted their father with errands having to do with the trade. This was because living through each and every day was much more troublesome and all the help was needed to keep food on their tables. On the contrary, I struggle with the sheer amount of homework and tests. It also adds to the tension when competing against all my peers for a better mark, which ultimately results in a better occupation. Even in high school, the competition is fierce, increasing every day. Even the most basic jobs are hard to get as jobs are few and there are many over-qualified people who are unemployed. Unlike during Carroll’s life, people…

    • 1190 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The other wes moore

    • 963 Words
    • 4 Pages

    One of the stories written in this book belongs to the author Wes Moore himself. While he had a rough start to life, with his dad dying unexpectedly when he was only three years old, he came out with a very successful life for himself. In his family, education was a vital part of life, and his mom would give them the best possible education that she could. Moore states:…

    • 963 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The book “The Other Wes Moore” tells the story of two boys living in Baltimore who shares similar backgrounds within the same community, as well as having identical names as well. The Author Wes Moore came from a family that was well educated and graduated from 4 year colleges. The other Wes Moore’s mother had an associate’s degree but had to drop out of college due to the lack of government funding. The difference in education in each Wes Moore’s family showed them each how they should obtain success in a way. The Author Wes Moore displayed in the book that education was the key to all future success and without it you there wasn’t much to life. Educational funding from the government is great but The Author showed that there should always be a backup plan in case the funding runs out. In the book it wasn’t luck that determined the fates in each Wes’s life but a matter of education in each one’s life that made them who they are today.…

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Her introduction had an effective attention grabber, which was an entertaining recollection of an event in the ladies restroom. While in the restroom she lost her balance and ended up falling into the toilet. This really grabbed my attention and let me know that this was going to be an interesting read. It made me want to know what was going to happen next. The tone she uses throughout her essay is a serious but humorous one. She uses simple terms to define…

    • 855 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hidden Intellectualism

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In this essay, the author points out that there is a huge gap between the unreal and pale world of school books and teachings (146) and the real events of life. He goes into depth about his own life and how he grew up. He states that he was more interested in sports than Shakespeare (143). He talks about how he wanted to fit in with the "hoods" (144) and also try to be smart, but not show it too much, for fear of being beat up. These are excellent examples of how schools should try to tap into these hidden intellectualisms.…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rose goes on to attempt to clarify his understanding of this one-liner and how it fits in America’s education system. He reveals how Ken Harvey was trying to protect himself, “by taking on with a vengeance the identity implied in the vocational track” (187). Rose himself was lucky, switching to College Prep and meeting a belated beatnik intellectual-turned-educator named Jack MacFarland, and a hard-nosed science teacher named Brother Clint. These characters brought a college preparatory curriculum to a place and students who had never seen it before. And Rose reveals how…

    • 567 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The writer presents a young adolescent who is in her initial stages of life. Initially, she does not know that she is poor, but from her interactions with Miss Moore and the other rich kids, she becomes aware of her environment. She is however reluctant to accept that she is disadvantaged which a positive character is. It is surprising to note that believes she is the best despite realizing that she is disadvantaged. She portrays a positive character when she says, “aint nobody gonna beat me at nuthin.” She is different from many people who would feel this affects their ego. She is focused on remaining upbeat that she is the best among all of her…

    • 1199 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Experiences in our past build the foundations of who we are and can greatly affect how we react in certain situations. Mrs. Schroeder shows throughout the course of the novella that she struggles with adapting to her new surroundings by consistently building the illusions for herself of a wealthy lifestyle. But why is that? When looking back at her past we see a young girl preoccupied in things such as “call[ing] up the tobacco store” or “Hail a streetcar”, things describing a carefree childhood, one with not many responsibilities. Though this may only seem like a young girl enjoying her youth and therefore harmless, these experiences in childhood coupled with the fact she live in a very wealthy family are the building blocks of who she is. This is because childhood is a time when many people develop key experiences that help define who they are. Many characteristics and habits created in childhood carry on into adulthood and as a result can be very difficult to change. When a person who grew up in a life…

    • 1473 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    By most accounts, Bessie Smith was a rough, crude, violent woman. She was also one of the greatest Blues singers of the 1920s. The road that took her to the title “Empress of the Blues” was not an easy one. It was certainly not one of the romantic "rags to riches" tales that Horatio Alger made popular during her time. For a young black woman from the South the journey was anything but easy, and it would require a special kind of person, and Bessie Smith was definitely that. She was a woman who fought for what she believed in and backed down to no one. She had a boundless determination, which sometimes became a flaming hot temper, and no one was exempt from it. Yet these same experiences and temperament also expressed great loyalty to those around her. The entire range, with all its passion, was expressed in her songs, and the way she sang them.…

    • 1744 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The play, “Beauty”, explains the story about two foolish girls, fighting over a magical wish to receive a feature that each other has. Although it is heart wrenching that each of these girls are begging to change their features, it shows us the play’s underlying message; We will always have problems that will affect us. The author of the story, Jane Martin, shows us this simple message along with a comical aspect.…

    • 419 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In “The Unforgettable Legacy of Miss Bessie Taylor Gwynn” Carl Rowen a man who chooses to write about a memorable teacher he had who challenged him to become “all that he could be” Miss Bessie during his moment . Obviously, Mr. Rowen credits Miss Bessie with having a powerful impact on his life. For me that the person would my boyfriend Zachary. I would choose this person because my boyfriend has three major impacts on my life and challenged me into a better person. One Reason he has an impact on my life because he treats me with the abundance of care. He always making sure I am okay and constantly check up on me. Zach makes sure I eat, get plenty of sleep, homework, and shows what it is like to be treated like a queen. For example, he'll…

    • 211 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    As a kid, Louis the Yard Teacher loved playing sports like baseball and tennis. He also enjoyed card games, but his favorite was bridge, which was very popular in the 1960’s. Louis also enjoyed school and was a very good student because, of this many kids bullied him for being a “nerd”. As a kid, he was very poor, his dad worked in the Empire State Building and his mom didn’t work and…

    • 638 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the opening scenes that take place in the classroom, you become familiarized with the Gradgrind School and its fundamentals. The Gradgrind philosophy, based on the Facts, Facts, and more Facts of reality, is demonstrated as being not only cruel and destructive to the workers – the "Hands" of society – but is also humanly inadequate to the Gradgrind family it served. Mrs. Gradgrind observed that her husband has missed something in his life, yet, "not an ology at all." Louisa and her brother Tom, "the whelp," are nearly destroyed by the strictly mechanical principles of Gradgrindery. It was Hard Times for everyone.…

    • 989 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays