I Go Along

The story " I Go Along," by Richard Peck, is about a boy named Gene who has changed his attitude while going on a class trip to see a poet. Throughout the story, the title is relative in various ways to the context of the story itself and represents many themes, such as dependence and conformity and most importantly, the idea that it is vital to make decision based on your own thoughts instead of following the crowd. By looking at the title of the story, "I Go Along," the readers can directly obtain a sense associated with dependence and conformity. This sense is quickly explored at the beginning of the story as Gene "goes along" the crowd as " everybody in the class puts up their hands (para.8)" when his teachers asks them to go to a poetry reading. Gene's reaction of raising his hand without thinking, going along with the class demonstrates that he plays a role as a follower instead of a leader in his everyday life. The title of the story successfully makes a connection with Gene's dependent and conforming nature, which makes the title more relative to the context of the story. If you dive into the story more deeply, however, the title of the story can also represent more ideas, such as if you always follow or " go along" with the majority, then you would never realize what you could accomplish and achieve. One most obvious and direct example from the story that illustrates this idea is when Gene "pulls his ball cap down to his nose and laces his fingers behind his head and kicks back in the seat ( para.57)." Although Gene is recommend to switch to the advanced English class, which is a higher level he is capable of achieving, his reaction displays his careless attitude as a member of the lower class. Gene, who does not make his own decision and often adopts the crowd's idea causes his own loss of chance of achieving something greater. At this point in the story, the title " I Go Along" is responsive to the attitude Gene has, as who tends to follow the majority. The title of the story can represent many different themes and ideas, of which each is significantly related to the context of the story. By analysing these various subjects, such as dependence, conformity, and the concept that making independent decision could lead to greater accomplishment, the readers will not only witness how effective Peck has been in using the story title to connect with the story itself, but come to understand the message the story is trying to convey from a deeper level.