Eleanor's essay #5

Eleanor Hilton
Mr. Salsich
9 English
November 5th 2008

A Second Look
An Essay on the Advantages of Re-Reading

1. What have you recently looked at for a second, third or more times? 2. Maybe you would have thought of a song, a school musical, but would you have considered a book? 3. Until the age of thirteen I thought nothing of the sort, to me re-reading a book was like doing your homework twice, but not anymore. 4. If you are to truly appreciate a certain book you have to read it more than once.

T.S: Just a few days ago, I re-read the short story, “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield. S.D: One of the first things I noticed was about Laura. C.M: I noticed that when she was first meeting the marquee men, she tried to hide her bread and butter, as if it was disrespectful to eat in front of them. C.M: Then Ms. Mansfield writes, “Laura took a big bite of the bread-and-butter as she looked at the little drawing.” perhaps then she realized that these men were kind and didn’t care whether some-one was eating beside them or not, compared to her friends. S.D: The next thing I noticed was that Laura’s mother was very much like a normal parent. C.M: This I mean in the sense that, in most books parents don’t act or talk how normal parents would in reality. C.M: "She says “[stop] asking me dear, I determined to leave [the party] to you children this year,” but then later involving herself in the planning like she was organizing it herself. S.D: My last re-reading find is when Laura first noticed the sound of air, and the sun spots. C.M: I had never thought that she had not sat down and listened for a few minutes to her surroundings. C.M: This makes me happy, to think that even in a busy schedule she listened even if only for just the once. C.S: I am glad to have re-read a book and have benefited from it; perhaps I will read it again!

1. Just as I have re-read “The Garden Party” I think you should re-read some of your books too. 2. Not only is it helpful, but gives you more of a rounded feeling about the book itself. 3. There are no loose ends that you have to tie up, and it doesn’t leave you feeling confused. 4. I wish I had re-read my books sooner.