Dear Omniscient Speaker,
For one whom claims to not “know anything else” you sure seem to give great advice when Junior needs it and I believe the lessons you teach to Junior throughout his life greatly parallel the lessons of AP English 11 (9). In the beginning of junior year we know nothing and welcome everything. The declaration you make that states, “There is much to learn and do, and little time; suffice it to say that you should be aware of the trials ahead” pertains to AP English 11 greatly (3). It inspires motivation to not except the initial failures when we receive a 2+ or 3 on the first papers of the year. The advice urges one to remain calm and to trust Ms. Serensky knows the steps to get us to the AP test looming in the future. True, we have little time and our awareness of the May test date keeps us on track. When assigned a soapstone for the first time I find your advice to work perfectly. Many would do well to “avoid those who complain about life’s unfairness, and instead get a head start on building self-restraint” (4). At some point everyone rages about the infamous soapstone of AP English 11, yet one must build up their self-restraint so the insane datasheets of AP English 12 don’t throw one over the edge. Complaining about English does no good and one would do well to learn this early on. Just as Junior goes back to begin his life again, we move on from the world of AP English 11 into the unknown of AP English 12 and I believe the best advice for the transition is “ You were wise to welcome Everything, the good and the bad alike”(292). The shift away from AP English 11 will seem scary at times, but the opportunity to further your knowledge greatly outweighs the initial fears. The bad will motivate one to work harder and the good will come when preparation pays off after the AP tests.
Sincerely,
An AP English student
Tina, I agree with your connection between Junior's second life and AP English 12. In his second life he learned that every little thing does matter, which I feel applies to English as well. In AP 11 we were just getting familiar with analytical writing and actually finishing an essay on time. Now in AP English 12 every little part of the essay matters tremendously, just like every little part of Junior's second life.
ReplyDeleteTina, great parallel between the narrator's advice and AP English 11. I wish I had a voice that gave me support and could tell me quotes from the book if I forgot them during an in class essay. The life lessons we learn about procrastination and to do every assignment to our best ability really reflect the voice's advice to Junior throughout the novel.
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