Friendly Persuasion by David Hill
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The event that I found most important, in the short story Friendly Persuasion by David Hill, at the end was the death of the main character Alan.
Alan is a “totally charming and totally irresponsible…” young teenage boy. He was “…slim, tanned, black-haired and hazel-eyed…” He had a major impact on all the girls at school “The first time he walked down the corridor he left parallel lines of girls gasping at him like stranded dolphins.”, but had the opposite affect on the guys “The girls wanted to mother him; the boys wanted to smother him.” This was not a good thing though. He was your typical fairytale prince but with a twist of course. Alan decided that school work didnt need to be done it “… was one of those amusing irritants that some dour spirits spend their lives worrying about.” His aim in life was to have a good time. Anything that may come in the way of him having a good time is “… either tolerated with an understanding smile or sidestepped smoothly.” Alan had such a carefree way about life and “As far as he was concerned they were quite welcome to go around with their shoulders to the wheels, provided he could ride along on the axle.” Alan had this no-care attitude he would listen to what people have to say but just smile. After all, if his smile means he was having a good time. “Why didnt everyone just relax and join him?” This is very much the attitude of many adolescents in todays society.
The important event happens near the end, after Alan was expelled from school, when Alan was supposed to be grounded but he persuaded his parents that he was “repentant” enough to be allowed out for one night. “Only a month after his departure, Alans mini left the highway on an s-bend, somersaulted down a bank and caught fire… By the time rescue crew extinguished the flames, Alan and his mini were unrecognizable.” Alan learnt that day that he could not charm his way out of everything in life. This event helped me understand the key idea in the text, which was you, cant charm your way out of everything. Sooner or later your world will come crashing down around you. Unfortunately Alan learnt this lesson the hard why. Many adolescents think that boundaries are there to stop them from having a good time. Hill shows us that boundaries are there to help and protect us. If Alans parents had just set boundaries from the start and werent so easy to persuade Alan might have not died in the accident. We hate our parents for setting boundaries maybe we should take a different perspective to life and learn from Alans mistakes, boundaries are there to help us.
The main event in the short story Friendly Persuasion by David Hill was important because it showed two of the main themes, one you cant charm your way out of