Join The Church Analysis

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Shanniqua Sheffield Ms .Montalvo AP Language and Composition 9/22/09 Joining the Church 1. In this essay the reader is able to tell that this is written by an adult reflecting on his younger life by how childish the author does certain things to prevent the worse. The author says that he was twelve when the depression in his mothers life began. He thought that depression would kill his mother and everyday he didn’t know if she was going to live. He came up with rituals and did certain things to see if that would work and the day he messed up things went wrong. He blamed himself as the reason his mom got sick because he uncrossed his legs. The author says that “it was a sense of guilt so enormous that [he] couldn’t…show more content…
I would describe Gates feeling towards his mother as compassionate. When Gates mother started going through the depression he was hurt as well. He felt “ powerless” because there was nothing he could do about his mothers situation. Due to his mothers sickness he began to withdraw from other kids and he felt devastated. He watched his mother change everyday and go through stages of her depression. He was so afraid that his mother would die and he felt responsible for his mothers illness. His mother always talked about death and as if it were her last day so he thought that she would die soon. Gates developed certain “ rituals” to help his mother. The reader can conclude that Gates really loved his mother and admired her. His mother was very smart and he admired her for that. The “ biggest reason” that he joined the church was because of his mother, and he was glad he did. Strengths to their relationship was their closeness and the love they shared. A weakness to their relationship would be when his mother told him all the time that she was going to die. It made Gates feel responsible and with that could come depression and guilt. The big idea that is apart of Gates and his mothers relationship was him joining the church. If it wasn’t for his mother going through depression and him witnessing everything at a young age he wouldn’t have had that event happen. His mother knew very well about life and funerals. Gates saw his mother dying right before his eyes and something was tugging in his heart telling him to join the
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