Kyra Balls
Ms. Lehmann
English 1-3
19 September 2018
Summary of “Once Upon A Time”
In Nadine Gordimer’s short story “Once Upon A Time” there is a risk in being too secure. In the beginning of the story, the author can’t sleep because she thinks she is getting robbed; to calm herself, she makes up a bedtime story. In the bedtime story, the author introduces a mother, father, and son who live in an upper class suburb, where nearby riots was happening. As crime rates escalate in their suburb, the family increases security, which includes placing razor wire on the top of their new, tall wall. One day after reading a fairy tale book, the little boy wants to be a prince. He drags a ladder over to the wall and is mutilated by the wire.
Ms. Lehmann
English 1-3
19 September 2018
Summary of “Once Upon A Time”
In Nadine Gordimer’s short story “Once Upon A Time” there is a risk in being too secure. In the beginning of the story, the author can’t sleep because she thinks she is getting robbed; to calm herself, she makes up a bedtime story. In the bedtime story, the author introduces a mother, father, and son who live in an upper class suburb, where nearby riots was happening. As crime rates escalate in their suburb, the family increases security, which includes placing razor wire on the top of their new, tall wall. One day after reading a fairy tale book, the little boy wants to be a prince. He drags a ladder over to the wall and is mutilated by the wire.
Kyra Balls
Ms. Lehmann
English 1-3
19 September 2018
Summary of “ Nights Calls”
In Lisa Fugard’s fictional short story, “Night Calls,” a father and child’s relationship is explored. The narrator and her father aren’t very close, but they have one thing that holds their relationship together. A red-crested heron gives both of them hope, that something good would happen, after the death of the narrator’s mother. One night, the heron is attacked, but survives, making calls down by the river. Every night, the heron would wail, until one night is didn’t. The narrator’s dad gets upset, and begins to spend nights looking for the bird. After the narrator finds the bird dead, she sneaks down to the river and mimics its call so her father will be himself again and have hope.
Ms. Lehmann
English 1-3
19 September 2018
Summary of “ Nights Calls”
In Lisa Fugard’s fictional short story, “Night Calls,” a father and child’s relationship is explored. The narrator and her father aren’t very close, but they have one thing that holds their relationship together. A red-crested heron gives both of them hope, that something good would happen, after the death of the narrator’s mother. One night, the heron is attacked, but survives, making calls down by the river. Every night, the heron would wail, until one night is didn’t. The narrator’s dad gets upset, and begins to spend nights looking for the bird. After the narrator finds the bird dead, she sneaks down to the river and mimics its call so her father will be himself again and have hope.
Kyra Balls
Ms. Lehmann
English 1-3
19 September 2018
Summary of “Rituals of Memory”
Kimberly Blaeser’s essay, “Rituals of Memory,” argues that we always come back to our roots. Blaeser begins her essay with a metaphor the shows readers her opinion about how relationships to family and community work. She uses her memories of the legionaries as evidence for her claim. Next, she talks about how her Native American life becomes a double life when she starts Catholic school. She claims that both of these lifestyles define her. Blaeser ends with the argument that all of our stories and memories make us who we are.
Ms. Lehmann
English 1-3
19 September 2018
Summary of “Rituals of Memory”
Kimberly Blaeser’s essay, “Rituals of Memory,” argues that we always come back to our roots. Blaeser begins her essay with a metaphor the shows readers her opinion about how relationships to family and community work. She uses her memories of the legionaries as evidence for her claim. Next, she talks about how her Native American life becomes a double life when she starts Catholic school. She claims that both of these lifestyles define her. Blaeser ends with the argument that all of our stories and memories make us who we are.
Summary Reflection
1. List one thing you’ve learned from writing this paper that you can apply to other writing assignments. What
will that look like?
How did you revise? What did you learn?
1. List one thing you’ve learned from writing this paper that you can apply to other writing assignments. What
will that look like?
- I learned how to revise my essay so that it looks better. It would make my other papers look better because I know what I need and don’t need in my paper.
How did you revise? What did you learn?
- I forgot to add some important details. I went back and added them so that the story would make a little more sense.
- In the first sentence I used the author, title of the story, the genre, and the big idea. After that I went in chronological order of the main points. I did not use any opinions in my summary.
- I would use the extra time to make sure that my story would make sense and to correct all my grammar mistakes. I would also maybe make it a little long to add more meaning to the summary.
- I’m proud of just being able to figure out how to make a summary, because if my teacher, Ms. Lehmann, didn’t explain what a summary really was I probably would have made it a full paper. I would have included little points that have not needed to tell you what the story’s about.