Read Ron Rash, "The Ascent"
https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/sites.vmi.edu/dist/f/1818/files/2015/10/Ascent-1b5b51s.pdf
This response has three parts, as below.
1. Describe the story in one or two words.
2. Briefly describe what you see as the most important two events in the story, and explain why you consider these to be important.
3. Choose a quote that you think is key to understanding the meaning of the story as a whole, and analyze it in detail.
a) What word or words stand out to you in this quote? Explain.
b) When you read the quote aloud, how does it make you feel?
c) Try to figure out why it makes you feel this way. What is it about the language that affects you? Answer as fully as you can.
1. Innocence and drug addiction
ReplyDelete2. Briefly describe what you see as the most important two events in the story, and explain why you consider these to be important.
One of the most important events in the story is when Jared finds the plane. This scene seems to be the genesis of the story’s climax. The plane is a central object in the story because that is where Jared, both indirectly and directly, finds money for his parents. It is also the place where he escapes his reality. Along these lines, another important event is when the kid freezes to death. Jared goes to the plane to leave his dysfunctional family. His parents’ drug addiction has such an impact in Jared life, that he would rather die in the plane that keep dealing with his parents.
3. “When Jared opened the door, the small red glass pipe was on the coffee table, an empty baggie beside it”
a) “Pipe” is the word that stands out the most in this quote because it, more or less, foreshadows how the story is going to develop. The story revolves around the parents’ addiction and how it affects Jared. Moreover, “pipe” stands out because it is uncommon for a child to see his parents doing drugs.
b) Reading this quote makes me feel sad and emphatic with Jared.
c) I believe it makes me feel this way because he couldn’t have a normal childhood and had to act mature to care for himself. The words used by the author are also very direct. I believe the commas placement in that sentence also make the reader be impacted more by what they’re reading.
-Simon Hidalgo
The words I’d use to describe the story would be: childhood trauma.
ReplyDeleteThe most important events in the story, in my opinion, are the very first scene with Jared traveling the snow and the very last scene where he freezes to death. These scenes directly contrast each other, and both give a perfect depiction of who the main character is and what he’s like, while also giving you a good idea of what the themes of the story are.
The quote I want to analyze is the following: “At the ridgetop, Jared pretended a bear suddenly raised up, baring its teeth and growling. He slashed the bear with the knife, and the bear ran away.” – Ron Rash.
This quote perfectly shows you the general themes of the story and the childlike view everything has. The words that stood out to me the most are “baring teeth and growling” here, we see Jared’s overactive imagination at full play.
It’s a quote that gives you a sense of adventure, almost as if you’re ready to go on the same trip as Jared in this snow-covered field. It’s exciting and gives you an excellent idea of who Jared is and what the story will be like.
- Adrian Jimenez
1. The words I would use to describe the story are negligent parents and innocence.
ReplyDelete2. In this story one of the most important events occur when Jared finds the crashed plane. The fact that the boy finds the plane confirms to us, the readers, his mental state and how negligent his parents are. Jared, to some extent, found something in the plane that his parents failed to provide. Continuing in this line, the second piece of information that is of utmost importance is that his parents are drug addicts. It is very likely that, if his parents did not engage in these types of actions, the child would be well cared for and looked after.
3. A quote that is key to understanding the significance of the story is the following: “For a while he sat and listened to how quiet and still the world was. He couldn’t hear the helicopter or even the chatter of a gray squirrel or caw of a cow. Here between the ridges not even the sound of the wind. Jared tried not to move or breathe hard to make it even quieter, quiet as the man and women up front. The plane was snug and cozy”.
The words that caught my attention the most were quiet, snug, and cozy; all referring to the plane. These words are what I would describe my home, not a catastrophic place like a crashed plane with dead bodies. On the other hand, every time I read this quote, I am surprised and concerned about the mentality of this child. This reading hits very close to home since I have a brother his age. I try to visualize him in the shoes of Jared, the child in the reading, but it is nearly impossible. The "realities" of the two are totally different. Me being Jared's sister, I would never let him go out alone or bring unfamiliar things home. In short, I would do everything I could to make him feel comfortable at home and, if there were any mental problems, I would seek the appropriate help.
-Amanda Quiñones 03/09/2022
1. Escape reality
ReplyDelete2. When he goes to the plane the first time, because it is then that you realize that he is just escaping his difficult reality. In the end where he finally escapes for good and dies thinking he is flying. You feel sad because of his death but also relieved that he is no longer suffering.
3. “I fixed it so it’ll fly now,“ (p.703) by now you know his reality is hard but in this moment you realize that his reality is unbearable, to the point where the only way out is death.
A. “I fixed it,” those words are hard to read. He did not have anyone and the plane becomes what the drugs are to his parents- an escape from a too hard to bear situation.
B. Sad, his parents are responsible for his reality of drugs, neglect, and isolation.
C. It is sad because no child should go through this kind of abuse although a lot do.
- Miranda Martínez
1. Two words that describe “The Ascent” are: escape mechanism
ReplyDelete2. The two most important events in “The Ascent” are: Jared discovering/exploring the plane and Jared’s untimely death on the plane. Both of these scenes depict the plane’s symbolism and motif over the course of the story. Its constant appearance and unusual link with Jared, drives the plot and helps convey the powerful message the story portrays. On the other hand, the motif extends its purpose by being key to developing and portraying Jared’s personality and discusses other various themes discussed in the story like imagination and innocence.
3. A scene key to understanding the meaning of the story as a whole would be when Jared offers to sell his bike to help his parents: “You can take the bike to town and sell it”, he said. “No son,” his mother said. “That’s your Christmas present.” “We’ll be alright,” his father said. “Your momma and me just did a little too much partying yesterday is all.” (Torres 7). Personally, the words that most stood out were: sell it, no, Christmas present, and too much partying. These words refer and portray the story’s setting, develops Jared’s characterization (innocence and selflessness), depicts Jared’s motivation (parents well-being before material possessions), and, to some extent, describes the parents justification towards their drug addiction and their relationship with Jared.
This quote makes the reader feel surprised and, to some extent, prompts the reader to ponder: how did Jared obtain and/or developed such generous and selfless behavior. The maturity in his words and way of expressing his desire to help is impactful and deep. Specifically, this quote provides the reader a clear picture of how this family is, how it functions – or doesn’t function, their relationship with each other, and their qualities.
- Pennélope Alers
03/09/2022
1. Mental health
ReplyDelete2. The most important two events in the story to me are the very end when Jared freezes to death and when Jared tells his parents to sell his bike. To me these two scenes show what I believe is an attempt to parent. Even though the parents aren’t being responsible, I can’t help but get in their shoes. Addiction is a mental illness that often leads to find comfort in what’s essentially killing you. I think that the kids imagination and weird coping mechanism, finding comfort on the plane and dead people is a sign of mental illness.
3. A quote that I think is key to understanding the meaning of the story is, “He sat in the backseat and waited. He watched the snow cover the plane’s front window with darkening whiteness… Jared looked out the side window and saw the whiteness was not only in front of him but below…”. To me this scene not only describes Jared’s slow death, but it also works as a metaphor for the drug abuse of his parents. The snow piling up represents the drugs rapidly consuming the parent’s life.
a) The words “Darkening whiteness” stand out to me because this not only represents the depth of the snow, but the “dark“ situation with the parents.
b) When I read the quote aloud it makes me feel slightly upset.
c) I think that it makes me feel upset because these issues could’ve easily been fixed with therapy.
- Amanda D. Méndez Rodríguez 03/09/2022
1. Sad and addiction
ReplyDelete2. The two most important events in the story are when Jared found the plane and when he “fixed” it. I chose these two events because it kind of shows how Jared uses his imagination to escape his reality.This is something that people tend to do a lot, they either listen to music, read books, etc to escape their reality.
3. “After a while he began to shiver but after a longer while he was no longer cold.”
a) Shiver and no longer cold are the words that stand out the most to me because it let us know that Jared had died because of his imagination.
b) When I read this quote it makes me feel very sad.
c) The reason this quote makes me feel sad is because Jared couldn't have a normal childhood because of his parents' addiction. If Jared’s parents weren't addicted maybe Jared would have had a real christmas tree and other stuff to eat beside cereal.
-Jekxelmaniel Martínez
1. Child's innocence
ReplyDelete2. One of the two scenes that I consider to be the most important and reflect the purpose of the story is when Jared is exploring the forest and talks to his imaginary friend where he tells her how he is going to protect her if a bear attacks them. This scene seems super important to me because it shows the innocence and imagination of the boy and his courage to face a bear, which could be a symbol of any obstacle in his life, in addition to showing the big heart he has. The second scene that I consider important is when Jared decides to give the watch to his parents so that they could get some money, since it shows the generosity and love that the boy feels for his parents, in addition to recognizing that his parents are not quite well enough to get the money for themselves.
3. “Here between the ridges, not even the sound of the wind. Jared tried not to move or breathe hard to make it even quieter, quiet as the man and women upfront. The plane was snug and cozy” (p. 281)
The words that caught my attention from this quote are Sound, quieter, plane, snug, and cozy. These words for me reflect the meaning of the quote since it reflects the tranquility and peace that was felt on the plane, which was so strange, that Jared needed to admire since this did not happen at home, due to addiction problems in his family, so the environment in it was not the right one. This quote reminds me of the moments in my life where one is stressed and with problems, so I proceed to go exercise, an action that gives me peace and comfort since I can release any frustration I have in my heart at that moment. In this case, what exercise is for me, Jared found it on that plane.
Emmanuel Santiago
Describe the story in one or two words.
ReplyDeleteBrave Child
2. Briefly describe what you see as the most important two events in the story, and explain why you consider these to be important.
The two most important events in “The Ascent” are when Jared’s parents leave him to get drugs, and after this action Jared decides to return to the abandoned helicopter with the dead couple. These events are fundamental in history because they prove the terrific addition to drugs of Jared’s parents. On the other hand, the fact that Jared had stayed there without following them expresses his courage and how he could take care of himself, not in the best way, but as he had learned during that time.
3. “Lydnee told him how sorry she was that at school she’d said his clothes smelled bad.” (pg. 280)
a) The fact that this girl told him that his aroma was not pleasant is too strong, that makes you question many things about this boy’s environment. Why does it smell so bad? Is he an orphan? Does he have a home? Where are his parents? When you start investigating, you realize the sad reality. This simple sentence superficially shows that Jared is going through a lot.
b) When I read this quote, it makes me feel sad.
c) It makes me sad because that could have been avoided. I am not a father, but if I had a child I would prevent that situation. If I know that I can’t give him the life that he deserves, I would try to take care of myself or find him a good home.
Luis Merced Cotto
1. I would say the story could be described as disturbing.
ReplyDelete2. One of the most important events in the story would be when Jared finds the plane for the first time and notices the dead couple inside. I think this event is telling us how this kid has definitely some kind of trauma or mental health problem. He doesn’t react scared or anxious after finding dead people and that for me tells us more about his character. The second event would be the end of the story where Jared tries to fix the plane for the couple and dies. This ending confirms just how severe his mental illness was.
3. “He smelled the methamphetamine as soon as he opened his bedroom door, thicker than he could ever remember.” This quote explains how bad Jared's living situation was. His parents have a severe substance addiction and don’t take proper care of their child. It explains that Jared’s trauma comes from watching the effects drugs had on his parents.
a) methamphetamine- this is a very addictive and powerful drug and for the kid to know as soon as he opened the door what kind of drug it was is worrying and upsetting.
b) Reading this quote certainly makes me mad and sad.
c) It makes me mad and sad to know that this is the reality for some kids. Being a parent is such an important job and to see people who clearly can’t be responsible for another human being having them just to be neglectful, it's very upsetting.
- Ismary Negrón Fernández 03/9/2022
1. In my opinion the two words that describe the story are: Life trauma.
ReplyDelete2. One of the most important events in the “The Ascent” is when Jared discovers the plane. Throughout the story development, the plane represents a key piece. This is because in that scene Jared finds money for his parents and travels away from his reality. On the other hand, another significant part of the story is when the child freezes to death. Jared approaches to the plane to get away from his flawed family. Jared's parents' addiction has had such an influence on his life that he would prefer dying in an airplane than continue to cope with them.
3. A quote that I think is key to understanding the meaning of the story is: “After a while he began to shiver but after a longer while he was no longer cold.” In this quote the words that stand out for me the most are: “shiver” and “while he was no longer cold”. They stand out because those words create a sense of interpretation that informs us that Jared died because of his imagination. This quote makes me have a feeling of melancholy because of all the damage and suffering his parents made him feel. It makes me feel this way because it is unbearable that Jared’s character couldn’t have a normal childhood because of his dysfunctional family. If Jared’s parents had taken their responsibilities seriously, none of this would have happened to him.
-Marisabel Cordero Méndez
1. The story can be described by different words such as childhood trauma, addition effects, innocence, and imagination as an escape.
ReplyDelete2. The two most important events in the story would be when Jared was exploring the crash plane and when he decides to leave his house for good, choosing to come back to the plane once again and, ultimately, freezing to death. Both events center on Jared as the protagonist. These situations show that his life was not an easy one, even could be considered cruel. As such, he turned to the airplane as not only his escape place, but a last resort chance to find valuables to make money with and “save” his parents.
3. “You can take the bike to town and sell it”. “No, son. That’s your Christmas present. We’ll be alright. Your momma and me just did too much partying yesterday that’s all”. (Page 285)
a. Sell it (the bike), Christmas present and too much “partying”. These words stand out as a sort of summary for the meaning of the story because it efficiently paints the story’s setting and its main conflict. A boy, who regardless of how his parents couldn’t care for him, still presented innocence and selflessness towards them. Also, they serve as simple, yet heart-touching example of how the boy grew up in a home where drugs were the source of his problems. His parents were addicts and such an illness literally made them choose between their son’s happiness and quality of life or satisfying their impulses. Love and responsibility could have been what they truly wanted to aspire to, but addiction made the path to this objective. Was it because they were terrible parents who just used their son or was it because they were sick, and it was hard for them to move on even if they wanted to? I believe this is the dilemma that the quote I chose brings into question.
b. Reading the quote makes me feel compassion towards the little boy, Jared, and sadness towards the parents. I remind me that one should always try overcoming setbacks and troubles, especially serious ones. However, sometimes it is too much to work out on our own and it should be fine to admit this and ask for help. After all, just like Jared sometimes those problems could end up affecting others. Addiction is perhaps one of the best examples to illustrate these two last statements. Ultimately, while it could be debatable to determine if it is a choice or an illness (or what point it transforms from one to the other), it served as a reminder not to judge anyone without really knowing them and what they are going through.
- Kendra Santana 9/03/2022
c. Jared was a little boy whose imagination acted as the only escape he had, the only place where he managed to feel good, where he could dream of becoming a hero to himself and others. One could think that growing up in an unfit home would harden his heart and change his perspective on the world, but instead, it didn’t affect his innocence or his selflessness. The little details that give this out is especially when he offers his bike or when comes back to the plane for the Rolex watch in order to give it to his father to sell it. This shows that he just wanted money so that his father could get what he wanted for him and his wife. Regardless of the logic, it presents the idea that Jared was only trying to help out his family.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, sadness comes to mind when referring to the parents. Drug addiction is not an easy road to walk on, especially when having to take care of a kid. While it was true that they were unfit to care for Jared and that they were irresponsible towards him, it did seem like they loved him. The mother was trying to make up by “creating and lighting” a Christmas tree. The father didn’t want to take the bike because it was his son’s Christmas present. Both parents are trying to show their affection and due some sort of right by their son, but it was not sufficient. Even more, it did not change the fact that they were failing as parents. Nevertheless, there could be another way to see the parents’ actions (especially the father’s). Perhaps, he was not happy with having become a parent or was trying to evade his role and duties as such. The drugs could have been a means to achieve peace of mind for himself. If this was the case, then one would have to eliminate all suspicions of good intentions at all. In summary, the story seemed like a constant clash of these possible scenarios, which led me to frequently wonder and balance them as I read the story. Similarly, to my position when considering the role of addiction in the family’s problems: as a source or a “relief”, reading these lines makes me contrast the parent’s intentions. The first concept that came to my mind was “debate”, but in terms of feelings or realizations, it just helps remember that this is a real situation through which many families may go through. In the end, I would say that these lines are essential to the story and make me feel as a have described because they act as a sort of reality check.
- Kendra Santana 9/03/2022
1.Escapism
ReplyDelete2.I think that one of the most important events in the story are when Jared is putting up the Christmas tree with his parents, but he doesn’t want to be there, he’d much rather go back to the plane. The other important event in the story is when he freezes to death in that plane. I think that these events show how unhappy he really is and how much he wants to escape from his parents. He feels more at ease around the dead bodies he found, than around his father and mother. This feeling took him to the point in which he decides that his new parental figures–the dead frozen bodies–will provide more for him than his current ones.
3.“You shouldn’t go off that long without telling us where you’re going, honey.”
Jared lifted the watch from his pocket.
“Here” he said, and gave it to his father.
His father studied it a few moments, then broke into a wide grin.
“This watch is a Rolex,” his father said.
“Thank you, Jared,” his mother said, looking as if she might cry.
“You’re the best son anybody could have, ain’t he, Daddy?”
a)The word that stands out to me is the word “honey.” The mother uses it to greet Jared when he finally gets home. But it doesn’t sound genuine to me. I feel like she uses it to cover the fact that her actions don’t show any motherly love. That’s why she tries to hide the neglect of her son with sweet words like this.
b)When I read this quote aloud, it made me feel frustrated and mad at the parents.
c)I think it makes me feel this way because before he went into the house, either of them went out to look for him. His mother tried to sound worried the moment he walked in, but it looks like their worries weren’t big enough to go outside and search for him. On another hand, when Jared shows them the watch, they are quickly out the door, on their way to satisfy their drug addictions once again. The language they use towards their son can sound genuine and worried, but their actions tell me otherwise. Mostly this hypocrisy is what makes me frustrated and mad towards them.
-Alondra Acevedo Ortiz
1. Describe the story in one or two words.
ReplyDeleteEscaping loneliness
2. Briefly describe what you see as the most important two events in the story, and explain why you consider these to be important.
One of the most important events must be the first arrival on the plane. After a short hike accompanied by the imagination of Lyndee, Jared arrives at the crashed plane and finds two dead bodies. He feels some peace in that environment and remains there for a few hours. The behavior of Jared reflects his loneliness and need for attention. Even though the couple is dead, they provide a safer space than his parents. In other words, the first encounter with the plane represents a crucial moment for the characterization of the kid.
The second event could be the conversation between the parents and Jared regarding the Rolex watch. Jared finds this item on the second visit to the plane. He looked for something valuable to help his parents. When Jared arrives with the watch, the parents instantly take the item and leave. They do not ask where or when he found it. The short conversation between the family reveals how little care about the kid. Addicted to drugs, the parents can not provide love, time, and care for their son. Therefore, this event describes the challenges of growing up in a dysfunctional family.
3. Choose a quote that you think is key to understanding the meaning of the story as a whole, and analyze it in detail
“Jared ate as his parents sat in the front room passing the pipe back and forth.
a) What word or words stand out to you in this quote? Explain.
I understand the words “back and forth” stand out in this quote. They emphasize the repetitive behavior of the parents who constantly search for money only to buy drugs. Everything the parents do seems to be between them and does not include the kid. Also, those words could describe Jared’s conduct since he goes back and forth from his life on the plane and his reality in the house.
b) When you read the quote aloud, how does it make you feel?
Reading the quote aloud makes me feel frustrated.
c) Try to figure out why it makes you feel this way. What is it about the language that affects you? Answer as fully as you can.
I believe the simplicity of the language frustrates me the most. Although the situation is complex, the problem could be resumed in those few words. Other situations that one encounter are much harder to explain but easier to solve. Also, it is disappointing that what probably started as a simple mistake done by the parents eventually will affect the growth of the kid.
Amanda Conde
1. The two words I would use to describe the story are: childhood trauma.
ReplyDelete2. One of the most important events in the story is when Jared finds the lost airplane and takes home the dead woman's ring. I believe this event is important because it gives readers an insight of the context in which the protagonist lives; telling us that he lives in poverty and deprivation. Also, that event portrays the child's innocence. Likewise, a second important event again demonstrates Jared's innocence and the toxic family environment in which he lives. This second event is when Jared woke up seeing his parents super "sick", when in fact they were "high" because of the drug use.
3. The chosen quote is: “He smelled the methamphetamine as soon as he opened his bedroom door, thicker than he could ever remember. His parents had not gone to bed.” (p. 699).
a) The words that stand out the most for me are "methamphetamine", "remember" and "parents", because they are key to understand the toxic environment in which Jared is growing up. The word "remember" strikes me, because is evidence that the protagonist, innocently, remembers the smell of the drug, so unfortunately, he is already habituated with it.
b) It makes me feel surprised, empathetic and sorrowful towards Jared.
c) It makes me feel that way because I could never imagine that an innocent child would have to live in an environment of drugs and poverty, with mentally unhealthy parents. This type of parenting will have consequences when Jared is older, because he has developed childhood trauma.
-Angelys Rivera-Hernández
9/03/2022
1. Victimized Imagination
ReplyDelete2. When Jared first goes to the airplane and takes the diamond ring. You see how he enjoys the moment and the adventure, it gets his mind of things at home. Having something to explore as if he is the main character of his story just gives us a glimpse in how alone he felt. It is normal for a kid to imagine situations and have conversations with himself but in a place where there are two people dead and he still feels normal is not right.
The other event is when he goes back to the plane and finds the rolex. He wanted to help his parents so they can provide for him. When he gives it to them, you see how quick they praised him and promised him all he wanted. But as soon as they left, Jared knew they weren't coming back for hours. This situation is a perfect presentation of the way Jared was living. An unhealthy living situation made a kid enjoy his imaginations more than his own life.
3. "I didn´t know you could find rings in the woods, But isn´t wonderful that you can."