The
Impact of Relationships
Within
the three poems “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost, “Accident, Mass. Ave.” by Jill
McDonough and “Learning to Read” by Frances E. W. Harper, an underlying theme
and idea of separation and division between people is present. Each poem focuses on differences amongst
people and how these differences cause isolation and hostility amongst one
another.
Frost’s
“Mending Wall” expresses the separation of two neighbors for no reason other
than an unnecessary stonewall between their property. Although there is no reason for them to be
separated by this stone wall, Frost makes note that people often times separate
themselves just because they want to be alone and alienate themselves for no
reason. Instead of making positive
relationships, the neighbor chooses to keep to himself. Although McDonough’s “Accident, Mass. Ave.”
does not have the same plot line as Frost’s poem, it still focuses on relationships
among people. The man comes out yelling at the woman who hit his car, and the
begin getting into a screaming fight in the middle of the Boston, only to
realize soon after that they were yelling for no reason. No damage was done to the car; both parties
were fine, they were just screaming to scream.
“We were scared, weren’t we?”
the narrator ends the poem with this phrase, and I think that this explains a
lot about people and the relationships that they make with others and how they
are often times scared to make relationships for almost no reason at all, just
as in Frost’s poem. Peter-Hans Kolvenback, S.J. wrote an article
focusing on the Jesuit mission and how it is their goal to break this fear that
many feel when trying to make relationships and try and open our heart to help
each other out. Unlike the
discriminatory relationships that were established in Frances E. W. Harper’s
poem “Learning to Read”, Kolvenback focuses on the good in people and looking
for “the service of faith and the promotion of justice” (Kolvenback, 25).
I
think that service learning is a very important part of the Jesuit mission
statement and helps people gain a better understanding of the world and the
people around them. I did service
learning last year and went into a kindergarten class at Govan’s Elementary
School. I really enjoyed my time that I
go to spend with the kids and which is why I chose to do service learning again
this year. I think that service learning
is a great way to put yourself in a situation where you get to experience
something that is new to you and make relationships with new people. Service learning goes along with the Jesuit mission
and also helps prove that building relationships with new people and those who
do not seem as similar to you can be very rewarding. Helping within an inner-city school helped
open my eyes to many different aspects of life that I had never before been
able to see with my own eyes and helped me break the barrier of fearing the
unknown, fearing what was unusual to me.
Service learning and helping out in situations that are unlike ones
everyday life shows that the relationships and fear of relationships that were
portrayed in the three poems above just take away from life itself, and help
prove that building relationships are necessary and a great aspect to
life.
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