The
Lesson for Our Lives
The short story, “The Tidy Drawer,” written by Mo McAuley,
tells us that if you do something idly, you cannot get what you want. I think
this is the theme of this story because there is this phrase twice, “Things get
broken or lost when they're all willy-nilly like this.” In addition, this story
teaches us that a reward sometimes doesn’t play an important role in whether or
not something gets done.
First,
the mother tells her daughter, Abby, to clean her room because her room is such
a mess. However, she doesn’t want to do clean up her room, so the mother says
to her that if Abby does a good job, she will give her extra money. This is a
kind of reward, and occasionally most mothers occasionally use this method
to ask their children to do something. Because of a reward, some children work
fast. Likewise, Abby also finishes cleaning up her room.
Meanwhile, the mother herself cannot
find her own purse in a drawer because there are too many things in it. In this
situation, Abby says to her mother that things get lost or broken when they're
all willy-nilly. In this case, the mother has been disorderly, so she cannot
find what she wants.
In
like manner, Abby too has been disorderly in her own way. For instance, later,
mother and daughter go to Abby’s room to look at her clean room. It looks
clean, but in fact, Abby has stuffed a lot of things under her bed. Abby has just
pretended to clean her room, so she cannot get extra money. Similarly, if we do
something idly, we cannot get what we want.
Abby cleans her room just because
she wants extra money. She doesn’t understand well what her mother says, so
giving reward doesn’t help. When parents tell children to do something, they
need say why a responsibility is important or necessary.
In
conclusion, I learned two lessons from this short story. First, we shouldn’t do
something idly. Second, just giving a reward
won’t really change behavior. If Abby had always
cleaned her room, she would have never been told to clean her room by her
mother. Moreover if parents explain why it is necessary to do something,
children won’t do idly. These lessons are valuable in our lives.
Work
Cited
McAuley , Mo. "The Tidy
Drawer." short stories. N.p.. Web. <http://www.short
stories.co.uk/>.
Hi Miyuki !
ReplyDeleteIt really looks a great story. Indeed, this kind of story gives us a lesson, and the lesson in your story is very clear. More than that, I really agree with you that we should do everything with no looking for the reward because as you said if we do it just for waiting a reward, we will not do it as a great as we need. In the story, we see how Abby cleans her room when she put her stuff under the bed to get the reward!! Anyway, thank you fro this story .
Hi, Miyuki. I read your book reaction and I generally agree with you. This short story gives us an important lesson that we should do everything regardless of reward. If people work hard for reward, there is always cheating. At last, you state, "Moreover if parents explain why it is necessary to do something, children won’t do idly." I think it depends. Sometimes even if parents explain to children, they can be idly...
ReplyDeleteHi Miyuki, I am really interested with you book reaction, and I find it so clear. I understand it from the first reading. I totally agree that we should clear the idea for our children why they should do particular thing. So they have to know the reasons why doing something such as cleaning their room by themselves is necessary and what are the consequences; to make them aware. Also, to expand our children knowledge they should know what the benefits are if they depend on their selves. If we always make a condition for our children to cajole them to do something, we will ruin their behavior. They will not accept to do something only if they know that they will get something after it.
ReplyDeleteHi Miyuki , It is really amazing to see your reaction essay. You explained the theme very clearly and your style make the reader more interested. I agree with the author about doing this idly. Also the lesson for the daughter was great.Although children like to get rewards like money or toys but there are things that they must learn it without giving them rewards.It was a good story with a great lessons.
ReplyDeleteHi, Miyuki. I completely agree with your opinion. If we are do something first, but we don't want to work hard; I'm sure that we will not succeed. If people don't want to do one thing; however, we have to do it, because others give reward for us. that let us to get reward to complete it. So we should think why we do that and then we do that, we can success . For me, before I do thing, I usually consider why would I want to do, then I do it. I will be done very meaningful. I recommend you a story which is the story of Keesh. This is the link: http://www.for68.com/new/2006/9/pa3483113155199600215159-0.htm
ReplyDelete