Jiahua Lin – The First Day

The First Day by Edward P Jones is about a girl who has struggles attending school while her mother is trying her best to get her in. The author’s description of her entrance into school can we shown with imagery and inferencing.From the beginning of the story it can be seen that her mom really cares and is serious about her daughter going to school. As stated “My mother has uncharacteristically spent nearly an hour on my hair that morning, plaiting and replaiting so that now my scalp tingles” (Jones 1). This quote shows her mother taking time doing her daughter’s hair until her scalp tingles. As we further read on, we realize that her mother probably didn’t have an education as she was growing up. Jones stated that “The woman still seems not to understand. i ”1 can’t read it. I don’t know how to read or write, and I’m askin you to help me.” (2) This quote explains the education of the mother of not knowing how to read and asking for other people to help her. To me education is very important for everyone and it impacted me heavily because I’m the only son in my family that has a higher education past high school.