The Scholarship Jacket

The Scholarship Jacket is a story by Marta Salinas and is about a Mexican girl named Martha. Every year in Texas, a scholarship jacket was presented to the class valedictorian. This scholarship jacket was about the only object in Martha's mind. She was a skinny girl, and not very pretty either. However, she was incredibly smart and had maintained an A plus average in her eight years of school. That year, all her hopes came crashing down. She overheard a conversation between two arguing teachers, about how the jacket should be given to Joann, since her father was part of the Board and also owned the only shop in town. The next day the principle called her in, telling her that the scholarship jacket was going to cost fifteen dollars, and if she couldn't pay for it, it would be given to the runner-up. Martha left school tearfully, and was even more heartbroken when her a Grandfather said she couldn't have the money. She wept her heart out in the bathroom, though she knew her Grandfather was right when he said that she shouldn't have to pay for something she earned. The next day, she dejectedly told the principle that she couldn't have the scholarship jacket and explained why. She made a slip-up as she was about to exit the office and mentioned Joann's name. The principal, feeling guilty told Martha that she would have the scholarship jacket. So, in the end, Martha knew that she earned her jacket, and hadn't purchased it.

The theme of this story that I recognized was that when you earn something, it doesn't mean you purchase it. Just like the scholarship jacket was to be earned and not purchased. Martha had the best grades in her school, and to represent that, she was supposed to get the jacket. Instead, since Joann's father had a higher social status than Martha's father, so it would have benefited the school to present Joann with the jacket. So, to make their (not that Martha didn't already know the plan) plan work subtly, the priced the jacket fifteen dollars. Obviously this wasn't right, since originally a scholarship was meant to be free. The author explains this through Martha's grandfather's wise words, "Then if you pay for it, Martha, it's not a scholarship jacket anymore is it?".
Those simple words summed up the entire theme to me.

Retrieved Reformation by O. Henry

The story Retrieved Reformation by O. Henry is the tale of a crook by the name of Jimmy Valentine. Jimmy's occupation was cracking safes in banks. When he is pardoned from jail by the governor, he returns to his career as a cracksman. After a while, he arrived to the small town of Elmore, where he pretended to be Ralph D Spencer. There, he met Annabel Adams, the daughter of the owner of the bank. Within a year of living at Elmore, he was a respected man, his shoestore was flourishing, and he was to be engaged to Annabel. He decided to not do anything wretched every again for Annabel, and sent a letter to a close fried in St. Louis to take his kit of tools. One day, when Mr. Adams, Annabel's father, showed them a new safe, and all of its workings. Agatha, Annabel's sister's daughter, accidentally got locked into the safe. It was then that Jimmy's act of Ralph D. Spencer vanished and was replaced by his safe-cracking nature. He saved Agatha, and then walked out of the bank to meet up with none other than Ben Price, the man who was to arrest him. Ben Price had evidently seen Jimmy's act of compassion. He pretended not to recognize him, and walked away. So, in the end, Jimmy, though he was a criminal, was found to have a kind heart.

Why do you think Gramps allows Sal to drive to Lewiston by herself? If you had been Gramps, what would you have done?

I think Grampa allowed Sal to drive to Lewiston all by herself because Gramps knew how important going to Lewiston was to to Sal. It seemed that Gramps knew that it was extremely significant to Sal to get to Lewiston in time for her mother's birthday. I also think that Gramps didn't want Sal to be right there if Gram died. I don't think Gramps wanted Sal to witness another major loss at such a young age then and there (in the hospital). If I were Gramps, then I would let Sal go as well, for the same reasons that I think Gramps did.

How does Mrs. Patridge's visit with the girls clear up some of the mystery? How dod you feel when you learned this information?

Mrs. Patridge's visit with the girls clears up some of the mystery because they find out that Mrs. Patridge was delivering the messages on Phoebe's porch. The find out that Mrs. Cadaver wrote the messages, while Mrs. Patridge picked them out of the newspapers. I feel slightly saddened when I've learned this information, because the story isn't as supensing as before. Though, I was quite surprised when I found out that it was Mrs. Patridge delivering the message and not someone else. I didn't think Mrs. Patridge was much of an important character until then. I guess you can't judge a book by its cover!

Do you think the sheriff in Lewiston does the right thing when he learns that Sal has driven there herself? Explain your answer.

I think the sheriff in Lewiston did that right thing when he learns that Sal has driven there herself. This is obviously my opinion and mostly based on the fact that I would do what the sheriff did. If I heard Sal's story from a sheriff's or police officer's point-of-view, then I would feel sympathetic and not send her off to jail. Obviously like the sheriff, I'd feel better giving her a lecture about underaged driving. I think it was also a good idea for him (the sheriff) to be sympahtetic and kind, but also calm and serious. I think the sheriff in Lewiston did that right thing by acting the way he did.