Aubrey Gambold

Gambold 1

Mrs. Scharf
ERWC
27 April 2015

Scholarship

In the excerpt from The Mountain by Martin Hamer he explains the journey two boys
share from their hometown to the Taj Mahal. He visually describes their journey by using
imagery, symbolism, and metaphors. He also incorporates the most talked about problem in
todays society, racism, through a story that the two boys experienced.
The excerpt starts off by explaining the place Charlie and the writer explored and they
best described it as another world and they seemed as if theyve never seen things that were
being described through the use of imagery. As they were on their way to the Taj Mahal they
described the streets as being large and clean, the white granite faces of buildings meeting the
sidewalks in a line unbroken from corner to corner (Hamer). It seems as if the two boys aren't
used to a scenery like this one described because they put so much emphasis on the description
and how rich it seemed by using the words granite faces and immaculate. No matter where
you're from or what you grew up with, the most important things are personal qualities and your
ability to be a good person. The two boys found the good in the small things and they embraced
all the things they've never experienced. Another touching choice of words is the way Hamer
describes the Flagstone walks, that led through gardens with benches hewed from stone by
slaves (Hamer). This metaphor is very powerful because it gives the impression that people
don't pay much attention to the work of slaves and they just ignore all the hard work they went
through. It can also be a positive sentence because the creators of the city used the benches and

Aubrey Gambold

Gambold 2

Mrs. Scharf
ERWC
27 April 2015

incorporated the hard work and beautiful benches of the slaves into the focus of the city. The best
things in life are shared through experiences and no matter what your past is, or where you come
from you can do anything just by having an open mind and trying to get the best out of every
situation.
As the boys venture back home on their last subway ride they are faced with an obstacle
and they get blamed for something they didn't do. While Charlie and the other boy were on their
way home a lady on the crowded subway noticed that her wallet was missing, so she assumed
that charlie and the other boy took it just because they were slightly darker than the other people
on the subway. The lady stared directly at the two boys and said Little boy, please give me back
my wallet! Instead of the lady simply looking around a little harder in her purse, she
immediately assumed that the two boys had taken her wallet. Assuming is very bad and
misleading and what this lady did was wrong. Even though this story was fictional and these
events didn't really happen, things like this still occurs all around the world everyday. As the lady
was accusing the boys, no one who was standing around had spoken up, instead the
surrounding bodies moved away from [them] and all pressure had ceased (Hamer). This
description of how people react when racism occurs is a perfect example of how people deal with
this in current times. People often don't want to be the one to stand up to a bully because they are
afraid to be different and its easier for them to just be silent and not stick up for someone else. It

Aubrey Gambold

Gambold 3

Mrs. Scharf
ERWC
27 April 2015

would be so amazing if people took care of each other and protected one another instead of
pointing the finger at an easy target.
In a crowded subway the two boys felt alone and definitely singled out. They had no one
to lean on except each other and within these moments they were brought closer. As they were
getting accused of something they didn't do they had their hands locked together, their
perspiration forming a bond that was [their] only salvation (Hamer). When the two boys went
through this experience they grew a strong bond because they shared something on that subway
that no one else did. Sometimes the most life changing times and the most true friends are the
ones who stick around during the hard times. Having a good friend in life is something that
not a lot of people have and the things that you share can never be bought and the two boys in
The Mountain excerpt Were grinning at each other, [their] day was
filled with wonders that only them two shared (Hamer). Its awesome to have friend that you
can count on to be there through the thick and the thin.
In conclusion, it doesn't matter where you grew up or what your past includes, because all
that matters is the now and who you are today. People should also think before they speak and
they should also put themselves in another persons shoes.

Aubrey Gambold

Gambold 4

Mrs. Scharf
ERWC
27 April 2015

Reflection
In this essay I tried to broaden my thoughts and vocabulary and I incorporated current
and my own personal experiences to try to make better connections with the reader. I have tried
to focus on my spelling, grammar, MLA format, not using words like: I or like, creating better
sentences, and using better vocabulary. Throughout my four years at Great Oak I have grown so
much as a writer because I can write an essay within an hour and I have a better flow to my
essays. My approach to this revised essay was to emphasis on having an implicit theme instead
of having an explicit theme. Also I tried to plan better by making bullet point and I made good
commentary as I read and I was able to use those thoughts to support my concrete details. Some
things that I can always use practice on is my spelling and I can always use different point of
views throughout my writing.