Essay Number 7

Protecting Those You Care For:

An Essay about Caring for Those you love

Gaelen Frink

9th Grade

English

November 29, 2011

    Protecting and caring for the ones you love is an instinct that you acquire with children. However you can also acquire this skill by the way of Miss Manette, a lonely child that learned how to survive. In my life my parents have sacrificed many things to try to make my like better. However in A Tale of Two Cities, Miss Manette is the one that sacrifices things for her father when he should be caring for her. I will try to relate both my life and A Tale of Two Cities to “Shoulders” by Naomi Shihab. As you grow older and become wiser you acquire a sense of wisdom and you protect the ones you love.
    I know my parents will abandon anything they are doing and help me if I am in a bad situation and I think the poem “Shoulders” by Naomi Shihab Nye has that message in it. One thing that my dad sacrifices for me is his time. He brings me to all of my ski races, sailing races and sporting events that he can make just so he can be there for me. He also “[looks] two times north and south” checking to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything. My mother doesn’t sacrifice her time, but I know that if I were in trouble she would try to help me in any way she could. She would care for me and be gentle with me, even if I didn’t say “FRAGILE, HANDLE WITH CARE”. She just has a protective instinct; if we are about to brake hard in the car she puts an arm in front of me to keep me from hitting the dashboard, the part of the car that would hurt if you hit it. Whether it is time or safety I know my parents will help me out of any situation I get myself into.
    Miss Manette seems to have an instinct with her father she knows how to alleviate his pain and how to  comfort him or how to cheer him up. Miss Manette is able to make him come with her out of France just because of “two long golden hairs”. These hairs that were once Miss Manette’s have a value only known to Dr. Manette. These are the hairs that kept him alive through prison because he had something to look forward to. Miss Manette is also able to calm her father when he awakes and thinks he is back in his cell. He paces what he believes is his cell, the eight foot by eight foot room he just keeps pacing, walking back and forth. Her ears “fill up with breathing” because Miss Manette comes to the rescue, she walks with him, back and forth till he is calm enough to go back to bed.  as she walks back and forth If you are able to cheer someone up with your presence or a piece of you, you have a large responsibility.
     Being responsible for someone is a big responsibility. My parents are responsible for me and, I know that being responsible for someone is not always easy. Even though Miss Manette  is only 21 and she is caring for her father when really he should be caring for her. Whether it is brought upon your you allow it to happen, you must always care and protect the ones you love.