2nd Independent reading response

Jaehak
English 11-1
2008-09-14

Messenger

Response #2, pp.56-107
Response type #2: Connections through experiences, memories, or issues


In the story Messenger the main character, Matty, received a puppy from Jean. However, he had a terrible history that “the other little, the one who had been his childhood companion for years, had lived a happy, active life, died in his sleep, and had been buried with ceremony and sadness beyond the garden.” (pg 67) This Matty’s history reminded me of when I breed my puppy in elementary school period.

It was about nine years ago, when I was 2nd grade in elementary school, I moved to my parents’ house from my grandparents’ house because my grandparents brought up me and my brother for one years. As I started to live with my parents, my father made something to put on empty garden. Also, I helped my father to plant some tree. Even though I planted some tree and made something, the ground seemed empty place still.

Few days later, my father brought a little puppy which was Korean tradition one. As I was the elementary student, and it was the first time to see the puppy for me, I was interested in that. So, I played with the puppy a lot because at that time, I even didn’t admission to new school. This was why the puppy was the one who was my friend. A little kinds of memory I made with it such as when I ordered it “Sit” or “stand”, sometimes it understood what I said.

I have a similar circumstance with Matty in the story. I was fun to play with the puppy as every children and Matty do. I could understand why the puppy or dog is the most familiar animals to people. However, the puppy was seemed to be sick because all the time it coughed, and didn’t eat as much as it ate before. One day, when I went to the puppy’s house to meet it, it didn’t come out from its house. After that, even though I slap it many times, it didn’t move. Finally, I realized that it was dead. I felt fear because it was first time to see dead people, and even yesterday, it moved and looked at me with smiling. After that, my father took it to mountain in order to bury it. When I read the part that Matty had a terrible scene with his puppy, I was able to understand how he felt.