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The Sanctuary Of School Lynda Barry Analysis

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In her narrative essay “The Sanctuary of School,” Lynda Barry recounts a story from her childhood that illustrates her relationships at school vs her relationships at home. She tells us how public school was her sanctuary from her unstable home life. It was a stable environment that she depended on. She tells us this when she says ,"[F]or the next six hours I was going to enjoy a thoroughly secure, warm and stable world." Unlike at home, her school was a place she was noticed and cared about. Barry opened her story by telling us about the first time she snuck out of her house at the age of seven. Her parents had been fighting about money. She woke in a panic and feeling an urge to get to school. Her absence at home went unnoticed. When …show more content…

Her parents are so consumed with their problems they neglect Lynda and her brother. Instead of being able to focus on the children, the parents are focused on finding a solution for their financial problems or emotional problems. The children often have to give up their room for relatives that need a place to stay. They also feel they don't have a voice in their family. Lynda describes this in her essay by writing, "We were children with the sound turned off." Lynda's story is not an isolated incident, but it is a situation that many children face. Many children across our country depend on the stability of programs in school. Our society does not address the needs of public schools enough. It is not uncommon today for teachers to pay out of pocket for classroom supplies. Unfortunately, the poorer school districts suffer the most. This is where we see the most budget cuts happening. When budget cuts happen, the first programs to go are usually the art programs. It's sad because art programs tend to be the most therapeutic for children. This was a powerful essay. It really made me stop and think about how many children in our society rely on the stability of school. It made me wonder: how many of my peers depended on school to be

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