Lesson # 2

LESSON 2 ASSIGNMENT #1
1. "Tragic Circumstances" by Missy Estes

2. It's a minor story so there are really any major characters except for James. Other chacters are a doctor; James' wife, Martha; James' infanct daughter Megan; and two bank tellers, one of whom is considerably older than the other.
For reference:

Tragic Circumstances  (13+) Things just never work out sometimes. #1531425 by Rixfarmgirl

3. Sophie had been a teller at the Mammoth Spring Bank for over thirty years and she liked her job. She had a no nonsense personality and, If the truth be told, she believed she was in charge of the bank. Nancy was the teller beside Sophie and they got a long well.

Today's weather would keep most of the town away from the bank and Sophie was glad. It gave her more time to tidy up her booth and clean out her personal drawer on the floor.

Suddenly, a man tromped into the bank and seemed quite upset from the looks of his expression. He glanced at the two tellers and walked up to Sophie. Pointing a gun at her, he damanded all of the money.

If he thought Sophie was scared, he had another think coming. No one was going to steal from this bank on this day decided Sophie.

Click! The man pulled the trigger on the gun, but it failed to fire. With a puzzled look on his face, he turned the gun around and looked through the barrell. He again pulled the trigger. This time it went worked very well.

4. The story is much different. I had to leave out his motivation for the robbery because the teller would not have known his or his story. I believe the story lost the "tragic effect". In fact, in the different POV, it could be a humorous story if one was inclined to enjoy that type of humor. The story was not exactly a Pulitzer Prize winner to start with, but the change of POV made it even worse if that is possible.

LESSON 2 ASSIGNMENT #2
3. John has always been head-strong and argumentative. He's the only kid I have raised that refuses to listen to reason and do things the way they need to be done. I hated to ask his help digging the post holes in the tomato patch but Mother insisted he help.

"Son, you need to learn to do things like they were done when I was a kid. People just don't appreciate hard work anymore."

"Pops, the augur is perfectly good. It was made to dig holes for Christ's sake! What's so good about the old days anyway?"

"How dare you take the Lord's name in vain, John," I spewed shaking a gnarled finger at him. That dang boy. He'll thank me later for instilling some discipline in him. "A man has to learn to appreciate the kind of labor we did before this modern machinery came along. What if there was no machinery, young man; then what would you do?"

"But there is modern machinery and we have a perfectly good augur."

"In the good ol' days a man's worth was judged by the sweat of his brow! You'll never make a good farmer. It's just not in you, I guess."

---------------------

4. I can't believe I have to work in this stupid tomato patch! Why in the world are we digging these by hand?" I fussed. The next damn thing he'll tell me is how I need to appreciate a hard day's work!

"Son, you need to learn to do things like they were done when I was a kid. People just don't appreciate hard work anymore."

"Pops, the augur is perfectly good. It was made to dig holes for Christ's sake!"

"How dare you take the Lord's name in vain, John"

"Okay, okay, Pops. Were the good old days this bad? How 'bout letting me drive the tractor and use the augur? Now, that's some hand labor I'd appreciate," I argued. And, it'd sure as Hell get me out of this tomato patch and down to the baseball field a lot faster.

"In the good ol' days a man's worth was judged by the sweat of his brow! You'll never make a farmer. It's just not in you, I guess."

Who'd want to do this for a damn living? Get real, Pops! If you'd ever played a game of baseball, you'd see how a man can sweat enjoying life! "All you've ever done is work, work, work. What's the use having machinery if you just want to do the job by hand?" Why do I try to talk with him? Guess it's true what they say: You can't teach old dogs new tricks.