Mary Mebane

After I read and thought about the story from Mary Mebane, I began to understand what I think she wanted to get across to readers. It wasn't the part about her mother not giving her a smile for the simple things Mary did, but rather how Mary acted even though her mother may not have realized how she felt. Mary wanted to have a special role as she was growing up. Every day she was told to make dinner, and then wash the dishes. Mary decided that she wanted to learn how to play the piano. Without help from her mother, Mary found herself a piano teacher, and asked to make arrangements to work for her lessons. She caught on quick and played in a recital for only the best ones. Each night as she was cooking, she also read, and some nights she got distracted by her book or magazine and forgot about her cooking. This one night it made her mother snap, her mother was so frustrated with her that she told Mary, she was going to have her father whip her. Mary was close to her father, even though her father was sick. Her father allowed her to help him with little tasks. With the frustration at her mother, Mary decided to leave. I think Mary wants to get across to the readers that you don't have to have someone telling you how to do everything. Some things must be done with your own head. It stands out to me, that Mary was not a happy young women while her mother fussed at her and never gave her a smile, but Mary did not let this get the best of her, she continued to do what made her smile. This was why she picked up piano lessons, because one day she said, "I am going to be a famous piano artist."

There is nothing in this story that lines up with my experience in life. I can not imagine doing some of the things I do, like dancing and playing a musical instrument and not having my mother stand behind me. There are many people in this world that are like Mary, and they have to be strong for what makes them happy, not for something that makes someone else smile. For Some, like Mary, music makes all better, and because of this, Mary was able to get out of the house some time of the day, and go and learn something that was part of her. She was able to work for the time she was taught and then show others and let them give her smiles of how well she played piano.

Looking back at my journal that I took while reading the book, I can see that I did not fully understand the true point of what I was reading. I read the words on the page, but did not dig deeply into what was on the page. Mary wants us to read not just what is on the page, but also everything that is written from her heart, in between the lines, and to get inside of her as you read the story. I went back and read it again, and was able to dive into the words and sentences to get a true feel of the story.