Caring Makes Us Human Analysis

Flipping from essay to essay, I find no interest in any of the stories presented within NPR’s Special Series collection. Such a drag it is to read an entire essay and ultimately deciding that I find no attractiveness in it gets annoying. Then, after 17 long, uninteresting essays, this one, unique story catches my eye. Scanning this essay, it screamed ‘plot twist’ and ‘irony’! “Caring Makes Us Human” by Troy Chapman has to be one of the best choices for an essay to be read by ENGL 1301 students. This essay brings the reader in with an uncommon story, mentions a problem thought of by many people, and ends with information that can change the common perspective of many based on the writer’s studies. It is not only well structured and interpretable for many ages, but attractive to readers because it discusses a problem not constantly discussed by anyone, it a situation you wouldn’t expect, and from a person many people typically wouldn’t believe has the education to address this problem; an inmate himself.
When stating,” the scruffy orange cat showed up in the prison yard, I was one of the first to go out there and pet it” (Chapman), you instantly begin to question whether or not this is a story written by a guard or an inmate, and how weird it is that you’re attracted to the story because of the fact that this crazy cat just stepped foot into a prison, commonly thought of to be compacted of vicious criminals. When you hear the word “prison”, it is almost guaranteed that negative thoughts will fill your mind, so to begin a story with it is very ironic after reading a title called “Caring makes us Human”. “I believe that caring for something or someone in need is what makes us human” (Chapman), would be expected to come from a doctor, teacher, or maybe even a priest, but someone within a prison? This is the type of irony that catches a reader’s