Comparing Conroy And Maxwell
Thematic Essay The authors of both passages, Frank Conroy (passage I) and William Maxwell (passage II) use imagery and many forms of symbolism to express a similar theme; the simplicity of a boyhood friendship. Both Conroy and Maxwell write these passages with a similar point-of-view and neither includes a conflict. Also, the boys in both passages meet under similar circumstances. Passage I begins with the author explaining that he didn’t remember everything about meeting his friend, Tobey. He only remembered that they were “hesitating to speak, staring” (line two). Conroy also says he remembers that Tobey didn’t wear shoes. This fact is brought up again later in the passage (line twenty six). This repetition shows
that the author felt it important enough to remind the reader how different he and Tobey were. The use of imagery is seen many times throughout the passage. In line thirty four and thirty five, the auth or says “above, the fat white clouds drifted in the blue. Great sedate clouds, rich and peaceful.” These lines give the reader a sense of what the boys are seeing themselves, allowing us, the reader, to get a better understanding of the mood of the scene. The author also shows the pride the boys have in creating a world of their own. Several times we are shown that the boys enjoy being the only two to know about the island that they would swim to (lines eighty four and eighty five), and the “caches of canned food and comic books” hidden in different places in the woods (lines forty two and forty three). Conroy also shows a very different side of the two boys relationship that normally would be different in a boy and boy friendship; their lack of competitiveness. In line eighty six, the author says “we never raced.” This statement helps to reinforce the author’s point of the simplicity in their friendship. The boys in passage II are quite different from the boys in passage I, yet the author, Maxwell, still depicts the same theme as that of Conroy. The author uses some symbolism throughout this passage. Maxwell met Cletus on20the foundation of his house. The foundation of the house also creates the foundation of the boy’s friendship. As the passage goes on, we see the boy’s friendship begin to develop as they start to further explore the house and get to know each other. Maxwell describes Cletus as “not being very different from an imaginary playmate” (line thirty two). He goes on to explain that Cletus never complained about what they were doing, and was “always ready to do what I wanted to do” (line thirty one). This shows that the boys got along well, being that Cletus never minded the things that Maxwell wanted to do. Along with symbolism, the author also uses imagery, like that of passage I. As Maxwell is talking about the carpenters, he explains the noise that their hammers make as “pung, pung, pung, kapung, kapung, kapung, kapung” (line seven). This helps the reader to almost hear themselves the sound the hammers were making, giving them a picture of what the author might be seeing. Although the two passages were illustrating the same theme, passage II seems to end very differently from passage I. Passage I ends with the two boys talking about maybe building a shack out on the island together, leaving the readers to believe that their friendship was no where near over. In passage II however, it ends with the two boys parting and going their “separate ways in the dusk” (line forty four). This statement leaves us to believe that this friendship might be one that won’t last.
that the author felt it important enough to remind the reader how different he and Tobey were. The use of imagery is seen many times throughout the passage. In line thirty four and thirty five, the auth or says “above, the fat white clouds drifted in the blue. Great sedate clouds, rich and peaceful.” These lines give the reader a sense of what the boys are seeing themselves, allowing us, the reader, to get a better understanding of the mood of the scene. The author also shows the pride the boys have in creating a world of their own. Several times we are shown that the boys enjoy being the only two to know about the island that they would swim to (lines eighty four and eighty five), and the “caches of canned food and comic books” hidden in different places in the woods (lines forty two and forty three). Conroy also shows a very different side of the two boys relationship that normally would be different in a boy and boy friendship; their lack of competitiveness. In line eighty six, the author says “we never raced.” This statement helps to reinforce the author’s point of the simplicity in their friendship. The boys in passage II are quite different from the boys in passage I, yet the author, Maxwell, still depicts the same theme as that of Conroy. The author uses some symbolism throughout this passage. Maxwell met Cletus on20the foundation of his house. The foundation of the house also creates the foundation of the boy’s friendship. As the passage goes on, we see the boy’s friendship begin to develop as they start to further explore the house and get to know each other. Maxwell describes Cletus as “not being very different from an imaginary playmate” (line thirty two). He goes on to explain that Cletus never complained about what they were doing, and was “always ready to do what I wanted to do” (line thirty one). This shows that the boys got along well, being that Cletus never minded the things that Maxwell wanted to do. Along with symbolism, the author also uses imagery, like that of passage I. As Maxwell is talking about the carpenters, he explains the noise that their hammers make as “pung, pung, pung, kapung, kapung, kapung, kapung” (line seven). This helps the reader to almost hear themselves the sound the hammers were making, giving them a picture of what the author might be seeing. Although the two passages were illustrating the same theme, passage II seems to end very differently from passage I. Passage I ends with the two boys talking about maybe building a shack out on the island together, leaving the readers to believe that their friendship was no where near over. In passage II however, it ends with the two boys parting and going their “separate ways in the dusk” (line forty four). This statement leaves us to believe that this friendship might be one that won’t last.