The Sweethere After
Erhick DeMattos
English C01
Dr. Gregory
4/13/2013
Blaming Misfortune
Four months ago in the small town of Newtown, Conn. twenty first graders and seven adults were shot dead by a mentally challenged teenager who committed suicide right after. Earlier that day, he also killed his mother. A NRA member, who for some reason had military weapons at her house. The town lost some of their children, but America as a whole grieved. Not too long after, people started pointing fingers. Who’s to blame? The NRA? The mentally challenged? The school system , who did not have an armed police officer onsite? The mother who had guns at home? Video games? The government for not having strict gun laws? It’s a delicate situation and it is very hard to hold someone responsible. But one thing is for sure; when the worst things happen, in order to comprehend the facts, people always need someone to blame. In a similar story to Newtown, Russell Banks’ novel “The Sweet Hereafter” tells the story of a community that was changed after a bus tumbled down into a frozen water-filled sandpit, killing 14 children. The people in town believed that the accident was not really and accident, that it was somehow caused, and that, therefore, someone was to blame (73). The struggle to assign blame and liability is the essence of the story. The story is divided into detailed interpretations of four different key characters: Dolores Driscoll (the bus driver, who survived the accident). Billy Ansel, (the town hero, father of twins that died on the bus, who saw the accident). Mitchell Stephens (the lawyer from New York City, whose job was to sue the State and the School Board for negligence. Finally, Nichole Burnell (beautiful fourteen-year-old girl who became paraplegic in the accident). The bus accident is a huge psychological blow for the town of Sam Dent. The lawyer Mitchell Stephens doesn’t believe in accidents and sees this as good opportunity to compensate the families by proving a
English C01
Dr. Gregory
4/13/2013
Blaming Misfortune
Four months ago in the small town of Newtown, Conn. twenty first graders and seven adults were shot dead by a mentally challenged teenager who committed suicide right after. Earlier that day, he also killed his mother. A NRA member, who for some reason had military weapons at her house. The town lost some of their children, but America as a whole grieved. Not too long after, people started pointing fingers. Who’s to blame? The NRA? The mentally challenged? The school system , who did not have an armed police officer onsite? The mother who had guns at home? Video games? The government for not having strict gun laws? It’s a delicate situation and it is very hard to hold someone responsible. But one thing is for sure; when the worst things happen, in order to comprehend the facts, people always need someone to blame. In a similar story to Newtown, Russell Banks’ novel “The Sweet Hereafter” tells the story of a community that was changed after a bus tumbled down into a frozen water-filled sandpit, killing 14 children. The people in town believed that the accident was not really and accident, that it was somehow caused, and that, therefore, someone was to blame (73). The struggle to assign blame and liability is the essence of the story. The story is divided into detailed interpretations of four different key characters: Dolores Driscoll (the bus driver, who survived the accident). Billy Ansel, (the town hero, father of twins that died on the bus, who saw the accident). Mitchell Stephens (the lawyer from New York City, whose job was to sue the State and the School Board for negligence. Finally, Nichole Burnell (beautiful fourteen-year-old girl who became paraplegic in the accident). The bus accident is a huge psychological blow for the town of Sam Dent. The lawyer Mitchell Stephens doesn’t believe in accidents and sees this as good opportunity to compensate the families by proving a