What Is It About His Conversation With Mr. Gregg That Disturbs Bern

Maddie Weir
Critical Reading- Perhaps Tomorrow by Barney Roberts
Question:
a. In the given text, what is it about his conversation with Mr. Gregg that disturbs Bern?
The thing from Bern’s conversation with Mr. Gregg that disturbs Bern is how Mr. Gregg talk about how ‘the schooldays are the best days of your life’. Mr. Gregg makes growing up and becoming an adult seem like the worst thing that could possibly happen to anybody. He talks about how getting a job and working is ‘just one long grind, day after day, year-in, year-out’. This would scare most people as it scares Bern but his mother reassures him that even she ‘hated school’. All of this comes from Bern complaining about not being able to do mental arithmetic and his mother says that they will ‘do some together, tomorrow. Bern’s mother said that ‘the best days of your life were today and tomorrow – if today is not the best, then tomorrow.’ Bern has two completely different opinions about what is meant to be the best days of his life and this really overwhelms him.
b. What attitude does Bern’s mother have towards her son’s schooling?
Bern’s mother doesn’t put a whole lot of pressure on her son to be the best of the best or to be the top of his class when it comes to his schooling. When Bern says that he ‘can’t do mental arithmetic’ his mother
just tells him that they will ‘do some together, tomorrow’. Bern’s mother is very supportive and is trying her hardest to be able to relate to him as much as possible by saying that she ‘hated school’. Bern’s mother is clearly one of the most important figures in his life and tries her hardest to be as encouraging and understanding as possible.
c. How does the author of this text, Barney Roberts, present his insights into the process of ‘growing up’?
Barney Roberts, the author of Perhaps Tomorrow has used several different techniques to present his thoughts and feelings about growing up. These techniques include the use of dialogue, narrative voice, ambiguity and diction and how the characters express their thoughts and opinions.

The title alone is quite thought provoking. ‘Perhaps Tomorrow’ gives the text several different tones. It gives the text before even reading it, a feeling of dreariness and how someone may be struggling with today so they have to push on to tomorrow in hope that it will be better. This is only further explained in the text when Bern’s mother says that he will be able to learn mental arithmetic tomorrow. She also says that ‘the best days of your life are today and tomorrow’. If today is not the best then perhaps tomorrow will be. The title may also suggest something bittersweet or melancholy like something may or may not happen tomorrow. Using the word perhaps doesn’t tell the audience that something is definitely happening tomorrow, it is just a possibility that something may happen tomorrow.

This short story caters to quite a wide variety of people. There is no set age group as all ages are able to relate to what Bern is talking about. Adults are able to reflect on their own time at school while school age children may be able to relate to Bern, as he struggles with mental arithmetic as so many children struggle with different parts of school. Parents may also be able to relate to Bern’s mother as she tries to relate to him and make it seem like it won’t be the end of the world if he is unable to do something. This text could be Roberts’ own reflection about his own childhood experiences because Bern can be a nickname for Barney.

This text could have been created with several different purposes in mind.
The hardships of growing up are clearly displayed in this text as Bern struggles with the death of Rover, stressed out by school and being harassed by the Lynches and the Websters. He also thinks about the Greggs when he is left alone to his thoughts as he lies in his bed at night. These thoughts of the Greggs may be linked to thoughts of how the Greggs are poor and that there will always be poor people. Like many children and teenagers Bern begins to question everything and form his own opinion. The experiences that Bern has had in this text will be experiences that may people have
experienced.