Edward Jones’ “The First Day” begins with a reflective semi-autobiographical introduction of a young girl preparing for her first day in elementary school. Unfortunately, the mother is unable to take her to their preferred school as they live far off the school area. Despite having been published in the 20 th century, the short story remains relevant in the contemporary society, especially with regards to the realms of education and parenting.
Various aspects or parts of the modernist story appear to be thrilling. Nonetheless, the portrayal of the role of parents in shaping the futures of their children remains the prime area of interest in the story. Despite being illiterate, the mother makes the rare sacrifice of taking her daughter to school with the sole intention of bettering her future life. This social setting largely helps exemplify the story’s primary theme. The surprising choice by the author to use simple language also plays a vital role in illustrating the said social setting of the story, as the message seems to have been designed to be viewed from a child’s perspective.
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The strong parent-child relationship between the girl and her mother has been clearly demonstrated in the scene in which the mother asks for assistance from another woman to help her fill the registration forms. She openly reveals that she is unable to read and write. It is quite surprising that she does not get ashamed of the act. Clearly, the mother’s focus remains on the sacrifice she has had to offer her daughter. This undeniably exemplifies her love for the five-years-old girl.
The point of view is the key element of fiction that has been effectively utilized by the author to present his themes of the sacrifice made by parents towards their children and the importance of education in the contemporary society. As stated earlier, the author seemingly intended to present the story purely in the perspective of a child, thus, clearly bringing out the unique relationship between the mother and her daughter.
