The way a person spends their childhood and lessons that are learned at an early age becomes one of the most defining features of the future adult life. Often, it is better for a person to learn responsibility and hard work during young age, so that they know what must be done further down the road to be successful and intelligent.
Jessica Hemauer’s “Farm Girl” is a story about a ten year old girl who grows up on a farm. From the very beginning, the reader realizes the hardships that she has to go through, as her time is filled with many chores and responsibilities (Hemauer, 2008).
The audience would be adult and more mature population, as the lessons that the essay teaches need insight into life and perturbations that sometimes take a hold of a person. The essay is written as a narrative, which is remembered by a woman who has grown up and now understands many more things in life. The style of the essay is rather interesting and compelling, as it describes the life of a small girl but is written by an adult.
The author’s purpose is to show how difficult life is on a farm, especially for a child. This is done by illustrating how many things one must do to keep the farm productive. Children have to wake up extremely early in order to take care of the farm. Even bad weather could not be a deterrent of farm work and often, children had to endure harsh physical conditions, in addition to the amount of work that had to be done. But the duties of a young girl do not end on the farm, she also has to go to school and experience a differential treatment.
Since her time is so filled with jobs she has to do around the farm and her homework, she is thought of as an outsider by her peers. She cannot participate, even if she wants, in many extracurricular activities because after school, she has to work on the farm as well (Hemauer, 2008).
The fact that the author mixes up all emotions, the reader can see the real feelings that fill the life of a ten year old child. She has to deal with self confidence early on, as her classmates think of her as different and “not normal”. It is a pity that they do not know the real reasons for her behavior and attitude, as these are rather respectful and adult-like.
There is a positive side to the work on the farm, as “teachers and organization leaders are impressed by my time management skills and the amount of responsibility I take on” (Hemauer, 2008). Even though she is one of the youngest children in her family, she still has to participate in the work equally. This shows that her character and self esteem had to form early on, proving to be very useful in life.
It is clear that a life filled with work and time management needs shape a person’s character. The author makes it obvious that people who work hard and learn responsibility early on can truly value the work and leisure time. Every person must have this sort of valuable experience that creates a perspective and makes an individual strong and wise.
Reference
Hemauer, J. (2008). “Farm Girl”. The Brief McGraw-Hill Guide: Writing for College, Writing for Life: (2nd ed.) Ed. Roen, D., Glau, G., & B. Maid. Burr Ridge, IL: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.