A_Time_to_Dance

A time to dance essay A time to dance essay by Bernard McLaverty is a short story about Nelson as he goes from skiving school to a strip-club. This story strongly expresses the feelings of isolation and rejection through Nelson. In this essay I will be proving my point and also telling you about the story and his disgraceful relationship with his mother. I will also touch on situations where he felt rejected or isolated. At the beginning of the story we learn about a boy called nelson, who does not have an easy life. Nelson and his mum are living in poverty and he has to wear eye patches over one eye as he has a lazy eye. He gets free school lunches from the school as his mum cannot afford to give him money for school lunches. As we get further into the story we learn that nelson is playing truant from school and therefore does not get school lunches! Luckily he manages to scam his mum out of 40 or 50 pence so he can eat. As we progress in the story we find a crucial story changing moment. Nelson is skiving school and he sees his mum, but before he gets the chance to run, his mum dashes at him grabbing him by his collar and saying “ In the name of god Nelson, what are you doing here!', Why aren’t you at school'!” Before Nelson could reply she started to rant and rave about how she would be put in jail. But before she could finish, Nelson began to shout “Help, Help!” “This woman is kidnapping me!” Nelson’s mum was then forced to take him to her work. When they got there the narrator describes it as being a “Bar, Plush and carpeted with crowds of men standing drinking” Nelson was then told to sit on a box in a storage room with both of the eye patches over his eyes so he couldn’t see a thing while his mum changed in to her work suit. We then find out that Nelson’s mum is a stripper and only does it to meet meats end. At the end of the story Nelson actually wants to become blind. I will now explain why we think and know nelson feels rejected. We first start to find out why he feels rejected right at the beginning of the story. His eye patch. This gives him a sense of disbelief in him-self that Nelson can embrace school and he was obviously disheartened by this as he could have been bullied by the eye patch. He may also feel rejected by the teachers because they don’t remember his name. But that is his own fault. He also has no friends or anyone to talk to at school. It is really what he deserves though, considering he plays truant from school all the time. “Have you no friends at school Nelson'” asked the housemaster. “Naw” Said nelson. This proves my point in saying that Nelson may feel rejected or isolated because he has no friends at school. I will now say why I think he may feel isolated from other people, the main reason may be that he lives in poverty and while everybody gets new things, he may get nothing, he may also feel isolated because he no longer knows anyone because the length of time he was Playing truant off of school. It is very hard for him to now make friends also as he will have to attempt to make friends, as everyone will be forming into to their own little groups. It may also be the fact that he has to wear an eye patch so he may feel like he is the only one there and will probably struggle with school as he was forced to go back. I will now write a little about his relationship with his mum. Nelson and his mum do not get on well as in the story it says that she is always shouting at Nelson and basically giving him “dog’s abuse” which I personally think is not very fair on Nelson. This may be one of the reasons why he was playing truant for so long. He may of felt a surge of freedom and the ability to do whatever he wants. Overall I thought this story clearly expressed the feelings of rejection and isolation through a young teenager and I thought the language used to express that was very good. Overall the story was quite entertaining and kept on wanting you to read more and I definitely found it a informally written short story.