Congratulations to Letters about Literature 2004
RI Level II Winners

Level II State Winner

Jessica Carey, 8th Grade
Barrington Middle School
Submitted by Teacher: Lori Iacobucci

Dear Jane Austen,

I have always been very prone to prejudge everyone. I jumped to conclusions about someone's personality or temperament, the moment they behaved a certain way. I noticed little things about people, like who they were friends with, or how much they talked to certain people to make general statements about them. Instead of being patient with people when they were not in a good mood, I would think, "Why is she/he always so grouchy?" If they were repeatedly staring at me, and I could see them from the comer of my eye, I would think, "Why is he/she looking at me that way? He/She shouldn't be sizing me up that way," never realizing all the time, how hypocritical I was being. Then I read your novel, Pride and Prejudice, and the book bad a startlingly quick effect on the way I viewed others.

Towards the middle of the book, I began thinking about the prejudging nature of the main character, Elizabeth Bennet. I liked Elizabeth; but I could see right away that she was going to hurt herself by unknowingly forming an opinion about Mr. George Wickham, and Mr. Darcy, two other important figures in your book. I was frustrated with Elizabeth. I wanted to shout at her, "Can't you see that Wickham is lying about Darcy, making himself appear the victim to win sympathy?" Or, "Did it ever occur to you that Mr. Darcy's utter fascination with you might be because he loves you, not hates you?" It did not take me long after to realize that I was even more judgmental than Elizabeth was, and that maybe the main character and I were alike in more ways than the fact that we were both dry, and liked to read.

As 1 became more and more engrossed in how Elizabeth handled the results of her hasty characterizations, I began too, to examine the results of my own prejudgments. How many times had I reacted indifferently to someone I thought unfriendly, and left them confused, maybe hurt? How often had I returned someone's stare, and made them blush because they had dared to examine me? I knew that I didn't have to think that people were rude or unfriendly for no good reason; I didn't, for all her likeability, have to resemble Elizabeth, believing the lies of the "Wickhams" at my school, and their characterizations of other people. I didn't have to be like Elizabeth, seeing someone staring at me, and thinking that they disapproved of me, when maybe they wanted to get to know me better.

After I finished reading your entertaining, and truthful novel, I saw how wrong I was about other people. I was the person at fault, not them, for thinking that people were always grouchy, or rude for looking at my friends and me. As a result of my changed viewpoint, I became far more polite in my dealings with people. Instead of thinking that someone I know is quick-tempered because they were in a bad mood, I tell myself, “ Maybe thet’re having a bad day today. They could have had a fight wlth someone or gotten a bad grade." The next day, these same people are cheerful and companionable to be around. Instead of staring back at people who look, sometimes wistfully, at my friends and me, I smile at them. Usually, they are just interested in what you or doing, and would like to be doing the same thing. I no longer feel hostility towards anyone as easily as I used to, and I am not so easily won over by people who feed me untrue information about others. Ms. Austen, your novel has wrought a subtle change in me, but it has been enough to improve my friendships, and help me work on my own personality flaws.

In the end, I have decided to take a second look at people before making a statement about their behavior or their manners. Occasionally, I still revert to prejudging people-I do not always have good days myself-but it is not nearly as much of a fault as before. Your book is nearly a couple of hundred years old, and yet it is the first book I have ever read that has made any difference in my personality. Your book is not as in- depth as some I have read, nor as exciting. But its subtle lessons in "pride and prejudice" , to quote the title, can change peoples' perspectives, and make them relate to the Victorian characters in the story, even today. That, in my opinion, is the best sort of book that an author can endeavor to write. No matter how many other books I read, Ms. Austen, yours will always stay fresh in my memory, because I have been able to relate to it, as well as enjoy it. Thank you for making me take a look at myself, and teaching me that no matter what I do in life, I should always try to look through someone else's eyes before putting words in their mouth or labels on their foreheads. I'll never again judge a book by its cover-literally.

Sincerely yours,
Jessica Carey

Level II Honorable Mention

Mary McGunigal, 8th Grade
Our Lady of Mercy, East Greenwich
Submitted by Teacher: Kathleen Impagliazzo

Dear Jerry Spinelli,

I would like to thank you for writing Stargirl and making such an impact on my life. Not only was this novel both poignant and inspiring, I also feel it changed the way I looked at others and myself. In addition, it prevented me from losing someone extremely valuable. As a result of reading Stargirl, I strengthened my relationship with a very special friend.

Like Stargirl, my friend doesn't care what other people think. Both girls embrace
life with open arms, being themselves and being darn happy about it. They don't care
about climbing the social hierarchy of school. They don't care about what everyone else
is doing. They certainly aren't going to conform.

Your character Stargirl was so pure of heart and so unconventional. She asked
questions no one would think of asking, wore "different" clothes no one would think of
wearing, and lived a life one would only dream of living-one of complete happiness,
completely contented with oneself. She thought for herself, and, though kind to them, she refused to follow the crowd. I found more and more similarities between her and my
friend as I continued to delve into the book.

Finally, upon finishing it, I was moved. I realized that the very qualities that made
Stargirl and my friend appealing were the same as those that made them outcasts. It's
hard to realize the golden value of Starpeople. They are rare and special. As I learned
from Leo Borlock's experience, if you are unwise enough to let a Stargirl go, you will
regret it for the rest of your life. He never met another like her again.

Applying this lesson to my own life, I became closer to my friend. I no longer
agreed with those who dismissed her as "weird." I embraced her individuality and tried to become a nonconformist myself. Still, I know I'm not a born Starperson. I'm not unique
to the extremity of Star girl and my friend. Nevertheless, I'm lucky to have a Stargirl as
one of my best friends. Being around her makes me more comfortable about myself
Thank-you, Mr. Spinelli, for broadening my perspective and inspiring me to realize the
value of a Stargirl. I'm not going to make the mistake Leo Borlock did. I am going to
enjoy my time with my very own Stargirl, and bask in the glory of her uniqueness and
nonconformity.

Sincerely,
Mary McGunigal

Level II Honorable Mention

Hannah Purcell, 8th Grade
Barrington Middle School, Barrington
Submitted by Teacher: Lori Iacobucci

Dear Stephen King,

One day I found myself crowded around this girl with a bunch of friends. Everyone was calling her names and laughing at her. I wasn’t saying anything to her, and, it wasn't particularly all me but I was laughing along with everyone else, while I should have been standing up for her. From our point of view it was funny, not from hers. I had seen so many movies and read so many books on kids being mistreated, or having no friends. In the end of all those movies and all those books, the main character would always find some friends or people would realize, hey this girl/boy is actually a really great person. Not in yours. When I read your book Carrie, all my feelings suddenly changed about how the person being: made fun of felt.

When I started reading your book I figured, oh this will just be another one of those happy ending books where the awkward dorky girl would suddenly become confident and everyone would love her. Which from my point of view was un real. Which is what I thought happened, Carrie went to the prom with someone she would have never thought of going with, who was popular, and who she had had a secret crush on. In your book there was a twist, which made me like it even more. A bunch of kids ruined it for her and she went insane. This was the point in the book where my feelings started to change. I started to feel immoral about things I had said to people or done to people. I started to feel how Carrie felt.

Your book Carrie changed the way I looked at people. After reading it I would look at people and think to myself, I wonder how they feel, and do they have someone to talk to. I'd hate to be in the position where the only people you'd have to talk to are your parents, even thought they are good to talk to. But someone who you could talk to about a good song you herd on the radio and then sing along. Someone you could joke around with, and laugh with. Someone you could go to the mall with and just have a great time. Before I read Carrie I would feel reluctant to walk up to someone and say hi. But now if I saw someone sitting along without a friend I would go up to them and ask them to join my friends and me.

Your book was different from all others I had read in the past. Like I've said and said over again, I was used to books with happy endings. This ending was not even close to happy. I thought that's what the ending was leaning toward when Carrie was going to prom. But when those kids poured the pig blood on her at prom I knew that this book was different. Carrie went crazy, and I understood why. For once in my life I had thought about how the 'victim' felt, I didn't even care about what those other kids were going through. All I knew was that it was so mean what they were doing and I felt awful about what they had done.

Most people walk through their lives not noticing that other people have feelings, and only thinking about them. I could name 50 people a the top of my head that are like that, some are my friends even. I used to be like that, I admit. I’d say something to someone not realizing that it probably really hurt him or her on the inside, even if it wasn’t noticeable on the out. Your book, Carrie really and truly changed me. I used to fly through my days saying things to people and not stopping and thinking what I had said. I would only think of myself and how I felt. You changed the way I thought and felt. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Hannah Purcell