References to Literature
By Mia Ciapponi
Summary of the Novel
Sharon Creech's novel Walk Two Moons is a story about a thirteen year old girl, Salamanca Tree Hiddle. Sal is on a six day journey to Lewiston Idaho to visit her mother. The goal is to reach Lewiston and bring her mother back home by her birthday. On this road trip Sal tells her grand parents the story about Phoebe Winterbottom and the mysterious lunatic.
Thesis Statement
Throughout the novel Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech uses References to Literature to connect the reader to the character.
Reference 1
One of the english lessons that comes up is the poem the little horse is newLY by e.e cummings. The first time this poem is mentioned is when Sal is in Mr. Birkways english class. "The poem is about a newLY born horse who doesn't know anything but feels everything." (Creech 123). Later in the book Sal thinks of the poem and was able to relate to it. "The sun beating down on us, and I thought it might be nice to stay there forever with him just running his finger along my palm like that. I thought about the newLY born horse who knows nothing but feels everything." (Creech 124). Sal feels like the horse when she is around Ben. Ben is the first boy Sal has ever "liked." She knows nothing about boys but can feel the love. This poem helps the reader better understand Sals feelings towards Ben.
Reference 2
Another english lesson that comes up in the story is The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls by Henry Wadsworth Longfelllow. The first time this poem is mentioned was again in Mr. Birkways english class. "'Gentle?' I said 'Its terrifying. 'My voice was shaking. Someone was walking along the beach, and the night was getting black, and the traveler keeps looking behind him to see if someone is following, and a jing-bang wave comes up and pulls him into the sea.'" (Creech 182). A little later she starts talking about the poem in a worried way. "'The waves, with their soft white hands grab the traveler. They drown him. They kill him. He's gone.'" (Creech 182). This quote helps the reader realize the pain Sal is going through. You can feel the emotion. Using poems can help to connect the reader to the characters.