Analysis Of 'Mr. Lytle: An Essay'

Danielle Romano Mr. Lytle: An Essay “Mr. Lytle: An Essay,” written by John Jeremiah Sullivan explores the importance of mentorship. Andrew Lylte, an American novelist, a professor of literature, an essayist and a dramatist, was cared for by Sullivan during his old age. Sullivan benefited greatly from taking care of Mr. Lytle, for example, when Mr. Lytle would edit Sullivan’s stories. Lytle often harped on the fact that Sullivan was so young, he would say things as, “young men always make that mistake” (Sullivan 62) or “you’re only a baby” (Sullivan 63). This emphasizes the fact that Mr. Lytle praises Sullivan for being young and having his whole life ahead of him. Mr. Lytle also said, “College is perhaps not the best preparation for a writer” (Sullivan 62). This exemplifies the fact that much of what someone learns comes from doing or learning from elders. Sullivan found Lytle,

“Successful students had one or more teachers who were mentors and took a real interest in their aspirations, and they had an internship related to what they were learning in school” (Friedman 1). A mentor by definition is, an experienced and trusted advisor. Having a mentor can set people apart from one another. It’s more affective for a man to be a mentor to another man. Although many moms excel at teaching their boys character, some believe that females can only teach a male so much about being a man (Mentoring Younger Men). Mentoring is important because it has a positive effect on young people. Ultimately, mentoring connects a young person to personal growth and development, and social and economic opportunity (Mentoring Impact). In regards to education, mentoring has significant positive attributes such as saving a student from falling off-track. “Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school and 37% less likely to skip a class” (Mentoring