JOHN MCNEELY The story of John Mcneely presents the issue of dishonour and how cowardness leads to one's downfall. John's dishonour in failing to serve his country in a time of war was the main catalyst of his downfall. This is demonstrated by Masters when he states “John fled the country in disgrace”. This could be seen as allegory for desertion and the pain that unpatriotic behaviour can cause. This also connects to the reason I decided to respond to John out of all the characters in Washington Mcneely. This is because his fate led to the end of his story with him dying under a tree with no honour. Both Masters’ and I exhibit John's dishonour while my example is clearer. Masters also states: “They were strong children, promising as apples- Before the bitten places show”. My poem also states “I wished for more and got less”. Both of these lines reference that John, just like the other people in the poem, thirsts for more from life. Masters uses this metaphor to show how all of Washington Mcneely’s children have underlying issues. John’s issues were never clearly explained thereby creating endless endings to his unfinished poem. I extend this thought and in my poem, I make John confront his identity as a deserter in war and the price he has paid as a result of his choices just before he dies. …show more content…
I thoughtfully enjoyed the refreshing challenge and found it increased my overall vocabulary. However, writing the poem was a difficult yet fun chapter of this assignment. I enjoyed making connections and drawing a conclusion to the unanswered question of “ What happened to John Mcneely?”. Personally, I think he died lonely and full of regrets for the choices that he made. This made John's story more interesting to me than the other