Ninos By Heilman Analysis

“Ninos” is a stimulating chapter in Robert Leo Heilman’s autobiography, Overstory: Zero, and is true to its name. In “Ninos”, Robert Heilman discusses his encounters with children when he volunteers to tell stories to four and five year olds. Throughout the essay, Heilman creates a protective tone when talking about the children he volunteers with, he expresses his need to shield the children from the harsh parts of life, a feeling that carries on from the author to the reader. The author uses a persona full of loving interest to make his readers feel happy and curious when he interacts with the children. From the beginning to the end of the chapter, Heilman paints a beautiful picture in the audience’s mind. No matter what the sentence discusses, Heilman

In “Ninos”, Heilman never misses a chance to paint a picture in his audience’s head. When an audience reads a book or essay, the best way to capture the reader’s attention is to create a scene in their head, something that the author executes well. In the second paragraph of “Ninos”, Heilman creates an effortless scene of spring for his audience: “It was spring time outside. Sunlight and laughter of children at play filtered through the venetian blinds and poured in through the open door” (Heilman 185). The audience becomes instantly lost in the detail and beauty of Heilman’s writing, a quality that is essential for a well-written book and a clever author. The author continues his work and tells his audience, “I straightened up and stood for a moment, caught in the present, overcome by joy and humility, and wondrously alive again” (Heilman 185). Because of Heilman’s abundant detail, he creates an intense setting that makes his chapter easy and interesting to read. By using a balance of feeling and descriptions, Heilman’s audience can feel his delight and see the picture of him standing and feeling truly