The first day of anything is always going to be hard, that’s just the hard truth. In the short narrative “First Day” by Robert E. Murphy, the struggles of a first day are shown through the eyes of a medical student. Murphy used amplification, pacing, and tone to explore the struggles of a medical student first day at the clinic.
Murphy uses amplification in order to show how over enthusiastic the student is to start their first day at the medical clinic. Amplification is when sentences are enriched with excess information in order to increase the worth of the sentence. For example Murphy writes the sentences, “In the lower pocket… and a pack of peanuts.” This could’ve easily had been left out, however the use of amplification allows Murphy to portray the enthusiasm of the student to the reader. This enthusiasm is seen as preparedness and informs the reader that the medical student has come ready to succeed.
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The nurse, while talking to the student about their responsibilities, uses short sentences and lists that are straight to the point as to not waste anytime. The sentence, “They need to be signed by a doctor, flagged, and put in the rack. For x-rays, fill out a yellow slip, stamp it, and give it to me,” is a prime example of how Murphy rushes the pace of the story. By rushing the pace of the story the reader is able to feel how overwhelmed that the medical student is and get a glimpse of how difficult the first day will truly