Rotondaro Back Road Analysis

There are many similarities and differences between the “Back Roads” by Vinnie Rotondaro and “A Winter’s Drive” by ReadWorks. Some similarities between the two stories are how they both have a similar theme about life and put a lot of meaning to a simple drive. One difference between the two stories is how they both have a different mood, like how in the “Back Roads” the mood stays the same, while the mood in “A Winter’s Drive” changes in the story in order to create the theme.

First the theme between “Back Roads” and “A Winter’s Drive” are very similar because they both have to deal with parts of a person’s life. The theme of the “Back Roads” is to slow down and take it easy, to enjoy life and not to rush it. The author shows you this when

For example in the “Back Road” the meaning of the drive is to take it easy, and slow down so you can enjoy and experience things in life. The author tells you this when he says, “ Sam hated rushing things and insisted they take the back road… This was a decidedly relaxed ride… That’s why these back roads are so great, Sam said. You get to see all these things.” This shows the theme because when the author talks about how Sam hates rushing things and wanted to take the back road, he is trying to send a message on how we should slow down and take it easy so you can experience stuff. The author is telling us that we should slow things down when throughout the story Joe and Sam talk about how the ride is relaxing or in the beginning how Sam wanted to take the backroad so that they aren't rushing things. Also when was talking about how he enjoyed the backroad because they get to see all kinds of things it's the author trying to tell us that instead of trying to take shortcuts in life, you should slow down so you can take in what's around you so you can enjoy and remember the cool and interesting things you see. While the meaning of the drive in “A Winter’s Drive” changed throughout the story, at first there was a dark, negative and nerve wracking feeling and in the end the drive was about closure and moving forward. For example when the author said, “ It was raining ice. He flinched every time a hard pellet hit his windshield, threatening to crack it… He Wondered how many of them would have strike the same spot to bore a hole in the glass… How long since he had an unexpired passport?... What would he tell her? Michael realized that he had rented a car, packed a day’s worth of clothes, picked up a lunch, spent countless hours reviewing what he would do when he arrived in Canada, but he hadn’t for one second thought about what he might tell the border