Who Is Charlotte In The Metaphor By Budge Wilson

Whether it’s positive or negative, parents and teachers impact everyone’s lives in some way. “The Metaphor” by Budge Wilson is a short story told from the point of view of a gifted young girl named Charlotte. In the seventh grade Charlotte had an English teacher named Miss Hancock. While Charlotte’s mother disapproved of Miss Hancock, Charlotte loved her. Perhaps the reason Charlotte’s mother disliked Miss Hancock so much is because they are so different. Every morning Miss Hancock is happy and excited to see her students, while Charlotte's mother acts rather indifferently towards her own daughter. Charlotte’s mother feels very little sympathy for others, but Miss Hancock cares about each and every one of her students. Miss Hancock encourages

It’s rare to find a teacher who is so invested and enthusiastic towards her students. But we can’t have one without the other. While Miss Hancock is a rarity so is Charlotte’s mother. It’s uncommon to find a woman who is so disinterested in her own daughter. It was clear from the first sentence Miss Hancock spoke that she is passionate about what she does. Miss Hancock is able to captivate the seventh grade class with her excitement. She is “[l]ike a heavy bird, she flutter[s] and flit[s] from desk to desk, inspecting notebooks, making suggestions, dispensing eager praise” (215). But while Miss Hancock flutters and hands out praise, Charlotte’s mother is distant and uninvolved. She is almost never home and takes almost no interest in her daughter except to tell her not to leave the tub dirty. Miss Hancock is devoted to her students, she teaches them with joy. In contrast, Charlotte’s mother knows very little about Charlotte and seems to prefer it that way. There is a very distinct difference between how Charlotte feels about her mother and how she feels about Miss

Charlotte’s mother is unsympathetic unlike Miss Hancock who is tender and compassionate by nature. When Miss Hancock passed away, Charlotte’s mother’s response to her daughter’s grief was, “If you would examine this whole, perfectly natural situation with a modicum of rationality, you would see that she got exactly what she deserved” (232). Charlotte’s mother cares more about the “even tenor” of her home than she does her daughter’s grief. Looking at this response in comparison to Miss Hancock’s response to Charlotte’s worrying writing assignment really showcases the differences between the two women. When Charlotte writes a metaphor comparing her mother to a cold, concrete building Miss Hancock takes Charlotte aside and asks her about it. The way Miss Hancock asks Charlotte about the metaphor is the revealing part. She asks Charlotte very thoughtfully about it, being careful not to make her feel bad or uncomfortable, showing that she cares by saying, “ ‘And there’s no need to feel funny about it. I don’t want to push you even a little bit, but are you sure you don’t want to discuss it?’ I could tell that she was feeling concerned and kind, not nosy” (220). The difference between Miss Hancock and Charlotte's mother is made glaringly obvious when the two are compared. Miss Hancock approaches others with warmth and kindness, while Charlotte’s mother is cold and