ENGLISH 12
This is a superb paper – a high six. Vocabulary and syntax are very sophisticated; mechanics are virtually flawless. The content reflects subtle insight and a wide perspective on the ideas the story presents. The reader is consistently engaged and convinced by the writer’s argument.
It can hardly be regarded as strange that a person displaced from his or her culture would eventually seek a way to relive the past. Mr. Luria of Miriam Waddington’s “The Halloween Party” begins this inevitable journey when he purchases a farm so that he will be able to get himself and his family out of the city. He is concerned with both his culture and his children, and with the weakening of the link between them. Although seemingly harsh at times, he means well and is only trying to act for the best interests of his family.
The first insight into Mr. Luria’s character may be found through his past. As an immigrant from Russia, he most likely came to Canada to seek a better life and to be able to practice his religion with more freedom. Still, even his family can notice that “he searched without knowing it for landscapes that were like his old time” and Mrs. MacNeil remarks knowingly, even without meeting Mr Luria, that “we’re always scheming to get back.” Preserving his culture has always been a key goal in Mr. Luria’s life, and his dreams have been filled with building “an ideal [Jewish] farm community” with his family at the center of this settlement. He is not a greedy or selfish man, instead choosing to focus on bettering the life of his family and those around them, and insuring that they are content and pleased.
However, his views sometimes come into conflict with those of his children, who were born in Canada and do not quite understand his convictions with preserving their culture. Because this is “the one thing he had lived for all his life,” he sees the children’s wish to attend the Halloween party as the beginning of the erosion of their culture. His remark that “in this country it is easy to forget” and the regretful manner in which he begins his conversation with Dan shows that while he dislikes making his children unhappy, he fears what will become of them if they forsake their culture and religion. His ability to be convinced that he may be reading too much into the situation shows his open-mindedness and friendly character. Although still concerned with the welfare of his children, he is willing to adapt his views to prevent their minds from being filled with “childish grief.”
Throughout “The Halloween Party,” Mr. Luria is forced to come to terms with the state of his culture and with his children’s views towards his culture. His strength of character and kind heart are apparent as he accepts a change in his views. While he will never lose sight of the family and culture that are so close to him, he will continue to discover their place in his new home as he gains more insight into the thoughts of his children. The coupling of his flexibility and strength of views are what will allow him to thrive and flourish.