Childhood: Memories From Deep Inside

Read this essay written by a student in E.S.L. 6A.  

Determine the organization structure. Identify 3-4 issues that should be resolved.

Childhood is our deepest memory. Everyone has a different color to describe it. In chapter of “Blood And Rice” of The Best We Could Do,  Thi Bui describes her father Bo’s childhood. Born in Vietnam during the Second World War, Bo lived in the countryside where left him many unforgettable memories. This reminds me of my childhood, and I find many similarities between my childhood and Bo’s: While we both lived in the countryside and had some of the same habits, we also had one biggest contrast: In Bo’s childhood, he experienced famine and war while I grew up with sunshine.

One of the similarities between Bo and me is that we both lived in the countryside. Bo states, “ people planted water hyacinth, water spinach, and morning glories, and stocked the pond with shrimp and fish”(96). This describes country life. In addition to farming grain, the villagers also grew many kinds of vegetables and flowers, raised poultry and lived a self-insufficient life. Bo enjoyed his life in the countryside where he learned swimming, and also he had plentiful food to eat. In my childhood, I remembered in the Spring, after finishing farming, the adults in my town organized Spring Sports. It had the tug-of –war, sprint, and the game of the hidden treasure. All the children enjoyed these activities very much, especially the treasure game. They would search in grass and bushes carefully. Laughter of men and children spread throughout the valley. The sky in the countryside was always blue, and people who lived in the countryside were very relaxed.

Another similarity of our childhood is that we had some of the same habits, such as swimming and fishing. Bo was a gifted boy, he learned how to swim by himself and fish in the pond. It was the best time of his growing up. My hometown also had a pond with fish and shrimps, which was the reason why I liked summer. In the morning, we would catch fish, later we would give the fish to our mom to make a delicious lunch. Although I was a girl, I went fishing with my brother all the time. In the afternoon, many kids would swim in the pond. The water in the pond was warm, and the tired children went to the bank to bask in the sunshine. That’s why Bo and me like the water of the countryside.

Although we have many similarities from childhood, we have one biggest contrast: Bo lived through the Vietnam War. During the war, Bo learned how to hide. Bo describes, “ Looking up through the breathing hole was the only way to tell that it was night, and the day again…before someone came back”(122). According to the novel, I know this happened when the French army occupied Vietnam, they killed a lot of Vietnamese. People were so terrified that they would hide in small spaces. I couldn’t imagine that a little boy was hiding in a dark place only by himself, where terror and hunger surrounded him. Conversely, I had a very good time in my childhood. I was born in China after reform and the opening up, which means the economic development was very fast. My parents worked hard, they supported the whole family. I was sent to school and expected to be a gifted person in the future. From my parents, I learned what is love and responsibility. In contrast to Bo, I lived in peace.

The countryside life made Bo and my childhood colorful, some of the same habits made our childhood full of happiness. However, because of the war, Bo’s childhood is turbulence; because of the social and family, my childhood is comfort. Each of us has our own childhood; maybe there are similarities and differences, just like Bo and me. Whatever happened in childhood will become the most unforgettable memory in our life, and those memories will affect our life and behavior.