There were so many sentences and quotes that stood out to me in these last two chapters that it was hard for me to just pick one... so I'm going to mention two.
"During the entire period of my banishment and trial, I wanted to tell Piedmont and Bennington that what was happening between us was not confined to Beaufort, South Carolina." This was mentioned in the chatper where Conroy was undergoing the trial. It really angered me to see that this was how his end on the island was going to be. From the outside, it may not look like he did much for the students on Yamacraw island, but for anyone that reads this book it is clear to see that Conroy devoted those 2 years to teaching the children the basic necessities of life on the island. If it had not been for him, none of them would have known about trick or treating, been to the other side of the island, and they certainly would not have ever seen Washington, DC. I commend Conroy very much for doing all that he did for those students. I would like to think that I would have done the same thing if I had been placed in that situation. The other quote that was my favorite from these last two chapters was the final sentence in the book; "For them I leave a single prayer: that the river is good to them in the crossing."
I feel that this so eloquently sums up Conroy's feelings for the children and families that he encountered while teaching on Yamacraw. It was so hard for him to leave them, and by the detail of his writing you could feel his heart breaking because of it. But he had to, and this was the prayer he left them with.
For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. It saddens me to think of the actual island on which Conroy has turned into Yamacraw for the purpose of this book. Especially since not many things have changed there over the years. Teachers should read this book to have an example of what to do in certain situations. I feel that Conroy is a hero of sorts because of the time that he spent teaching the children on Yamacraw island.
I also really enjoyed reading this book. Conroy was a great teacher for those children to have. Not only did he teach them academics, but he also taught them about life. He showed them what was on the other side of their all too familiar world. He showed them what else life had to offer. In my opinion, that was one of the most important lessons that the children could have learned. Conroy showed the children what kind of experiences life had to offer, and how they could be a part of them. To Conroy, teaching was not just his job. Teaching was his life for that short amount of time. He put everything he had into providing the best education he could for those children. We all really need to strive to put as much heart and soul into our teaching as Conroy did.
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