Connecting to the Writer's Experience
Highlight details from the passage that indicate the writer’s feelings.
Three weeks later, I reluctantly boarded the bus with all the other Shenandoah-bound kids. Just before I stepped on, Margaret's mother and mine asked to take a picture of the two of us. I wanted to throw up, but smiled graciously as the camera flashed and our moms grinned.
—"I'm Not Thirteen Yet,"
Amy Bernstein
Why does the writer tell us her feelings and reactions at this point in the narrative?
She wants the reader to feel sorry for her.
She wants to show the reader how angry she was.
She wants the reader to be happy that she is going to camp.
She wants the reader to understand that she was nervous.
The details that indicate the writer's feelings in the passage are "reluctantly boarded the bus," "wanted to throw up," and "smiled graciously." These details suggest that the writer is feeling hesitant, anxious, and possibly conflicted about going to camp.
The writer tells us her feelings and reactions at this point in the narrative to convey her emotional state and provide insight into her experience. It allows the reader to empathize with her and understand the mix of emotions she is experiencing.