The Influences in the Life of Charlotte in the Metaphor by Budge Wilson

Individuals are constantly being impacted by important events in their lives. These events can lead to the questioning of one's identity. People make decisions about themselves based on the events that surround them. In “The Metaphor” by Budge Wilson, through the use of conflict, the author suggests that one's experiences can lead to a better understanding of individual identity. In the short story, Charlotte is initially conversational and passionate about her writing; however, due to the influence of her peers in her Grade 10 English class, she becomes judgmental and ashamed to showcase her writing with others, resulting in the passing of Miss Hancock.

When significant events occur in an individual's life, they often have some impact on the decisions they make for the future. This is what happens to Charlotte in the short story. Charlotte puts herself out there and enjoys sharing her work with others. Charlotte is debating who she would like to gain her knowledge from. Charlotte's mother is expecting her to be independent and self-sufficient. She makes her point right after Miss Hancock is killed by a school bus and Charlotte's mother does not want to help her daughter cope with her death. She suggests “it time she learned how to cope” instead of acting like a “hysterical child.” Instead of helping her daughter with very upsetting topics in one's life, she would rather let her figure it out on her own, unlike Miss Hancock. She is more helpful when someone needs help with something. Miss Hancock would start “inspecting notebooks, making suggestions, dispensing eager praise” to help her students improve. She creates a safe place for the students to feel welcome and comfortable. She genuinely cares for her students which is displayed in the quote, “if you ever need any help-with your writing, or, well, with any other kind of problem just let me know.” Miss Hancock is willing to spend time with her students to make sure everything is alright in their life.  Charlotte loves to write metaphors about people because it helps her express herself without the judgment from her mother. There are many events that take place in Charlotte's life that helped her figure out her identity. The main event that was brought upon Charlotte is the death of her Grade 7 and Grade 10 English teacher, Miss Hancock. As Charlotte proceeded to the 10th grade, she chose to act like her mother. She decided to side with her peers and mother and decided to hide behind her duo tang folder instead of allowing Miss Hancock to recognize her. Charlotte thought she was acting the proper way. She did not want the rest of society to know that she knew Miss Hancock, an individual who was different than most adults. When Miss Hancock dies, Charlotte regrets acting like her mother. She felt guilty for figuratively killing Miss Hancock. She convinced herself that she should have “said something” or “smiled at her” just to express that she cared. This event makes her rethink her way of living. She does not want to act like her mother due to the fact that it may have caused the death in the first place. Charlotte's conflict with herself makes it hard for her to choose the right path. She could go toward her mothers path to satisfy her or she could lean toward the path she is meant for. This is the decision she has to make after the loss of her teacher. She can choose to fulfill Miss Hancocks lessons on being true to yourself or she can take the path that may hurt some people on the way.