Critical+Lens

What happens when a bend in the road approaches you? Someone once said "A bend in the road is not the end of the road...unless you fail to make the turn." There is alot to be learned from this quote. It is displayed very well in The Miracle Worker by William Gibson and Night by Elie Wiesel.

In __The Miracle Worker__ by William Gibson, Helen in unable to see, hear, or speak. It causes much hardship and stress for her parents. At one point, her father wants to put her in an institution and be done with dealing with her outbreaks and misbehavior. Instead, her parents "make the turn as the bend approaches them" and find a solution. They find a teacher, Anne Sullivan, to help Helen and enable her to communicate with her family. Even though they were almost to the point of giving up, they decided to keep going and take the turn and it ended up being an amazing turn out. Instead of Helen having a miserable life, she began to reconnect with her family and the world.

This quote is displayed in __The Miracle Worker__ also when Annie Sullivan teaches Helen. There were many times were Helen showed no improvement, would continue with her atrocious behavior, not cooperate, etc. Helen's father wanted Annie to leave and just not bother trying anymore. Helen's failure to learn sign language was "a bend in the road" for Annie Sullivan- it was a difficulty that came up in life. It could have been the end of the road for her if she got discouraged and frustrated. Instead- she made the turn; she was persistent with Helen. She continued to teach Helen and tried to control her temper tantrums until she saw break through.Annie Sullivan displays that "A bend in the road is not the end of the road..unless you fail to make the turn" through her stubborn, firm, and persevering persona.

Elie in __Night__ by Elie Wiesel is a great exemplification of the quote. He was from Transylvania and was taken by the Germans to a concentration camp. He was sent from one camp to another. He was beaten, harrased, tortured, and starved for 2 years.At one point in the book, the men were forced to run many miles.They were already exhausted, in horrible physical condition, and greatly malnourished. Elie talks about how a large amount of the men would just fall to the ground because the could not run any longer. If you stopped running, you were left to die. He also describes how every step he took hurt, and every single one of the men just wanted to stop. This was one of the bends in the road for Elie. But instead of dropping to the ground to his deathbed, he took the turn. He ran until he had to. Elie is still alive today. If Elie hadn't had the courage and strength that he did, that would have literally- as the quote says- been the end of the road for him.

Elie and his father survived a considerably long time in the concentration camps. There was much suffering, torture, and pain that they endured. Many people died each day in the concentration camps. Educated physcologists will tell you that when a person faces intolerable situations, such as the brutal concentration camps, their body often times will just shut down. They shutdown emotionally, mentally, and physically. They say that that contributed to how many people died. But Elie and his father "took the turn as it approached them" so that it would NOT be the end of the road for them. If they had gotten discouraged, and did not "take the turn"- then Elie's father probably would not have lived as long as he did. And Elie Wiesel would most likely not still be alive today. He is a poerfect display of the quote.

"A bend in the road is not the end of the road...unless you fail to make the turn." This quote speaks volumes for people all around the world facing difficulities, hurts, trials, etc. I think that we should all learn from it that if we just go with the flow of life, and embrace what comes at us- we will end up making it through.