Response 4 Brandon McGuirk

I knew it.  As I stated before in one of my previous posts, Mattie would have to make a decision whether to stay at home with Royal or go to college in New York, I knew it all along.  Anyways, to begin our last part of A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly, Mattie receives a letter stating that she has been accepted to attend college in New York.  Wait, hold on one second, before I say anything more, yes, these last 80 or so pages are about Mattie saying goodbye to her old life and saying hello to her new one.  She even returns the ring that Royal gave her after proposing.  Anyways, instead of writing about Royal, I would like to talk about Mattie's best friend Weaver.  They have been through thick and thin together, and now, it is time for them to say there goodbyes.  As Mattie was saying her final fair well to he father, he gives her some shocking information.  "'You know about those men who beat Weaver?' 'Only that they were trappers.  And that Higby put them in jail.  Why?' 'They must've got out.  Weaver's mamma says they're the ones did this.  Killed the hinny and most every chicken she owned.  Pig got away, at least.  Ran off across the field into the woods.  Got the Loomis boys out after her.'" (350)  Weaver was an African American.  This is why some evil men beat him when he was younger.  Mattie even knew that .  But what she didn't know was that the men that had previously beaten Weaver, have gotten out of jail.  The first thing that these men did was go after Weaver's family.  They even went so far as to steal money from Weaver's mother, then burn down her house.  All of this information may be a bit harsh and come off as if Mattie would be better if she hadn't known, but her father knew that she should know this information about Weaver because after a couple of days, she will never see him again.  Anyways, moving on, Mattie finds another letter from Grace to Chester.  She decides to read it and says some interesting things after she finished.  After comprehending this, she reminds herself of Miss Wilcox and how much they have been through.  "Voice, according to Miss Wolcox, is not just the sound that comes out from your throat but the feeling that comes from your words." (361)  Mattie finally understands what this statement means.  This means that your voice is not just words spoken out, your voice is what makes you, you.  Your voice is what makes you sound like you.  Yes, this might be a bit confusing, and this is very hard to explain, but, for example, my voice is what makes me sound like Brandon McGuirk.  It what  makes Alexander Ho sound like Alexander Ho, Joshua Hess sound like Joshua Hess, and Mary O'Connor sound like Mary O'Connor.  Therefore, what Miss Wilcox is trying to say is that your voice is what makes you, sound like you.  However, to reflect on EVERYTHING that has gone on in Mattie's life, she leaves us with one thing to say: "I reach for his hand and clasp it.  He hoists me onto the 10:51 southbound.  To Utica and Herkimer.  And all points south.  To Amsterdam and Albany and beyond.  To New York City.  To my future.  My life." (380)  That's it.  Mattie decides to follow her dreams in which she had stated all the way towards the beginning of the story.  To attend college in New York.  To conclude my final response, I have decided to post a song written and sung by the band Falling In Reverse.  http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/fallinginreverse/sinkorswim.html  Yes, I do know that it may not fit many people's desire in music, but if you really listen to the lyrics, they explain how one can move on in life while leaving others behind.  If one can only have that courage to choose to "swim+" rather than "sink" than they will have that opportunity to succeed tin life and accomplish what they've stated to be their goal.