The influencers in Charlotte’s Life

Ask anyone if they have ever been influenced in their life? In the short story the metaphor by Budge Wilson. We learn about a teenage girl named Charlotte who is entranced and becomes very good at english metaphors. Her love stems from her grade 7 english teacher Ms. Hancock. Charlotte has been influenced by two main figures in her life. Her mom and Ms. Hancock.

There are many similarities between Ms. Hancock and Charlotte’s mom. Most notably is their compassion. At the moment that Charlotte comes home with news of Ms. Hancock’s death. Charlotte is distressed. Her mom is concerned. She does not like seeing her daughter in this state; “You’re disturbing the even tenor of our home”. When Ms. Hancock first heard Charlotte’s metaphor about her mother she wants to discuss it with Charlotte. Ms. Hancock wants to make Charlotte feel comfortable with her use of metaphors and to continue using metaphors; “There’s no need to feel funny about it… I don’t want to push you even a little bit”.

By spending time with Charlotte, they both know Charlotte on a great level. Charlotte in a state of anxiety and confusion, the mother is direct and straightforward to Charlotte. Asking her questions and taking the sadness out of the topic. She might not have known Charlotte as well as her mother but, Ms. Hancock knew Charlotte well. She remembers Charlotte and her great use for metaphors even after the many years that have gone by. Ms. Hancock always knew how to ask questions to Charlotte. When Miss Hancock asked serious questions to learn more about Charlotte we see that she uses a different tone; revealing in this different tone she asks Charlotte meaningful questions.

Both of Charlotte’s influencers are quite original. Charlotte’s mother is original in the sense that she always looking like she is depicted as the perfect being “dark blonde hair, her flawless figure, her smooth hands… Her hair always looked as though a hairdresser had arrived at 6 a.m”. This quote reveals that she is original because, she is differs from expectation. She wants everything neat and orderly. She is beautiful yet she has given birth. Ms. Hancock is original in her physic and her attitude. She wears colourful make up to school every day; “Miss Hancock’s clothes, which were nearly always as flamboyant as her nature… she applied make up with an excess of zeal and minimum of control. She was fond of luminous frosted lipsticks- in hot pink, or something closer to purple or magenta”. This quote reveals that Ms. Hancock does not fit into normalities of society.

In short I stated three points; how Ms. Hancock and Charlotte’s mom is compassionate, they knew Charlotte on a great level; and they were both quite original.