An American Childhood Vs. Salvation

The thing I liked the most about An American Childhood was that it was exhilarating. I felt like I was there. It was as if I running right beside her. I could feel the cold, sharp winter air in my lungs and cut through my throat. I was feeling the exhaustion and adrenaline that came with the chase and sensed the disappointment when the glory faded and the stranger only chastised them. I also connected with the idea that we see strangers as heroes. I feel like there are moments in our childhood when complete strangers do something that forever idolizes them. They become the hero/heroine of some part of our childhood. All in all, I enjoyed this excerpt.

I thought there was some prominent variations between An American Childhood and Salvation. The most substantial difference is the tone and mood of the stories. On one hand we have the author as a small girl who sees this stranger as a hero, an idol almost, for he does not give up. The man "threw himself at the back of their knees". Then we see the mood and tone with the little boy. To be frank, it is depressing. He is disappointed in himself for not seeing Jesus. And not only is he disappointed, but then he feels guilty because he "lied" about hearing Jesus call the little boy to him. It was heart-wrenching because he was so upset about something that he had no control over. However, they were both major events in both authors' lives. There were definitely similarities and differences between the two excerpts. Both stories were powerful, but my favorite was An American Childhood, hands down. It was my favorite because it was a happier story and I liked the outcome better.