Author’s Note: This is an essay defining and explaining one quote said by Mrs. Gladstone to Jenna said in the story Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer. This piece is a Text Analysis piece. The purpose is to explain the quote “It’s Harry Bender” she said firmly, choking back the tears. “He was in a car accident. Hit head-on by a drunk driver.” She shook her old head in disbelief. “My Lord, Jenna, he’s dead.” This story is about a young teenager named Jenna working at a shoe store. The owner of the shoe store, Mrs. Gladstone, asked Jenna to drive her half way across the country to Texas, for an unknown reason. Along the way they come across tough times and things they can’t control.
Have you ever thought about losing someone you love? How would you cope with all of your feelings? Would you control your feelings by crying, being cranky, or maybe just needing some alone time? In the story Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer Jenna, Mrs. Gladstone, and Alice lose somebody they all loved very much. They lost Mr. Harry Bender. He was a great man who always knew what to say. There is one quote in the story that impacted the book drastically. The quote is “It’s Harry Bender” she said firmly, chocking back the tears. “He was in a car accident. Hit head-on by a drunk driver.” She shook her old head in disbelief. “My Lord, Jenna, he’s dead.” This quote was said by Mrs. Gladstone telling Jenna about the tragic event that just happened. Their beloved Harry Bender had just died. This quote maybe self-explanatory but it is very meaningful in the adventure novel Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer.
Harry Bender was a great and down to Earth guy that everyone loved to be around. Unfortunately at 2:00 AM one morning in Texas he had a tragic accident that left every ones heart stopped and broken. Harry Bender was one of Mrs. Gladstone’s best friends and he helped her with everything from business to help with her son. Now he is gone and was to be never seen again. His amazing way to cheer people up and help them with anything that they threw at him will be missed from everyone who ever knew him. Harry Bender changed many people’s life including Jenna who met Mr. Bender a couple of days before his accident but it had seemed to Jenna that they have known each other forever. Even though Jenna didn’t know him very long she already thought on page 132 that she wished her dad was Harry Bender. Harry had such an impact on everyone’s life that he met.
Mr. Bender was a great man and he will be greatly missed by everyone who met him in this story, he always said things perfectly. When Mrs. Gladstone told Jenna about Harry's death can mean a lot of different things to different people but I think that Mrs. Gladstone said it with great passion and with just the right wording. It always seems that Mrs. Gladstone has the perfect things to say at just the right time, just like Mr. Bender. Just how she came in and said it flat out to Jenna means that she is going through something very hard. The way Mrs. Gladstone said “It’s Harry Bender” is great, besides just saying “Jenna, something happened to Harry Bender” she said it with more intensity to keep you wondering. It was said absolutely perfect. Also how she said “He was in a car accident. Hit head-on by a drunk driver.” Was also perfect because she didn’t say he was hit head on she just said “Hit- head-on by a drunk driver.” This also means she is going through something hard, at least when I am stressed out I either stutter or skip or jumble up all of my words. Mrs. Gladstone said it just like I would if I were so incredibly sad like she was, that is if I would be able to say it over all of my tears. After that she told Jenna the worst news, not just did Harry get in a car accident but he was dead. This was another perfect way of telling Jenna, “My Lord, Jenna, he’s dead.” It shows all in one sentence that she was hesitant of saying it because she added words unneeded like “My Lord”. This also tells us that Mrs. Gladstone is religious, which we haven't seen yet in the book. I have never had to tell somebody that a person close to them has died but I know if I had to I would not be as perfect as Mrs. Gladstone.
Although this quote can mean different things to different people, it still has the same significance to the book to everyone. This quote means a lot to this book, without Harry Bender Mrs. Gladstone does not have that help that is needed from him. I am not saying that Mrs. Gladstone will not be able to function without him but it will be harder because there is never going to be another guy that can help her as much as him. Harry was just an all around great guy and without him this book is going to be so different. Not just will Mrs. Gladstone miss him but everybody involved in the Gladstone Shoes business. Now that he is gone there is no one to do all of the work that he did to get the great name of Gladstone Shoes out to the public. Also the death of Mr. Bender is going to push back Mrs. Gladstone journey for a couple days because they need to arrange an unreal and after his funeral they are still going to be sad and mourning for a few days. Everybody will be affected by the death of a truly darling person.
In conclusion, Harry bender is going to be sincerely missed to many people but mostly to his family and Mrs. Gladstone. Even though this quote says everything straight out it can be very meaningful in the story Rules of the Road. Harry was a great guy that helped everyone that he was in acquaintance with. He even helped people with alcoholism; he would support them and try to make them stop drinking. Just the irony of this because Jenna's dad was an alcoholic and Mr. Bender got killed by a drunk driver has such a huge impact on the story. It will haunt Jenna later on because what if her dad wants her to get the car with him? What will happen then? Anybody should be proud to have known him. I would be so very proud if I could be as great of a person as he was. Finally the quote “He was in a car accident. Hit head-on by a drunk driver.” She shook her old head in disbelief. “My Lord, Jenna, he’s dead.” changed the book Rules of the Road drastically. It’s crazy how one death can impact as many as the death of Harry Bender.
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