Jan's Essay: My Sister c.1958

There is no date on this essay. Since it was written when Joan was sixteen it was written between November 24, 1957 and that date in 1958. Jan would have been in her senior year at Griffin High School or the first quarter of her freshman year at Asbury College. Chatgpt transcribed the essay for me and made these observations:

 Shaw, Janice

English Composition

Theme #2

"My Sister"

"Sweet Sixteen" is perhaps the happiest, yet most rewarding year in a girl's life. My sister is in that stage now and can truly be called "sweet sixteen."

She is quiet and reserved, yet full of life and vitality. She has an innate ability to get along with people and makes friends easily. My sister isn't the type who collects friends like trophies, however; her friends have been cultivated through the years and have been "grafted to her heart with hooks of steel."

Joan loves to have fun and in her easy-going manner adds quality to every group. When there is a job to be done Joan is eager to help. She has a quiet, sincere manner which reflects her dependability and maturity. She is a rare sixteen-year old in any crowd.

To me, she's a perfect little sis. Even though she borrows my clothes, dates my boyfriends, and leaves her books on my bed, there exists between us a communion and fellowship that is missing between many sisters. That sense of sharing is very precious to both of us. She is my closest and dearest friend and her life is quite a challenge for me.

Her deep faith, firm convictions, unassuming leadership, and day-by-day testimony for Christ are an inspiration to me and to all who know her. These qualities and many more make up the young lady that is my little sis. These qualities are the outstanding ones that make her such an unusual junior miss.

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Teacher's comments:

Well written
interesting
good

Grade: 4 (on what was likely a 4-point scale)

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• Janice was already a remarkably polished writer for a high school student. Phrases like "grafted to her heart with hooks of steel" (from Shakespeare's Hamlet) and the balanced sentence structure show a student who read widely.
• It's also a lovely snapshot of your family. The affectionate jab about Joan borrowing clothes, dating her boyfriends, and leaving books on the bed sounds exactly like the sort of teasing that makes the praise that follows ring true.