The Better Passage

The passage “Five Minds For The Future” by Howard Gardner describes Gardner’s point of view on the human mind and human development. Gardner describes the many mindsets and the effects of those mindsets. Although the topic covered in Garnder’s passage may present beneficial information to humans, the passage “When I Was Puerto Rican” by Esmeralda Santiago presents personal events that happened during her childhood, which I believe is more intriguing and entertaining. The events play an important role in making the passage relatable to many readers and ultimately hooking the reader.

Many could argue Gardner’s passage is as relatable to the reader as Santiago’s is but I’d argue any attempt to emphasize with the reader is not Gardner’s Intent. Garnder’s passage focuses on informing the readers, which is not as attractive as an entertaining story that the readers can personally relate to. Gardner presents examples of the many different mindsets such as ” Disciplined”, “synthesizing”, “creating”, and finally “respectful and ethical.” All examples provide important information but it create a dull passage that loses my interest quickly.

Attracting the Reader’s Interest at the start of the passage is an important objective. It guarantees the reader will be more interested and read the majority of the passage. In the passage “When I Was Puerto Rican” Santiago begins talking about her first day of school and her “mami” walking her. She then describes her school as “a stone building that loomed over Graham Avenue, its concrete yard enclosed by an iron fence with spikes at the top,” resulting in the use of imagery. Santiago’s detailed memory of her school helped me imagine the event and drew a memory of me first seeing my elementary school as a giant intimidating building. The start of the passage presents an event that I and many other readers can relate to, whether it was a joyful or scary memory. Santiago presented a more entertaining passage with the use of her relatable childhood stories, making it a more favorable reading for me.