Reading Log #3

Title: Exam Failure Praying

Author: Albert Wendt

Text Type: Short Story

Date Finished: 23/06/17

This short text is about a boy born and raised in Samoa. He has been brought up in a very religious family. Growing up and going to school he had always prayed before doing any type of exam and asks for courage and strength to do well. But he failed one important exam that he did and is afraid of telling his father the result he got for his exam. As he is the oldest child;  he has the pressure of doing well and setting a good example for his younger siblings. The writer explains how his father spent most of his life and money trying to get him through school but here he is failing. His father has high expectations of him, wanting him to become a government scholarship student and go to New Zealand and become a lawyer. But seeing as those he’s failing everything;  he tends to be real harsh on himself and talks about drinking poison and hanging himself. But instead he prays to God and asks him to give his father forgiveness for when it comes to the time where he explains to his father he’s yet another exam.

I was able to relate to the writer in a way where growing up in a polynesian household isn’t that easy. It doesn’t matter what age you are, if you're the oldest or the youngest in the family, there is always pressure on your shoulders when it comes to doing well in school. In the text the writer explains how he prays before taking an exam and hopes that he does well but not doesn’t always do as well as he thought he would. This is very relatable because I know a lot of pasifika students who tend to stress out about exams or assessments and do all the best that they can with studying a lot but not always getting the result they’ve wanted at times. My parents, when I was younger told me that it was important to do well in school so I was able to get a good future. I always wondered why this was and as I got older I started to figure out why my parents wanted me and my siblings to do well; it was because they didn’t want us to end up in working conditions like them. So in my opinion I reckon that the writer is feeling pressured because his parents want him to do well in school so he has a good future. In the text it states “My father he want me for to be a government scholarship student and go to New Zealand and become a lawyer.” This gave me a better understanding of why he worked so hard in school to pass his exams. His father didn’t want him to go down the path they went through having a low income job. They wanted him to be successful and get a high income job so he doesn’t have to go through the struggles of having a minimum of job choices to choose from and be able to earn good pay to look after his family.

This is relevant to my life because I have parents that expect big from me when it comes to school. They expect me to behave and do well in my classes so when I leave school I can be successful in what I aspire to be. I tend to pray in times of need when I struggle during school as I am being brought up in a religious family. Most times I’ve been happy with the result of my test and assessments. So I’m able to relate to the writer in a way where praying is the only hope in most situations and I think it’s important to let God help through those times. Just like the bible verse Philippians 4:13 “ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.