I can't help but to think that the kids in this story are like many of us in ways. By this I mean that sometimes when we see people in danger there is something in us that makes us a bit selfish. Instead of getting that person the help they truly need, we selfishly do nothing to actually help and kind of get amusement from it. I use the word amusement because in the story it would say how one kid "never went very close to the lip of the well, or I only came up on my hands and knees, so that he couldn't see me; and just as we wouldn't allow him to see us, I know that none of us ever saw the man in the well- the well was too dark for that, too deep, even when the sun was high up, angling light down the stone sides like golden hair." (lines 9-13) This quote from the story goes to show that they didn't want the man to see their faces but at the same time they had questions for him. At the man's expense they tired to get some information from him without fully reaching into the well so that by chance he could see them.
Another thing about this story that struck me to be odd and somewhat familiar is the fact that despite not going to get the help the man needed such as that ladder or some type of other adult, they brought him food and water. I found this to be strange because to me I would have personally found it to be easier to get help from another person and not just food and water. Food and water can last some time but in the end the man would still be sitting in the well. In society today there are people like this, they try to help without really helping. By that I mean that they would rather not get in trouble (in my opinion) with others because it might be frowned upon. For instance, maybe the well was a place the parents did not want the kids to hang out at. The fear of them getting caught to them was much greater and they figured by giving him necessary essentials he would somehow be okay.
This story made me realize that if you don't have the will power inside you to help then it's going to waste. I personally think this because the kids if they really wanted to could have managed to find an adult who would have been more than willing to help the man out of the well. I feel like the kids feel obligated by the influence of their friends and especially, Aaron, the oldest of them all to ignore getting the help. The kids were too worried about how they would look in their friends eyes. That was noticeable after the girl, Wendy, spoke out and gave up Aaron's name. The next day after that happened the man in the well used that against by stating, " Wendy. Are they coming now? Is Aaron's dad coming now?" Wendy had been nervous previously because she knew that in her friend's eyes she had messed up and didn't want to fess up to it. In a way her morals were affected due to the simple fact that even after mentioning the dad she still did nothing to help. It could also tie into karma coming back for her.
All in All this story opened my eyes and showed me that cruelty like this does not just exist in books, it happens in real-life too! I was very shocked at the kids for their lack of respect for him. Hopefully next time we encounter a problem like this we won't be so quick to ignore that someone truly needs help and that we actually get them proper help without our friends and their influence on us get in the way.
-Desiree'
I agree with this point of view. I feel as though most of us assume other people will help someone. We are a modern world of bystanders. Someday though, one of us is going to have to stand up and help that person in danger. Someone needs to make that first step.
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