The forth chapter of Back to the Lake provides information on what entails a good narrative. A narrative is a form of writing that allows a personal touch. It is a form of storytelling. Narratives contain events and are used for many reasons. They can connect to audiences, entertain readers, record experiences, explain certain topics, persuade people and more. There are numerous branches of narratives. One branch is autobiography. In the book one example of an autobiography is given. It is one of Benjamin Franklin’s writings. In his work he provides personal anecdotes. Narratives can also involve success stories. A good narrative contains before and after points, cause and effect, a climax, follows sequential order, has a plot, has a purpose, addresses an audience, uses transitions, has an argument, demonstrates a point, uses proper grammatical structure and punctuation. They can have dialogue, and be written from the first or third person. 

     Lynda Barry captivates her audience with her relatable narrative “The Sanctuary of School”. The story flows so well because it is entertaining and fast paced. I liked that Barry follows chronological order and provides details within the text. She consistently refers to her feelings, which allows me as the reader to sympathize with her. I understand why school served as her sanctuary because she always felt unnoticed at home. Her desperation and sadness can be sensed through her underlying messages within her sentences. You could see how “ in an overcrowded and unhappy home, it’s easy for any child to slip away” (85). I can relate to her because at times when I’m sad I can find solace in doing an activity I enjoy in a place that I love. For me one escape would be when I would leave home and walk to the bookstore and stay there reading in between the isles for hours. I understand why Barry felt safe at school. She would be noticed by Mr. Cunningham and Ms. Claire LeSane, as oppose to being neglected. When she would draw something it would give her recognition as oppose to being dismissed. I also enjoyed her flash-forward. “It’s only thinking about it now, 28 years later, that I realize I was crying from relief” (85). This sentence allows readers to understand how she currently interprets her emotions. I understood her sadness when she spoke about the funding being cut for after school programming, because children like her would then be in danger of taking care of themselves or “slipping through the cracks”. One thing I did not enjoy in the text was the closing. I think Barry should have closed in a more personal way, as oppose to questioning if the country will help the other children in the nation by pledging back.

     You can see Barry’s argument on the nation’s involvement in public schools by the way she integrates in into her text. She does not approve of budget cuts. “Before- and after- school programs are cut and we are told that public schools are not made for baby-sitting children”, says Barry (58). I can see where Barry’s argument is coming from. Children do not always have the choice to live the life they live. They do not select their families or economic status. Our nation should care about them because they help mold our future. It should not cut funding, and then expect them to fend for themselves. Barry understands the pain of these children and neglect because she has lived through it herself so she is the perfect advocate.

     Detail is another important feature of the narrative. It allows Barry to create the setting. She describes her room, her home, her classroom, and the exterior of the school. Her home is described negatively because it is what she wants to escape, while the school is described positively because it is her sanctuary. Her room is almost something foreign because she was used to it being something she would be “giving up”. Once she would see the edge of her school she would feel a burden lifted off of her.  The school “had the most beautiful view of the Cascade Mountains”. Barry’s feelings would correlate with how she would describe something. All the techniques that Barry incorporates within her narrative are what make it a powerful and intriguing piece.