Split Cherry Tree by Jesse Stuart

Introduction

"Split Cherry Tree" is about a boy named Dave who has to stay after school for a few days to pay off a debt for climbing, and subsequently breaking, a cherry tree. He is concerned that his father will not understand and will be quite upset considering that Dave has to work on his father's farm after school and will be late to do his chores. Dave's assumptions are correct, and his father marches off to the school to straighten things out. At the surface, there's a message about teachers, and parents needing a better understanding of one another, but I do not think Stuart delved too deeply under the surface and the quick changes of hearts seem simplistic at best. At least the contrast in characters was interesting.Thesis StatementOpen communication can explain differences and mediate resolutions.Analysis

“The Split Cherry Tree” by Jesse Stuart revolves around a split cherry tree. Dave, a high-school student who lives in the hills, broke a tree with his friends and now must work after school to pay for it. This causes him to be late for his farm work and incites his father to pay a visit to school, with his gun. The story introduces conflicts between the rich and the poor as well as the educated and uneducated as Dave's father confront the schoolteacher. The eventual lesson of the story is not one that asserts the supremacy of any of these groups, nor Dave, the boy who is trying to navigate between them. Rather, “The Split Cherry Tree” shows how open communication can explain differences and mediate resolutions (Stuart, 1-10).

The central conflict of the story arises, because Dave does not have the money to pay for the tree that he and his friends broke while trying to catch a lizard for class. His father, Luster, work all day, and he cannot do the evening work all on his own. Mr. Herbert, the schoolteacher, did not know about life in the hills, where Dave and his family lived. He did not know the way the hill boys had to work so that they could go to school, and Luster determined to make Herbert understand; with the gun that has always been a friend to him when he goes to settle disputes (Stuart, 11-15).

The presence of Luster's gun adds tension to the scene as he enters into an argument with Professor Herbert over the nature of education. What he does understand, is ...