Week 10: Reading short story in a part named The Cop and the Anthem

The Cop and the anthem

       English is the major language using in communication one another. Population of the world has used English as Second Language or English as Foreign Language not include their first language. Everyone needs to learn several languages starting from listening skill as first because it is receptive skill. Reading also is the receptive skill same as listening. Now for Thai people, Thailand is going to be the unity into AEC (ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY), so they should improve to speak English as accuracy and fluency. Then, students should study hard coupled with reading variety of books lead to getting more experiences than ones who never read them. Average reading of people in Japan is 1,000,000 lines per years. In this section, I think Thai people especially should love to read newspaper to know what happen around the world and notice several signs such as traffic sign; “Stop” or “Safety first” using for construction. In addition, students who know limited words should begin to read short story for starter. There are different level/ stage starting from level/stage 1-6. According to introduction, I would like to present interesting short story in part named “The Cop and the Anthem.” It was story about a man who did not have own home and he needed to stay warm in winter on a special place where others never thought same as him.

           Soapy, who is homeless, wanted to stay warm in winter for three month on Blackwell Prison. He moved uneasily on his park bench I Madison Square, New York City. There were certainly three meals per days and a warm bed for every night. The previous night was so chill. He stuffed Sunday newspaper under his clothes, however; he still was so cold. He needed to go to Island (Blackwell Prison) and decided how to go there. After across the intersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue, he stood at a corner of Sixth Avenue. Soapy threw a stone attack frontal glass through a lovely display showing off anything with Christmas light.  Meanwhile, a policeman came there, Soapy still stood and smiled with a hand in his pocket. He thought that the policeman must surely arrest him. In contrast, no one thought he was a suspect. The second plan to stay on Island, he came inside the simple restaurant and ordered a large steak, pancake, doughnuts, and a piece of pie. After a meal, he did not have money for paying this meal, so the two waiters threw him out instead of calling the cop. He traveled along the street until he saw a young, pretty girl who stood in front of a show window.  A policeman leaned nearly the wall for two meters away looking at him. Soapy planned to bother her for harassment case. When he went to the young girl, she faced him and touched his coat sleeve as her friend named Mike. So, his plan was failed again. Soapy took the umbrella to be own and walked slowly away. When a man who is own umbrella saw Soapy, a man followed him. Soapy told a man that this umbrella is his. A man helped a woman who across the street in front of a truck. The last plan, he walked down the street until he stood outside the church. The officer asked Soapy what you are doing here. Soapy answered “nothing” and he was under arrested for loitering three months on Blackwell Prison.

           Conclusion, Soapy had stayed three month on Blackwell Prison because of loitering. Soapy tried to do anything mistake arrested by the policeman, but each plan has been failed. The first plan, he threw a stone attack the glass of a display. The second plan, he walked to a young girl and he thought that he would be surely arrested for harassment. However, she faced him and said with him as friend without fear. The third plan, he walked inside the restaurant and ordered lots of menu without paying for this meal, so he was threw out of there instead of calling to the policeman. The last one was not his plan, but he was arrested because of loitering. According to this essay, the end of this short story was twisted. In my opinion, I think that thought of Soapy was not bad, but it was not true. He only wanted to have three hot meals for days and sleep well on a warm bed every night. I think he could find good job more available with his ability than staying in Blackwell Prison. Do you like this short story named the Cop and the Anthem? If you were writer, what name of this short story do you like to reset? Why? If you were Soapy, do you prefer to stay warm on Prison or not? In addition, what did you do if you were Soapy?

Vocabulary	Pronunciation	Meaning
Inhabitant (n)	/ɪnˈhæbɪtənt/	ผู้อยู่อาศัย a person or an animal that lives in a particular place Ex: It is the oldest inhabitant of the village.
Ambition (n)	/æmˈbɪʃn/	ความทะเยอทะยาน the desire or determination to be successful, rich, powerful, etc Ex: His burning ambition was to study medicine.
Fabulous (adj.)	/ˈfæbjələs/	ดีเลิศ extremely good Ex: Reading short stories are fabulous ways to improve their English skills.
Revenge (n)	/rɪˈvendʒ/	การแก้แค้น something that you do in order to make somebody suffer because they have made you suffer Ex: The bombing was in revenge for the assassination.
Suspect (n)	/səˈspekt/	ผู้ต้องสงสัย to have an idea that something is probably true or likely to happen, especially something bad, but without having definite proof Ex: As I had suspected all along, he was not a real policeman.
Disgust (n)	/dɪsˈɡʌst/	ความไม่สบอารมณ์ a strong feeling of dislike or disapproval for somebody/something that you feel is unacceptable, or for something that looks, smells, etc. unpleasant Ex: Luara wrinkled her nose in disgust at the smell.

Reference:

William Sydney Porter.  "O. Henry’s short stories รวมสุดยอดเรื่องสั้นของ โอ.เฮนรี่
                     ตอน The Cop and the anthem ตำรวจและบทเพลงสรรเสริญ.  (พิมพ์ครั้งแรก), กรุงเทพฯ; ซีเอ็ด
                     ยูเคชั่น, 2554.