Berlin Wall Piece :: Sam Shepard

A Piece of History A seventh grader asks his dad about the eighties. Unfortunately his dad can't remember anything about the eighties;and the older sister helps him remember the past. â€Å"Berlin Wall Piece,† by Sam Shepard is a story where a small piece of concrete helps a crazy father remember his modern history. A theme for the story would be: how a small piece of history can bring back so many old memories and controversies. When the story first opens up, a seventh grader is interviewing his father for his social studies class. The father is being questioned by his own son or daughter. The story does not reveal the sex of the youngest child. The father is unaware of the past; he can't remember absolutely nothing. The youngest child is confused, and cannot understand why his father can't help him. The father explains to the child that there was nothing important going in the eighties. The most important and significant thing for his father was the birth of his two children and his wife. The rest of it was lies, trash, and insignificant things the world had offered him. The truth was that nothing more matter to him than his children and wife. He had everything in the world he could ever wish for. The young child could not understand his fathers intentions to his answers. It was all a big mystery. During the story his father tries to remember the moments he lived in the eighties; but nothing came to mind. It was like if he was never born. He knew nothing, everything was erased from his mind. Thankfully the oldest child knew much more than the father did. She could remember everything, she had an incredible memory. She helped out her younger sibling by telling her stories of the eighties. She knew a lot. She was a very smart girl who was just a year or so older than the younger child. She also knew political stuff that happened during the eighties. Like when she got a piece of the Berlin Wall that was destroyed back in the eighties. The younger child did not believe this was true. On the other hand the father was unaware of this. He was confused, he couldn't remember when his own child had visited the Berlin Wall. The older sister was amazed by his father's poor memory. She brought down a piece of the Berlin Wall from her bedroom.