The Water is Wide and The Corridor of Shame

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Recommended: Educational equality

Education is the most valuable possession a person can have. Everyone living in the United States is entitled to an equal opportunity to go to school and to be educated. However, in the novel The Water is Wide and the documentary Corridor of Shame, the opportunity of education is not fully there for those children. Luckily, Pat Conroy was eager to teach underprivileged kids on Yamacraw Island (Daufuskie Island), and parents and teachers are trying to help children living in the rural areas off I-95 known as the “Corridor of Shame”. The novel The Water is Wide and the documentary Corridor of Shame are very similar. Through both the novel and documentary, education is being sought after no matter what the financial circumstance of the child or location may be. The Water is Wide illustrates the theme of the documentary Corridor of Shame. Education is only given those who have wealth and those living in wealthy communities. Both the children in the novel and the children in the documentary are deprived of a proper education because of their economic status and location. Everyone has the right to learn. They should not be deprived just because of where they live or how much their parents earn. “It is not a large island, nor an important one, but it represents an era and a segment of history that is rapidly dying in America (Chapter 1: Pg.4).” Yamacraw (Daufuskie) might be a small island, and the towns off I-95 may be small, but that does not mean those children are incapable of receiving the same amount of education as other children living in richer communities. The theme of the book is shown very clearly throughout the documentary. Many factors have led to students not being able to learn. Lack of money, improper learning facili... ... middle of paper ... ...an equal opportunity to learn, but there are many teachers and parents trying to get proper learning facilities and education to these students. Many similarities are shown between The Water is Wide and Corridor of Shame. Both the novel and documentary show that proper education is not provided to those who live in rural areas. According to Wistv.com, President Obama says, “The federal government should help states with capital expenses to replace badly outdated schools.” “The school itself has become a barrier to education.” If proper actions are taken forth for Daufuskie Island and the schools off I-95, more children will then have an equal opportunity to learn just like any other child has. After reading The Water is Wide and watching Corridor of Shame, I have learned that there are many similarities between the two and that everyone deserves a chance to learn.

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