Compare and contrast- Mitchel

So today, I will comparing "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid and "The only rule that counts" by John Long. Kincaid's "Girl" is about this girl who is constantly being told how and what to do with her life. Long's "The only rule that counts" is about a man who lives life the way he wants and how he regrets not reaching out to his friend, Jeff. The common theme I see between these two stories is life and how you should live it. Life is a gift to us and thus allows us to do with it however we want. So when we see people telling other people how to live their life or etc... It's upsetting because that person is turning another person's life into their own. They can't seem to focus on their own life because they believe others aren't living their lives the right way or they aren't happy with their own lives. The technique between these two are very different. Kincaid's "Girl" is never ending. It's just one long sentence that keeps going and never ends. But "The only rule that counts" starts off as any other writing then drifts off to letter format. "It only took a minute to find a web site listing the victims of 9/11, and Jeff was on that list. In a matter of days after Jeff sent me his letter, a million tons of rubble covered a lot of issues that will forever remain unfinished." To me, this quote hit me the hardest in "The only rule that counts". Because it's one thing to never reach out to someone ever, but it's something different when you find out that an old friend of yours that you haven't seen in years had died. It's this feeling of emptiness and not being able to do the things you wanted. It's sad but crazy and also mind-blowing. "But what if the baker won"t let me feel the bread?; you mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won't let near the bread?" This quote kinda shocked me and made me think about things I don't give much thought to. To me, if you aren't the kind of person who can trust or relax around others then you need to stop and think about what you are doing right now in your life.