Page 16

By Jack Joseph Smith

16 : Geed by Michael, and be-a-good beys' Next year you will be im kindergarden; I know, I said, geting eut ef the cars Den't forget: to behave-yourself; he called, ag:I closed’ the deor-and ran up the empty stairs. I stepped atthe top of the stairs-and watched him d driveing away and then I opened the deer and walked down the long hail, that was-my room in tne be Saeiarey - We:played until mid morning and then she said, ites time fer nap childrenj I loeked up and saw her brown laced shoes; that looked like mines and then I steed up and watched her pleasant face-ceme toward meg Come en Michael, We den't want you disturbing the other childrens naps I won't Mfse Willieniss Yes, I know Michael, You may piay in the hall, until jhe ether children have cinist heir nape But why can't I stay here? I won't make any noise, Henest, M€se Williams, Ne Michaet; Now den't make me angryyK or I'll have-te punish yeu, You mean I'm not being punished, No Michael, Yeu are-enly being seperated; Wheat does that mean? I+ means spending time in the hald, while the ether boys and girls rests But I'm geving tired’ ef being alone in that big reem, I'llthear ne more ef this Michael; Now fellow mes I watched her look around at ail the toys and beys and girle, and then I let her lead ‘me~threugh the exact and unmakked door, no children’ finger paints hung-with thum tacke there; to my mysterious echo chamber, She was turning and ready to leave me, when I said, M€se- Williams; are yeu

Original Scan

Page 16

AI Interpretation

GPT

Nursery school narrows into the long hall the child calls his room, where Miss Williams separates him from the other children at nap time and leads him back into aloneness.

The hall is already turning from punishment into a claimed interior kingdom, which is why separation feels both wounding and oddly possessive. Miss Williams speaks in the language of order and behavior, while the child keeps trying to convert exile into chosen space.


Claude

Mrs. Williams separates Michael from nap time by exiling him to the long hall, which he reframes as his room in the nursery school, refusing to call it punishment even as she warns she will have to punish him.