pp. 1-16 Summary and Analysis

The book opens with the story of Laura who is a student at UCLA. Born in Mexico, she came to the United States at the age of six. This is her fifth attempt at the remedial English class. She feels she is a poor writer and clenches when she has to write.

The author sits in on various classes and watches the classroom activity. Some students relate; others don't. He sits outside and talks to some of the students, including Bobby, and finds they are having problems. Some feel that they don't belong at UCLA even though they excelled during high school These students are why many universities instituted a back-to-basics program that emphasized grammar, spelling and usage. These complaints of college academics aren't new - they date back to the middle of the nineteenth century.

The University of...