The First Day by Edward P. Jones Summary

Told from the perspective of a woman looking back on her childhood, The First Day is the story of her first day of school. Her mother, an uneducated but well-meaning woman, takes her to a particular school before being told that she is in the wrong school district. They then go to the proper school, where the girl is correctly registered to attend. However, her mother cannot fill out any of the necessary forms as she is illiterate and a teacher has to help her. At the end of the story, the mother leaves the daughter at school, obviously sad that her daughter is embarking on a new world that excludes her.

The First Day by Edward P. Jones Analysis

The First Day is a story about growing up. The narrator...