In the short story “Sunflowers” ​​by Sam Roddan, the narrator explores how two people in a similar position can have opposing values. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayTwo teachers, Mr. Duncan and Mr. Small, have contrasting views on life. Throughout the story, symbols represent the personality traits of Mr. Duncan and Mr. Small. Mr. Duncan is empathetic, accessible and always listens to his students. However, Mr. Small is far too busy with his own affairs to take another step in getting to know his students. He is difficult to talk to and is unable to listen fully when a student has concerns. These two personalities are noticed by the students and shown in their attitude towards their situation. The first symbol is the shingles on the roof of the old school. When the school was new, the shingles never blew off. Mr. Duncan was the principal and the students were happy. As the years passed, Mr. Duncan grew older, and so did the shingles. The shingles are a symbol for Mr. Duncan. Even though they flew away every winter, he kept a positive attitude and joked about them with his students. The narrator also showed his philosophical outlook on life when talking about shingles. Mr. Duncan always told the boys to work hard to succeed and to stay focused because "it's not what goes out the window that matters, it's what sticks in your head that matters." When the school was torn down and the shingles were gone, Mr. Duncan noted that the school "had a good foundation." He wanted the best for his students, and that meant providing them with a good foundation in life. The second symbol explored is the flagpole. The flagpole is significant before and after Mr. Duncan's death. He and Mr. Small had their own ideas about it, both different. Mr. Duncan always told the boys that they had to do their best to stay "alive and keep the old flag flying." However, Mr. Small did not like to discuss the flagpole. He took the boys' feelings into account when they asked Mr Small to lower the flag for Mr Duncan. This shows Mr. Small's insensitivity and inability to take his students seriously. The last symbol is sunflowers. Throughout all the years Mr. Duncan had been principal, he would slip the boys "a handful of sunflower seeds to chew on while he" gave them one of his pep talks. The boys enjoyed this tradition, saying that "after one of these you really wanted to take a deep breath and start the old chest expansion again." “After he died, they didn't have any more pep talks. Neither from Mr. Duncan nor from Mr. Small. What the boys did have though were sunflowers. Spreading sunflower seeds "around the schoolyard fence", under the windows, in Snub Coopers garden and of course under the flag pole. Even though Mr. Duncan was gone, the boys still remembered him through the sunflowers that brightened their town. They would remember his pep talks, his shingles, and his philosophy of life every day as they entered the new school. Despite their differences between Mr. Duncan and Mr. Small, the boys had learned to adapt, to be respectful and knew that they were "here to be men", or more accurately, gentlemen. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. a custom article now from our expert writers.Get a custom essayUltimately, the lessons Mr. Duncan taught had a significant impact on his students, and his connection with the..