The Downward Path to Wisdom was, to put it simply, a very confusing story for me to read. I am not exactly sure what message or meaning the author was hoping to pass on to the reader, but it does seem to make the reader feel much pain for little Stephen. Stephen seems to be a resilient young lad. He goes about his daily routines even though he is called dumb and is told how …showed first 75 words of 236 total…

…showed last 75 words of 236 total…the present, but it also could go back a hundred years, or possibly more. From the dialect, I assume it takes place within the last twenty years or so. Also, I doubt that parents were so cruel to there children many years ago; that is a current problem. Even though The Downward Path to Wisdom was very confusing, I still thought it was a good piece that evoked much emotion within me. crzyninja7@aol.com