Jump Puddles- Allan Marshall

This story is the autobiography of the author Allan marshal. In the story writer talks about his own childhood, as a handicapped child. But while going through the plot of the story it is clear that the child is not by birth handicapped, but may at some stage of his childhood his caught by a disability in leg. Well according to the history of the Allan marshal from the age of 6 he was suffering from polio. The story talks about the struggle and obstacle come in the child way when he decided to ride the horse. The story includes strong characters  whether it is the boy, his father, bob, his mother. Every character in the story has strong part, even if the story focused more on the boy and the horse but the influence which boy has because of his father declaration that " you wanted to ride like me but you can't". This influence can't be replaced by anything and also his friend bob, for the boy it won't be possible to learn the ride unless that "drinking work" is  accepted by the bob. So, every character in the story played an important part.

The setting which is shown in the story look like the rural setting with field, grasses, ponds etc.  And also could be the place where horse riding is in culture, because the boy wasn't the only one who like to ride the horse but there were other children also who like riding and also boy's father was a rider. The story doesn't shows the change in the setting, it remains the same, the same school, same place where boy take's starlight for drinking and boy's house. The story keep revolving around these setting only one once in the story the boy talk about a new road with a lot of  fences. The story is optimistic in nature the way the boy managed to ride the horse even with lots of struggle and obstacle, and the kind motivation which he had to show his father that he could also ride like him couldn't be possible unless and until he believe in himself. And that is the theme of the story that is one's believe in their abilities.

 In this story one can look at it from the angle of  genetic criticism as the story reflects the author life during the childhood period.  And also give the reasons behind the authors motivation to write the story and also the sociocultural criticism, form the plot of the story it is clear that horse riding is an important part of the boy's culture and everyone in the society and also boy's family gives an important value to it.

As the reader of this story in starting it was hard to understand the text as the text used a no. of vocabulary and terminology related to the horse riding. And the techniques which were explained by the author to make himself comfortable while riding the horse is something which is hard for us to imagine. And even the group have agreed that the story is different from our socio-cultural life. And it is also difficult to imagine in our society a child being so passionate about the horse riding that he was hurting himself in order to prove his father that he can still ride.  As a conclusion point, the autobiography is not only showing one's struggle to get back his skill of horse riding but might be one's struggle in order to become the part of the society in which he is leaving. The boy struggle and fight with all the obstacle in his path, in order to show his father and everyone else that he can also be regarded as a " good rider"