Summary

The short story “The School of Life” by Lauren Keenan begins with a boy named Marcus arriving at his new summer job at a plant nursery. A man introduces himself as Hoppy and says he knows Marcus’ dad, which is why he agreed to hire Marcus.

Marcus feels self-conscious because he is overdressed. He thinks about how his father forced him to get a job at the plant nursery so he would be in touch with his roots. When he meets the other people working there, Marcus thinks he has nothing in common with them and feels superior to them. He also dislikes the job and the fact that he has to touch dirt. 

A boy gets Marcus’s attention and Marcus realizes it is his childhood friend Rewi. Marcus feels relieved to see Rewi’s clothes are clean, and he is happy t...