The name of the rabbit was Peter…(Zoë)

There’s a great song from the musical “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown” that’s seemed more and more relevant over the last few days. It’s called “The Book Report”, as the characters are trying to write a book report on Peter Rabbit. Yet which character’s experience is closest to my own, writing my History and Philosophy of Science essay?

There’s Lucy, who constantly counts her words, getting to 100 by listing 17 different types of vegetables that were in the garden, and finishing with “The very very very end.”

Then there’s Schroeder, who struggles to find a way into his report, until he decides it reminds him of Robin Hood. He then spends the song ‘writing’ about Robin Hood, with some tenuous links to Peter Rabbit – “And then it looked like the sheriff would win – but not for long. Away they ran…just lke rabbits, who run a lot, as you can tell from the story of Peter Rabbit, which this report is about.”

There’s Linus, who perhaps is best explained by a quote. “In examining a book such as Peter Rabbit, it is important that the superficial chracteristics of its deceptively simple plot should not be allowed to blind the reader to the more substantial fabric of its deeper motivations. In this report I plan to discuss the sociological implications of family pressures so great as to drive an otherwise moral rabbit to perform acts of thievery which he consciously knew were against the law.”

Finally, there’s Charlie Brown. He decides that “if I start writing now when I’m not really rested it could upset my thinking, which is no good at all. I’ll get a fresh start tomorrow and it’s not due till Wednesday, so I’ll have all of Tuesday…” And so on.

As the song goes on, the characters finish their reports in the same fashion. Except Charlie Brown, who of course gets the final line in the song – “I haven’t even started yet!”

So who am I? Well, not really any of them. I’m not Linus, as I can never even remember the words to his part of the song, let alone pull them out of my own head. Neither am I Schroeder. I can sympathise with Lucy’s experience, but more in cutting down words, rather than adding them up.

And Charlie Brown? Well, I’m generally pretty focussed. It causes me more stress to leave it to the last minute than just to get started on it. And I have definitely started my HPS essay – in fact, it’s almost finished. But whenever I’m tempted to procastinate, I just hear those lines of his in my head. I think there’s a bit of Charlie Brown in everyone. Which is the thing I love so much about that comic strip in general. 🙂

One thought on “The name of the rabbit was Peter…(Zoë)

  1. Well I’m definitely Charlie Brown!
    I’ve an essay that was due last Friday and I haven’t started it yet…

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