Example 1
Summary of “The Yellow Ribbon”
In the story, “The Yellow Ribbon,” by Pete Hamill, six boys and girls travelling to Florida on a bus meet an
ex-convict, Vingo. Vingo served four years in prison in New York and has just been released to go home.
One of the six boys and girls befriends Vingo and invites him to join the group during breaks from the
long bus rides. Vingo was shy and distant at first, but he slowly warms up to the group and tells them
his story. He was married when he first went to jail, but he is not sure if he is now. He has written to his
wife and let her know he understands if she has a new man in her life. He has informed her of his
release from prison and asked her to tie a yellow handkerchief on a famous oak tree at the entrance of
the town if she is still waiting for him. The boys and girls, together with Vingo, anxiously await their
arrival at Vingo’s town to see if there is a yellow handkerchief. As the bus enters the town, the six boys
and girls see hundreds of welcoming yellow handkerchief’s on the tree and shouts with joy as Vingo
slowly gets out of his seat preparing to go home.
Example 2
Paul P Nguyen
2/13/2014
ESL 91
The Yellow Ribbon
Summary
The main idea of the story “Yellow Ribbon” by Pete Hamill is people can always return
to their home, regardless of doing bad things or failing to do something. Pete talks writes about a
man name Vingo who has been in jail for four years wants to return to his home. According to
the story, Vingo is nervous because he bites his lips and remains silence during the way home.
Also, he is a shy person because he refuses talking to other people on the bus until a girl talk to
him. Furthermore, he loves his wife truly because he writes to his wife telling her to abandon
him because he is not good for her. Moreover, he tells his wife to hang a yellow handkerchief on
the tree if she wants him to come home. If she doesn’t want him to come home, she doesn’t need
to hang anything. When the bus is near his house, Vingo feel disappointed and stops looking out
the windows because he think that his wife doesn’t want him to come home. However, he is
surprise and happy when he sees the tree is covered with yellow handkerchiefs that turn the tree
into yellow. Then, he slowly makes his ways. According to the story, the second main idea of the
story is love is all about forgiveness.
Question
1. The thesis of Hamill’s essay is a person can always go back even if they make the
wrong decision in life.
2. Vigor feels nervous when the bus takes him home because he fears that his wife
won’t accept him.
3. When they went back on the bus, the girl sat with Vingo again, and after a while,
slowly and painfully and with great hesitation, he began to tell his story.
4. “His fingers were stained from cigarettes and he chewed the inside of his lip a lot,
frozen in some personal cocoon of silence” shows that Vingo was nervous.
5. Vingo was shy because he sits alone on the bus and don’t talk to anyone. When the
girl insists him to join with other people, he didn’t join them.
6. Vingo is an honorable man. When the girl ask him about the crime he commit, he
tells her that he doesn’t care what he did, but it is wrong. For this reason, he has to be
in jail.
7. Place name: Jersey, Philly, Washington, Florida
Other Transitions: After a while, Now, Then, But
8. If she didn’t want me, forget it, no handkerchief, and I’d keep going on through
9. Hamill learn about this story a great lesson about forgiveness. Even though Vingo
commits a crime and stays in jail for four years, his wife still lets him return home.
10. The author ends this essay with an open conclusion. For instance, he can easily write
that Vingo see the yellow handkerchiefs and come home. Then his wife smiles at him
and lets him in. However, the author doesn’t do this. He stops at the middle of the
ending because he wants to give the reader more choices on how they want the story
to end. Furthermore, he doesn’t need to give the whole ending because the readers
already know what will happen to Vingo on the preceding paragraphs. I think Vingo
will receive a warm hug from his wife when he comes home.
Example 3
DUONG TRAN
ELS-091
02/14/2014
SUMMARY
In the story “The Yellow Ribbon” by Pete Hamill is talking about the journey of young
people with the man from New York to Ford Lauderdale, Florida. On journey, with unusual
appearance and complete silence of Vingo whom the young people are interested in what is
going to happen. After short conversation with a girl, Vingo tells about his life that he was
in prison and had a good wife with 3 children. The yellow ribbon is as a symbol of love his
wife will forgive him when he is released the prison. With a strong desire for “going home”
where the good old values are to be found again made the man’s felling nervous. Until he
looks at the oak tree which is covered by the handkerchiefs and the young people’s triumph
and exaltation, Vingo is forgiven and welcomed to his home.
ABOUT UNITY
1. The implied thesis is that a person, despite whatever he has done or failed to do, can
be welcomed to home where good old values are to be found again.
2. The topic sentence in paragraph 2 is that he is in worse appearance.
3. The topic sentence of paragraph 11 is that Vingo went in.
ABOUT SUPPORT
4. “His fingers were stained from cigarettes and he chewed the inside of his lip a lot,
frozen in some personal cocoon of silence” supports the idea that Vingo knew the
young people were watching him.
5. Hamill writes in paragraph 11 that Vingo seemed very shy. Two pieces of evidence
in the essay to support the idea that Vingo was shy: After a while, slowly and
painfully and with great hesitation, he began to tell his story and he thanked her and
retreated again into silence.
6. Hamill implied that despite his crime, Vigo was an honorable man. Evidence
supports: He said with quiet bluntness that “it doesn’t matter”, “I did it and I went to
jail. If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.”
ABOUT COHERENCE
7. Four places names and four other transitions
Place name
Other Transitions
- Fort Lauderdale
Then
- Washington
Just before
- Howard Johnson’s
When
- Jacksonville
After a while
8. Sentence in paragraph 19 begins with a transition word is that ‘but’ if she didn’t, if
she would take me back she should let me know.
ABOUT THE INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSION
9. Hamill learned about this story very much. He understands the man’s felling who
just is just released from prison. The strong desire for going home indicates the
man’s appearance.
10. The essay ends by describing the oak tree covered by yellow handkerchiefs and
young people shouted in triumph and exaltation as implied that Vingo is welcomed
to his home by his wife.