Miss Hurd was indeed a motivation to Nicholas Gage in his becoming a successful writer. Other factors that motivated Gage would have contributed to his success in any field he chose to pursue. Gage relished the attention and encouragement from Miss Hurd. Her uncompromising demands focused his energies into the field of writing. Three other factors insured Gage's success in life. His mother was an inspiration to him. Her sacrifice, and his resulting escape from those who killed her, instilled a sense of responsibility in Gage to justify her sacrifice. He would not let her death be meaningless and was driven to mark her passing by making his life worthy of her death. Natural intelligence was also a trait that enabled Gage to succeed. Four years after arriving in the United States with no knowledge of the English language, Gage was placed in the college bound group by his school. His father was the third factor that would ensure Gage's eventual success. Here was the solid base upon which Gage's life would be laid in his new country. From hostile beginnings Gage learned to love and respect his father. As a result of all these contributing factors, Gage began a career as a writer. This was certainly due to Miss Hurd's efforts on his behalf. But it was his determination, intelligence and the memory of his mother's last wave goodbye that enabled him to succeed in whatever he would have chosen.
             In "The Teacher who changed My Life," Nicholas Gage used both his positive and negative experiences to work toward success. In this aspect, it highly relates to my life. As a child, I was deemed a genius, but my environment both helped and hindered my mental growth. Some teachers were encouraging while others did not care. My family life was hectic with both parents working and having to take care of my brother. My father also paved a way for my success by establishing a stable household. Unlike the story, however, my life was not as diffi...