“Published” is a fictional piece written by Zoe Harris about a passionate scientist named Rolanda Visser. Rolanda is enthusiastic and curious about the behavior of mosquitoes and wants her ardent articles to be recognized. However, her passion is acknowledged by nobody and she feels unappreciated. Although many people probably can’t relate to Rolanda’s love for mosquitoes, her disappointment when her work is ignored is one that many can empathize with, including myself.
Eventually, Rolanda’s article on mosquito behavior is selected for the SAT Critical Reading section. The story states, “SAT reading passages, [Rolanda] remembered then, are chosen to trip students up. The more boring they are, the harder they are.” This was a letdown for her, since she had originally believed that people were finally appreciating her writing for its avidity. However, when one student comes up to her to talk about a question on the exam, she realizes that he truly understood the tone of her writing - passionate, not informative or boring. Zoe’s writing style portrays Rolanda’s relief that someone finally understands without stating it directly. Her characters are realistic and relatable, making this fictional piece come to life.