Arthur, Sue Ellen and Me by Raisa

Arthur, Sue Ellen and Me by Raisa - October 2025 Scholarship Essay

Have you ever said something in the heat of the moment, only to instantly wish you could take it back? I know I have and so has Arthur Read.
In a comic of Arthur “So Funny I Forgot to Laugh” Arthur gets carried away with constantly teasing Sue Ellen about her fuzzy sweater calling it a “sheepdog.” What he thought was a harmless joke ends up deeply hurting her feelings. As a result Sue Ellen stops talking to Arthur, and he has to handle the consequences of his own actions.
I had experienced a similar situation in my sophomore year of high school. After winter break, my friend had come to school with a freshly new cut. I have sharp eyes so I noticed that the sides were uneven, one happened to be more lopsided than the other. I just happened to make a playful joke about it. I had thought that my comment was nothing too serious and that it was a friendly joke. But I noticed over the next few days that my friend would wear hats, covering his head with his hoodie even though we weren't allowed to have our hoods up and he was also avoiding my eyes. That's when I realized, I wasn’t Sue Ellen. I had turned into Arthur. My words made my friend feel targeted and self conscious, but that was never my intention which ultimately caused him pain.
The guilt ate at me, just as Arthur struggled to understand why Sue Ellen was hurt. I had pulled my friend aside and apologized, explaining that I hadn’t had any intention of making him feel bad. I knew his hair cut was something he was insecure about, and I had regretted pointing it out. Thankfully, he had accepted my apology, and we were able to move past it.
But what if he hadn't accepted my apology as Sue Ellen didn't accept Arthur’s apology because he couldn't understand where he had gone wrong. At first Arthur thought Sue Ellen was overreacting by telling their teacher and so he had written her a sarcastic letter of apology. It wasn’t until later where his other friends realized his mistake gave him the silent treatment. Buster Arthur’s best friend said others were able to see his mistake due to the letter he had given Sue. It wasn't until some time where he had realized how much the sweater had meant to her that he realized how hurtful his teasing had been.
That comic alone and my own experience at first hand taught me that being considerate of others feelings isn't “soft.” It's a sign of emotional maturity and a foundation for meaningful connections. Thanks to Arthur, I've become more mindful of my words and more intentional about uplifting others up instead of tearing them down.