The Shortest Path

To make the reader feel bad for those living in the 1800's who had to cross the river.

To encourage the reader to become an architect who builds bridges.

To inform readers about architects who failed in building bridges.

To inform readers about how Staten Island and Brooklyn were connected.

To show that architects fail at their jobs.

To illustrate how hard it can be to solve a problem.

To create a sense that building a bridge is not only difficult, but costly.

To tell how angry and annoyed the people of both cities were.

Success requires money and lots of it.

Challenges can be overcome with perseverance and the right people.

Avoid making difficult choices.