"But he would not let go. He felt the baby slipping out of his hands and he pulled back very hard. In this manner, the issue was decided."
Popular Mechanics
Raymond Carver
This story involved a quarrel over a baby because a couple was separating or going through a divorce. This story reveals how controversial it can be to decide what parent dominantly cares for the child. The two obviously hate each other because the woman says, "I'm glad you're leaving!" The two do not want to be near each other. The fact that the two are hurting the baby amidst their fight shows that this argument is serious. The two are so involved within their argument that they cease to care about the baby itself. From the end, it is implied that the man won the argument and was given the baby, only because of how violent the issue was becoming to the baby itself. There is a tone of darkness and despair which is established by the weather as being "snow melting into dirty water," "getting dark on the inside" etc. and this continues throughout the story in the argument itself over the ownership of the child. This story most likely warns against divorce and how it breaks apart families as seen with the tug-of-war between the mother and father. The arguments of the parents have a negative impact on the children because it affects their well-being too.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
You're Ugly, Too
"You want a second opinion? OK," says the doctor. "You're ugly, too." pg. 360
You're Ugly, Too
Lorrie Moore
Zoe is the type of character that uses humor and sarcasm as a defense mechanism. She also tells jokes because she had a speech impediment when she was younger, so she would tell jokes because they were easy use in conversation since they were already mapped out. Zoe's sarcasm reveals her inner worries that exist within her: her younger sister is getting married before her, she is unable to bear children, and her love life is nonexistant. These problems cause her to feel bitter and feel the need to use sarcasm so that she can display her annoyance with life and reality. She may also use jokes in hopes that people see a positive attribute in her but it usually ends up backfiring as with Earl; she told him the violin story about love and it made him say "You're not at all like your sister," aka I do not have interest in you anymore. Zoe's loneliness leads to a downpour of problems in her life, such as low self-esteem, little self confidence and physical insecurities, and because of this she feels a need to make up for it by utilizing sarcasm and humor.
You're Ugly, Too
Lorrie Moore
Zoe is the type of character that uses humor and sarcasm as a defense mechanism. She also tells jokes because she had a speech impediment when she was younger, so she would tell jokes because they were easy use in conversation since they were already mapped out. Zoe's sarcasm reveals her inner worries that exist within her: her younger sister is getting married before her, she is unable to bear children, and her love life is nonexistant. These problems cause her to feel bitter and feel the need to use sarcasm so that she can display her annoyance with life and reality. She may also use jokes in hopes that people see a positive attribute in her but it usually ends up backfiring as with Earl; she told him the violin story about love and it made him say "You're not at all like your sister," aka I do not have interest in you anymore. Zoe's loneliness leads to a downpour of problems in her life, such as low self-esteem, little self confidence and physical insecurities, and because of this she feels a need to make up for it by utilizing sarcasm and humor.
The Drunkard
"My brave little man! she said with her eyes shining. "It was God did it you were there. You were his guardian angel." pg 351
The Drunkard
Frank O'Connor
Larry would like to act as a "brake" for his father's drinking problem, but he never really can bring himself to do so. When Larry's father was left in charge of watching over Larry, Larry got bored and tried a drink of his father's drink while he was not paying attention. He began to keep drinking the drink although "it was a terrible disappointment." Larry then began to publicly embarrass his own father by being dragged home drunk at such a young age. Though Larry's father was a drinker before this instance, Larry unknowingly saved his father by embarrassing him and basically giving him a taste of his own medicine. This story was ironic because of the different reactions that the mother has: On one hand she is extremely angry towards her husband for allowing their son to get drunk; on the other hand, she believes that Larry purposely got drunk to save his own father from his drinking problem. Though Larry did not actually intend to teach his father a lesson, his curiosity and boredom led him to drink his father's drink which then led his mother to believe that Larry truly was his guardian angel, looking out for the good of their family. It is funny and ironic that the mother believed Larry fully meant to get drunk to convince his father that drinking was a bad habit when Larry did not actually do it with that intention.
The Drunkard
Frank O'Connor
Larry would like to act as a "brake" for his father's drinking problem, but he never really can bring himself to do so. When Larry's father was left in charge of watching over Larry, Larry got bored and tried a drink of his father's drink while he was not paying attention. He began to keep drinking the drink although "it was a terrible disappointment." Larry then began to publicly embarrass his own father by being dragged home drunk at such a young age. Though Larry's father was a drinker before this instance, Larry unknowingly saved his father by embarrassing him and basically giving him a taste of his own medicine. This story was ironic because of the different reactions that the mother has: On one hand she is extremely angry towards her husband for allowing their son to get drunk; on the other hand, she believes that Larry purposely got drunk to save his own father from his drinking problem. Though Larry did not actually intend to teach his father a lesson, his curiosity and boredom led him to drink his father's drink which then led his mother to believe that Larry truly was his guardian angel, looking out for the good of their family. It is funny and ironic that the mother believed Larry fully meant to get drunk to convince his father that drinking was a bad habit when Larry did not actually do it with that intention.
The Lottery
"Bobby Martin had already stuffed his pockets full of stones, and the other boys soon followed his example, selecting the smoothest and roundest stones." pg 264
The Lottery
Shirley Jackson
When I think of the lottery I think of the million dollar prize and lottery tickets. This story, however, was not like the lottery of today. Winning this lottery entailed death. Tensions rose as families awaited to see whether or not they got the black dot which was the difference between the life or death of someone in your family. It is ironic because the lottery is usually associated with riches, yet the winner of this lottery is punished by being stoned to death.
The stoning is foreshadowed in the above quote with the boys all gathering up the best rocks. These boys are used to the lotteries and stoning obviously because they readily go out and collect the stones. No one seems to find the lottery absurd or odd, but it's rather seen as a common activity in the town that is actually anticipated. The third person point of view provides no comment on the sacrificial activity or lottery process showing that this lottery is an accepted tradition.
Overall this story portrays the cruelty of human nature. I was somewhat reminded of the Bible stories in which the Romans would throw humans into the coliseum filled with hungry tigers as a means of entertainment. The scapegoat in this story was Tessie; she arrived late afraid she would miss out on the fun of the lottery and yet she is the one that ends up receiving the stoning. At the end of the story and she keeps saying "It isn't fair" to show that the lottery is in fact, not fair at all. It is an old tradition that simply is not right.
The Lottery
Shirley Jackson
When I think of the lottery I think of the million dollar prize and lottery tickets. This story, however, was not like the lottery of today. Winning this lottery entailed death. Tensions rose as families awaited to see whether or not they got the black dot which was the difference between the life or death of someone in your family. It is ironic because the lottery is usually associated with riches, yet the winner of this lottery is punished by being stoned to death.
The stoning is foreshadowed in the above quote with the boys all gathering up the best rocks. These boys are used to the lotteries and stoning obviously because they readily go out and collect the stones. No one seems to find the lottery absurd or odd, but it's rather seen as a common activity in the town that is actually anticipated. The third person point of view provides no comment on the sacrificial activity or lottery process showing that this lottery is an accepted tradition.
Overall this story portrays the cruelty of human nature. I was somewhat reminded of the Bible stories in which the Romans would throw humans into the coliseum filled with hungry tigers as a means of entertainment. The scapegoat in this story was Tessie; she arrived late afraid she would miss out on the fun of the lottery and yet she is the one that ends up receiving the stoning. At the end of the story and she keeps saying "It isn't fair" to show that the lottery is in fact, not fair at all. It is an old tradition that simply is not right.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Miss Brill
"The box that the fur came out of was on the bed. She unclasped the necklet quickly; quickly, without looking, laid it inside. But when she put the lid on she thought she heard something crying." pg 186
Miss Brill
Katherine Mansfield
Miss Brill enjoys her Sundays in the park because it's her chance to be a part of the community. She can be around others in the park, listen to the band with everyone, partake in plays, and converse with others [Does she even speak French though...?]. She looks forward to Sundays as a time to work on her French culture knowledge and such, since she herself is originally from England.
The fur coat that Miss Brill wears is a symbol that represents her longing to fit in with French society. She seems to believe that dressing like she is rich will help her to fit in, but it really does not, considering a young couple made fun of her for wearing the fur coat. While Miss Brill has the fur coat on it seems that she is confident that she can fit in with this group of people. While she has the coat off, she accepts that she really cannot be a part of this crowd because she is not accustomed to their culture--as seen in the above quote. The resolution is Miss Brill's reluctant realization that she cannot belong in this society. The theme of this story may be something along the lines of "you cannot always fit into a culture that you were not born into." That's a really depressing theme...Poor lonely woman :(
Miss Brill
Katherine Mansfield
Miss Brill enjoys her Sundays in the park because it's her chance to be a part of the community. She can be around others in the park, listen to the band with everyone, partake in plays, and converse with others [Does she even speak French though...?]. She looks forward to Sundays as a time to work on her French culture knowledge and such, since she herself is originally from England.
The fur coat that Miss Brill wears is a symbol that represents her longing to fit in with French society. She seems to believe that dressing like she is rich will help her to fit in, but it really does not, considering a young couple made fun of her for wearing the fur coat. While Miss Brill has the fur coat on it seems that she is confident that she can fit in with this group of people. While she has the coat off, she accepts that she really cannot be a part of this crowd because she is not accustomed to their culture--as seen in the above quote. The resolution is Miss Brill's reluctant realization that she cannot belong in this society. The theme of this story may be something along the lines of "you cannot always fit into a culture that you were not born into." That's a really depressing theme...Poor lonely woman :(
Once upon a Time
"He dragged a ladder to the wall, the shining coiled tunnel was just wide enough for his little body to creep in, and with the first fixing of its razor teeth in his knees and hands and head he screamed and struggled deeper into its tangle." pg 236
Once upon a Time
Nadine Gordimer
Upon seeing the title of this story I thought it would be a fairytale of some sort, but I was wrong. The ending was definitely not happily ever after with all of the conflicts resolved.
Throughout this story, the main literary device I noted was irony. The story itself was ironic because the speaker considered it a children's story; after reading this story I think we can agree that this is not meant to be read to children, since a child died at the end.
It's also ironic though because the people in the neighborhood were so afraid of burglaries that they were supposed to be protecting themselves with fences and barbed wires and such, yet they were really just endangering themselves even more. If they had not installed all of the fancy burglary systems and had been robbed, that robbery still would have been a better situation compared to the death of the son via teeth on the razor sharp anti-burglar fence. The parents don't seem to realize a burglary is something that's temporary; the death of the son on the other hand, is permanent. Which is the better choice in this situation...? Hmm
Possible themes in this story may be that you should be cautionary when someone warns you, but it should not take over to the extent where it can actually cause more danger. It defeats the purpose to try to be cautionary against burglars by installing huge lethal fences that can harm people in one's own family.
Finally, the words "YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED" apply to everyone, not just the burglars, as seen with the final scene of the son being chopped up by the fence.
Once upon a Time
Nadine Gordimer
Upon seeing the title of this story I thought it would be a fairytale of some sort, but I was wrong. The ending was definitely not happily ever after with all of the conflicts resolved.
Throughout this story, the main literary device I noted was irony. The story itself was ironic because the speaker considered it a children's story; after reading this story I think we can agree that this is not meant to be read to children, since a child died at the end.
It's also ironic though because the people in the neighborhood were so afraid of burglaries that they were supposed to be protecting themselves with fences and barbed wires and such, yet they were really just endangering themselves even more. If they had not installed all of the fancy burglary systems and had been robbed, that robbery still would have been a better situation compared to the death of the son via teeth on the razor sharp anti-burglar fence. The parents don't seem to realize a burglary is something that's temporary; the death of the son on the other hand, is permanent. Which is the better choice in this situation...? Hmm
Possible themes in this story may be that you should be cautionary when someone warns you, but it should not take over to the extent where it can actually cause more danger. It defeats the purpose to try to be cautionary against burglars by installing huge lethal fences that can harm people in one's own family.
Finally, the words "YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED" apply to everyone, not just the burglars, as seen with the final scene of the son being chopped up by the fence.
A Worn Path
"'I'm an old woman without an education. It was my memory fail me. My little grandson, he is just the same, and I forgot it in the coming.'" pg 229
A Worn Path
Eudora Welty
Phoenix Jackson is an old woman who trudges through woods in order to make it to the town that sells her grandson's medicine. This journey must be familiar to her since she is greeted by many people along the way and the people seem to know her so well that they address her as "granny" and "grandma." Throughout this quest, Phoenix frequently sees things that are not really there, almost like hallucinations; for example she imagines a little boy bringing her a plate with cake on it, and she mistakes a scarecrow for a ghost. There is a vibe that Phoenix is a confused old woman through these actions, and also by the fact that she keeps talking out loud to herself.
When she reaches her destination, the nurses ask her all about her grandson. I personally believe that Phoenix's grandson is dead and that the nurses are trying to get her to accept this fact. One nurse asks, "He isn't dead, is he?" maybe hoping that she will admit this truth. When first asked if the boy was better since she last came for medicine, she "waited, silent, erect and motionless, just as if she were in armor." This simile shows that the old woman is unable to give much information about the boy because she may not be able to accept that he could be gone. The old woman seems to be pretending he's not gone because knowing he is would be a reality that is too hard to handle. The theme of this story may be something along of the lines of "Real love continues even after death/after something has passed." It may sound cheesy but Phoenix still cares about her grandson to a great extent since she walks through the woods to get him medicine even though [I'm assuming] he's dead. Or it could be that "Fate is not always easy to accept." Phoenix has a hard time accepting the truth about her grandson, so she pretends it's not actually happening. Either that or the theme is just something concrete like: memory loss causes you to do odd things. I really don't know. Knowing whether or not the grandson is dead may change the theme..
A Worn Path
Eudora Welty
Phoenix Jackson is an old woman who trudges through woods in order to make it to the town that sells her grandson's medicine. This journey must be familiar to her since she is greeted by many people along the way and the people seem to know her so well that they address her as "granny" and "grandma." Throughout this quest, Phoenix frequently sees things that are not really there, almost like hallucinations; for example she imagines a little boy bringing her a plate with cake on it, and she mistakes a scarecrow for a ghost. There is a vibe that Phoenix is a confused old woman through these actions, and also by the fact that she keeps talking out loud to herself.
When she reaches her destination, the nurses ask her all about her grandson. I personally believe that Phoenix's grandson is dead and that the nurses are trying to get her to accept this fact. One nurse asks, "He isn't dead, is he?" maybe hoping that she will admit this truth. When first asked if the boy was better since she last came for medicine, she "waited, silent, erect and motionless, just as if she were in armor." This simile shows that the old woman is unable to give much information about the boy because she may not be able to accept that he could be gone. The old woman seems to be pretending he's not gone because knowing he is would be a reality that is too hard to handle. The theme of this story may be something along of the lines of "Real love continues even after death/after something has passed." It may sound cheesy but Phoenix still cares about her grandson to a great extent since she walks through the woods to get him medicine even though [I'm assuming] he's dead. Or it could be that "Fate is not always easy to accept." Phoenix has a hard time accepting the truth about her grandson, so she pretends it's not actually happening. Either that or the theme is just something concrete like: memory loss causes you to do odd things. I really don't know. Knowing whether or not the grandson is dead may change the theme..
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