" 'Just kidding,' she said. 'I was just kidding.' But he gazed at her, appalled and frightened, his Magic Marker buttocks turned away now toward all of downtown, a naked pseudowoman with a blue bracelet at the wrist, trapped out on a balcony with - with what? 'Really, I was just kidding!' " (page 370).
I feel that Zoe is so eccentric because she is insecure with the person that she is. She is self-conscious during uncomfortable situations that she tries to get the attention off of herself. This makes her more sypathetic as a character because I truly feel bad for her not feeling comfortable in her own skin. I feel that the costume party is significant because all of these people are putting on a mask. They are trying to hide the people they really are. Zoe, for instance, never comes up with her own sentences. She uses jokes that she has already formulated in her mind. She cannot come up with her own work. It all is kind of sad. It all stems from the fact that she is uncomfortable with the person she is. She is self-conscious of her chin and her speech impediment. She needs to take off her mask and be herself. Jokes are important to Zoe because she is afraid to be serious around others. She would rather have others enjoy her presence and her jokes than know her on a deeper level. She is trying to disguise the person suffering from life itself underneath all the humor. Zoe speaks both sarcastically and ironically. It is kind of difficult to distinguish the difference between the two. Men in the story have a trouble of really getting to know Zoe. However, she kind of does this to herself because she doesn't really let people in.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
"The Drunkard" by Frank O'Connor
"I was still thirsty. I found if I stood on tiptoe I could just reach Father's glass, and the idea occurred to me that it would be interesting to know what the contents were like. He had his back to it and wouldn't notice. I took down the glass and sipped cautiously. It was a terrible disappointment. I was astonished that he could even drink such stuff. It looked as if he had never tried lemonade" (page 347).
There are many sources of humor in this story. First off, the boy starts off the story acting as if he is annoyed with his father's drinking. I find it funny that the boy ends up drinking himself. Irony fills this story. For instance, on page 345, the author states that "The father was stepping out like a boy, pleased with everything." I just find it ironic that the father acts like a boy at time, and that the boy acts like an actual drunkard. It's as if they switched roles. It is also humorous when the boy yells at ladies who laugh at him. He cusses. It is also funny who the twelve year old boy "thinks deeply about life / death." It's just an interesting story. THe humor arises from distortion of life because everything is kind of out of whack. There are also undertones of pathos. For instance, the mother thinks that the boy drank because he was trying to protect his father. The mother is proud of him, even though this really wasn't the case at all. The boy was just curious. It shows that he is human. I feel that the central theme of this story is that parents definitely influence their children to act a certain way. However, everyone is given the choices to live justly and accordingly. The title refers to the boy. At first, I thought that the title was referring to the boy's dad. Then I realized that this is probably also talking about the son. Maybe it is like that common phrase: "like father like son..."
There are many sources of humor in this story. First off, the boy starts off the story acting as if he is annoyed with his father's drinking. I find it funny that the boy ends up drinking himself. Irony fills this story. For instance, on page 345, the author states that "The father was stepping out like a boy, pleased with everything." I just find it ironic that the father acts like a boy at time, and that the boy acts like an actual drunkard. It's as if they switched roles. It is also humorous when the boy yells at ladies who laugh at him. He cusses. It is also funny who the twelve year old boy "thinks deeply about life / death." It's just an interesting story. THe humor arises from distortion of life because everything is kind of out of whack. There are also undertones of pathos. For instance, the mother thinks that the boy drank because he was trying to protect his father. The mother is proud of him, even though this really wasn't the case at all. The boy was just curious. It shows that he is human. I feel that the central theme of this story is that parents definitely influence their children to act a certain way. However, everyone is given the choices to live justly and accordingly. The title refers to the boy. At first, I thought that the title was referring to the boy's dad. Then I realized that this is probably also talking about the son. Maybe it is like that common phrase: "like father like son..."
"The Lottery" By Shirley Jackson
"Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her. 'It isn't fair,' she said. A stone hit her on the side of the head" (page 271).
After reading this story, I really tried to figure out the significance as to what the 'lottery' was. After much thought, I realized that the 'lottery' is actually something that people don't want to win. If a person receives the lottery in this story (aka the black dot), then that person is to be killed. I find this incredibly ironic because in real life, people WANT to win the lottery. Here, it is casted as a terrible thing. When I first read that the story was title 'The Lottery,' I expected a person to win the lottery and to have a happy ending. I honestly am not very surprised. These short stories are killing me because I am a hopeless romantic who loves fairytales. These short stories that we've read over the past couple weeks are crushing my dreams of fairytales, and this just makes me sad. A scapegoat is an innocent being who is blamed for another person's fault. Tessie is the scapegoat in this story because she did nothing wrong, but the town decided to kill her nonetheless. This story kind of reminds me of the story of Jesus. Okay, yes, I always tie things back to my faith, but my faith is the one thing that I love to talk about. Jesus was the chosen one. He came into this world as a human, like everyone else. Even though He didn't do anything wrong, He still was chosen to be killed. It is sad, but He had to live a painful death. Was it fair? No, but He had to do it for the benefit of all. I don't know what the probability was for someone to die in this story, but I am just upset that Tessie had to be innocently killed. (It also freaks me out that her name is very similar to mine, and she was stoned to death.... I do not like these tragic ends to short stories! I want a cute love story where everyone lives happily ever after!)
After reading this story, I really tried to figure out the significance as to what the 'lottery' was. After much thought, I realized that the 'lottery' is actually something that people don't want to win. If a person receives the lottery in this story (aka the black dot), then that person is to be killed. I find this incredibly ironic because in real life, people WANT to win the lottery. Here, it is casted as a terrible thing. When I first read that the story was title 'The Lottery,' I expected a person to win the lottery and to have a happy ending. I honestly am not very surprised. These short stories are killing me because I am a hopeless romantic who loves fairytales. These short stories that we've read over the past couple weeks are crushing my dreams of fairytales, and this just makes me sad. A scapegoat is an innocent being who is blamed for another person's fault. Tessie is the scapegoat in this story because she did nothing wrong, but the town decided to kill her nonetheless. This story kind of reminds me of the story of Jesus. Okay, yes, I always tie things back to my faith, but my faith is the one thing that I love to talk about. Jesus was the chosen one. He came into this world as a human, like everyone else. Even though He didn't do anything wrong, He still was chosen to be killed. It is sad, but He had to live a painful death. Was it fair? No, but He had to do it for the benefit of all. I don't know what the probability was for someone to die in this story, but I am just upset that Tessie had to be innocently killed. (It also freaks me out that her name is very similar to mine, and she was stoned to death.... I do not like these tragic ends to short stories! I want a cute love story where everyone lives happily ever after!)
Monday, December 5, 2011
"Popular Mechanics" by Raymond Carver
"She would have it, this baby. She grabbed the baby's other arm. She caught the baby around the wrist and leaned back.
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" (page 345 [handout]).
The story's final lines hold symbolic meaning. Yes, I think that the author is leaving this up to interpretation whether who got the baby. However, I do think that maybe the baby was pulled so hard in both directions that the baby simply died. Neither parent deserved the child, so maybe that is how the issue was "decided." Perhaps the answer lies with the author of the piece, or maybe like the story that we read about last week (I think it was "Eveline"???), the author is leaving the answer up to the reader's imagination. The few details in the description of the story establish the tone. First off, the story is set in the end of the snowstorm. The snow is melting, and it is now "slush." In the winter, it is really dreary without the sun being out all the time. I simply think of winter as kind of a dark, dreary time. That's why we always put up lights and such to add light to this darkness. Or maybe that's just me, I don't know. However, the literary elements also add to the tone. When the mom and dad are yelling at each other, there is no quotation marks. Everything is just simply stated. It's almost as if the parents' words do not deserve true punctuation. The child, for one thing, does not deserve to be hearing these things. It's just kind of sad though because children are what generally hold a family together. One would think that these two parents would make their relationship work for the benefit of the child. However, even their this moment, greed comes out of the parents and neither can give it up. How could a parent do this to his child?! I don't like this. The words are harsh and the violence is worse. In this case, actions truly do speak louder than words.
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" (page 345 [handout]).
The story's final lines hold symbolic meaning. Yes, I think that the author is leaving this up to interpretation whether who got the baby. However, I do think that maybe the baby was pulled so hard in both directions that the baby simply died. Neither parent deserved the child, so maybe that is how the issue was "decided." Perhaps the answer lies with the author of the piece, or maybe like the story that we read about last week (I think it was "Eveline"???), the author is leaving the answer up to the reader's imagination. The few details in the description of the story establish the tone. First off, the story is set in the end of the snowstorm. The snow is melting, and it is now "slush." In the winter, it is really dreary without the sun being out all the time. I simply think of winter as kind of a dark, dreary time. That's why we always put up lights and such to add light to this darkness. Or maybe that's just me, I don't know. However, the literary elements also add to the tone. When the mom and dad are yelling at each other, there is no quotation marks. Everything is just simply stated. It's almost as if the parents' words do not deserve true punctuation. The child, for one thing, does not deserve to be hearing these things. It's just kind of sad though because children are what generally hold a family together. One would think that these two parents would make their relationship work for the benefit of the child. However, even their this moment, greed comes out of the parents and neither can give it up. How could a parent do this to his child?! I don't like this. The words are harsh and the violence is worse. In this case, actions truly do speak louder than words.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
"Miss Brill" by Katherine Manfield
"But today she passed the baker's by, climbed the stairs, went into the little dark room - her room like a cupboard- and sat down on the red eiderdown. She sat there for a long time. 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" (page 186).
One of the questions after this passage said "What do you think Miss Brill looks like?" After reading this story, many descriptions came to mind. I kind of envisioned her to look like a person who wants to be all prim and proper but cannot pull off the facade. For instance, she is characterized as a person who wears a massive fur coat. Perhaps she is just someone who wants to be the fairest of them all but just does not fit into society. I'm not really sure. The fact that we do not know Miss Brill's first name also fits in to her characterization. This shows that she doesn't want society to know who she really is. Maybe she is insecure in some way. Also, this hinders society from knowing her on a deeper level. Society in this story never takes the chance to get to know her. She is merely just someone there, like a shadow. Miss Brill's observations about the people she encounters reveal that she is a lonesome, nosy person. For instance, everyone she mentions is mentioned with someone else. Couples are everywhere in this story. The only thing that Miss Brill matches herself up with is her coat. Maybe this shows some significance because perhaps Miss Brill cannot find someone herself. I feel that she watches other couples to live vicariously through them. I also feel that she is single. If she was widowed or divorced, she might be called Ms. Brill. The fact that she is called Miss Brill, though, just makes me think that she always has been single. The conflict of the story is that Miss Brill is unaware that people don't let her in. She simply only stares and watches other people's lives instead of living one herself. The antagonist of the story is the people involved (society) because they are annoyed with Miss Brill's way of living, or should I say "not living" her own life.
One of the questions after this passage said "What do you think Miss Brill looks like?" After reading this story, many descriptions came to mind. I kind of envisioned her to look like a person who wants to be all prim and proper but cannot pull off the facade. For instance, she is characterized as a person who wears a massive fur coat. Perhaps she is just someone who wants to be the fairest of them all but just does not fit into society. I'm not really sure. The fact that we do not know Miss Brill's first name also fits in to her characterization. This shows that she doesn't want society to know who she really is. Maybe she is insecure in some way. Also, this hinders society from knowing her on a deeper level. Society in this story never takes the chance to get to know her. She is merely just someone there, like a shadow. Miss Brill's observations about the people she encounters reveal that she is a lonesome, nosy person. For instance, everyone she mentions is mentioned with someone else. Couples are everywhere in this story. The only thing that Miss Brill matches herself up with is her coat. Maybe this shows some significance because perhaps Miss Brill cannot find someone herself. I feel that she watches other couples to live vicariously through them. I also feel that she is single. If she was widowed or divorced, she might be called Ms. Brill. The fact that she is called Miss Brill, though, just makes me think that she always has been single. The conflict of the story is that Miss Brill is unaware that people don't let her in. She simply only stares and watches other people's lives instead of living one herself. The antagonist of the story is the people involved (society) because they are annoyed with Miss Brill's way of living, or should I say "not living" her own life.
"Once Upon a Time" by Nadine Gordimer
"Anyone who pulled off the sign YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED and tried to open the gates would have to announce his intentions by pressing a button and speaking into a receiver relayed to the house. The little boy was fascinated by the device and used it as a walkie-talkie in cops and robbers play with his small friends" (page 233).
At the beginning of the story, a writer is awakened by a frightening sound in the night. The cause for the sould that is the more significant cause for fear is the fact that it could be a murderer. She also thinks that it could be mysterious footsteps. These too create an emotional background for the 'children's story' she tells because it starts with a creepy, dark undertone. The writer is setting the tone for a scary child's story. The beginning just starts eery, and this tone remains until the end of the story. The stylistic devices that create the atmosphere of children's stories is that first off, it is titled "Once upon a time." Also, the story begins with a background story before it dives into the story at hand. Also, "one evening" and repetition of characters bad judgments is integrated throughout the story. I can somewhat fix the blame on the child's fate on his parents because the parents were warned from the beginning. Also, they allow their son to play with the buttons on the "YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED." Obviously, the son is too young to realize that what he is doing is wrong. His parents could have warned him to stop playing. Also, the boy climbs a ladder. Come on, parents! Why aren't you watching your son?! It's also to be expected because of the foreshadowing. The YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED is repeated three times. It's just an accident waiting to happen. The audience obviously knows that someone will be punished for going against the wishes of the witch.
At the beginning of the story, a writer is awakened by a frightening sound in the night. The cause for the sould that is the more significant cause for fear is the fact that it could be a murderer. She also thinks that it could be mysterious footsteps. These too create an emotional background for the 'children's story' she tells because it starts with a creepy, dark undertone. The writer is setting the tone for a scary child's story. The beginning just starts eery, and this tone remains until the end of the story. The stylistic devices that create the atmosphere of children's stories is that first off, it is titled "Once upon a time." Also, the story begins with a background story before it dives into the story at hand. Also, "one evening" and repetition of characters bad judgments is integrated throughout the story. I can somewhat fix the blame on the child's fate on his parents because the parents were warned from the beginning. Also, they allow their son to play with the buttons on the "YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED." Obviously, the son is too young to realize that what he is doing is wrong. His parents could have warned him to stop playing. Also, the boy climbs a ladder. Come on, parents! Why aren't you watching your son?! It's also to be expected because of the foreshadowing. The YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED is repeated three times. It's just an accident waiting to happen. The audience obviously knows that someone will be punished for going against the wishes of the witch.
"A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty
"Then she went on, parting her way from side to side with the cane, through the whispering field" (page 225).
After reading this story, I tried my best to discover the theme of it. However, I was drawing a blank. This lady just seems crazy to me. She travels through the forest, talking to herself and other animals. I feel that she is characterized as an innocent, old lady who really does have a passion for life. However, like any other old lady, she's kinda crabby. What does the part of her forgetting to get her grandson medicine symbolize? Does she even have a grandson or is she losing it mentally? I don't know. The story doesn't really have a purpose. It just kinda starts and ends. Nothing really gets accomplished and the story just kind of rambles on. However, once I got to the end, I noticed something of significance. Throughout the story, the old lady is travelling "uphill." She may be crazy and losing her memory, but she knows the way of the forest. She knows the path. Then, the story ends with her traversing downward. The very last sentence is "her slow step began on the stairs, going down." Maybe this symbolizes her life. Her life was going uphill for a while, and once she reached her destination, her life just went downhill. I don't know, maybe I'm reading too far into things. However, this just makes sense to me. Also, there are many obstacles along the way. This is similar to a person's life. We all have final destinations and the desire to make the final quest. However, obstacles arise along the way and hinder us from reaching our destination in a timely manner. In my religion class, we discussed that the journey is more meaningful than the destination because it forms a person's inner being. Maybe this is the case here.
After reading this story, I tried my best to discover the theme of it. However, I was drawing a blank. This lady just seems crazy to me. She travels through the forest, talking to herself and other animals. I feel that she is characterized as an innocent, old lady who really does have a passion for life. However, like any other old lady, she's kinda crabby. What does the part of her forgetting to get her grandson medicine symbolize? Does she even have a grandson or is she losing it mentally? I don't know. The story doesn't really have a purpose. It just kinda starts and ends. Nothing really gets accomplished and the story just kind of rambles on. However, once I got to the end, I noticed something of significance. Throughout the story, the old lady is travelling "uphill." She may be crazy and losing her memory, but she knows the way of the forest. She knows the path. Then, the story ends with her traversing downward. The very last sentence is "her slow step began on the stairs, going down." Maybe this symbolizes her life. Her life was going uphill for a while, and once she reached her destination, her life just went downhill. I don't know, maybe I'm reading too far into things. However, this just makes sense to me. Also, there are many obstacles along the way. This is similar to a person's life. We all have final destinations and the desire to make the final quest. However, obstacles arise along the way and hinder us from reaching our destination in a timely manner. In my religion class, we discussed that the journey is more meaningful than the destination because it forms a person's inner being. Maybe this is the case here.
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