Monday, November 29, 2010

Red Ryder Nails The Hammond Kid

Plot

The plot of the story revolves around the sign "Disarm the Toy Industry" (page 473 & 475) that the main character sees. This sign makes Ralphie think back and reflect upon his childhood. The specific memory that is evoked from's Ralphie's past was a specific Christmas where all he wanted was a "Red Ryder BB gn with a special sight and a compass in the stock with a sundial" (page 486). The plot of the story moves pretty quickly from Ralphie's adult environment back to his experience as a child. The diction during the flashback is much different from the diction during the small portion of the story that is Ralphie's adulthood. The author's word choice during the beginning is more complex and modern because of the certain point in time and because of Ralphie's age. Sentences that show Ralphie's placement in time as well as his maturity include "...out-of-work seal trainers, borderline bookies, ex-Opera divas, and panhandlers trying hard to look like Madison Avenue account men just getting out of the cold for a few minutes" (page 473). Another example of maturity and knowledge embedded in the flashback is the sentence that contains "...my father had taken me and my brother out in the Graham-Paige to 'pick up a bottle of wine'" (page 489). This shows that Ralphie now knows that his father did this to hide the secret of Santa's existence from him. "Maybe that was it! My mind reeled with the realization that maybe Santa did know how rotten I had been..." (page 486). shows youth and innocence in the middle of the flashback. The progression of time during the flashback also goes by quickly. A month goes by in the flashback throughout only twenty pages.

Point of View

The story is told in first person point of view by the main character, known as Ralphie during his younger years. Ralphie gives the reader an inside view of a Christmas experience and memory from his past through the incorporation of a flashback. The context of the flashback contains both childish and innocent thoughts and word choice as well as mature and developed thoughts and word choice. Both sides of Ralphie, himself as a boy and himself as a man, are shown throughout the story. His child side is shown when all he can say while visiting Santa is "Uhh...ahhh..." and "yeah" (page 486). However, when Ralphie describes the time that he knocked out his basement window with a sled runner, he uses the phrase "...and then compounding the idiocy by denying it when all the evidence was incontrovertible". No child would speak with language that is that advanced. Also, In random spots during the flashback, the author staggers various present thoughts from the main character. While describing waiting in line to see Santa, Ralphie talks about a time when he is older. "I was well into my twenties before I finally have up on the Easter bunny,..." (page 484). The point of view is unique because it incorporates Ralph, or "Ralphie", as a whole by incorporating various parts of his life.


Setting
There are multiple settings in this story. The first setting is Ralph sitting and eating in an H & H at a table with an older lady. The beginning of the story takes place in Mahattan. The interaction and conversation between these two leads into the flashback of Ralph's particular Christmas during his childhood. The setting changes during Ralph's flashback. As he goes back in time, Ralph goes back to his hometown in Indiana. The settings during this flashback in Indiana get even more specific. These include Ralphie's house (i.e. "living room", "bedroom", "kitchen") <>, the school ("Warren G. Harding School") <>, and "Goldblatt's" <>, the toystore where Ralphie visits Santa. Even though the flashback and the present part of the story are in different parts of the country, they both take place during the Christmas and winter season. The setting is important because Ralph's environment and surroundings in Manhattan on that particular day bring him back to a similar environment in the past during his life.

Characterization
The author uses the method of indirect characterization in this short story. The characters through their actions and reactions to certain events. Characteristics of the main character, Ralphie, are also shown through Ralphie's interactions and conversations with other minor characters that surround him. Ralphie's inner thoughts that are stated in the text allow the reader to understand Ralphie's true characteristics and qualities. Ralphie's two different character forms, his adult life and his childhood, are both displayed through these inner thoughts incorporated in the story. For example, Ralphie is visiting Santa in the toystore during the flashback, but the author adds in a thought from Ralphie looking back on the experience from the present. He states, "Even now there are times when I'm not so sure about the stork" (page 484). These types of quotes show that Ralphie has grown up and now looks back on the memory. Another example of this during Ralphie's youth when the author adds the internal thought "(A lie)" in between the sentences "Even though Flick is getting one" and "I guess...I guess...I sure would like a Sandy Andy, I guess" (page 480). These quotes show how Ralphie was persistent about his dream of a BB gun. They show how clever and witty Ralphie was as a kid to get what he wanted for Christmas that year.
Theme
I think that there are a few themes that can be applied to this story. One theme that I thought of is the universal joy of Christmas and the timeless memories that come with it. Even as a man who has grown up, Ralphie still can call to mind "...another Christmas, in another time, in another place, and a gun" (page 475). In an instant, his mind can be taken back to a happy time during his life that revolved around the memory of Christmas. Another theme that could be applied to this story is the innocence of childhood. Throughout the flashback, Ralphie references the classic childhood experience Christmas. These include visiting Santa, wishing for that one particular gift that we can't live without, and buying and wrapping presents for our families. The two themes of unforgettable childhood memories and the joyful season of Christmas create an enjoyable and lighthearted story that makes me ready for Christmas :)


















Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Eveline

I thought that the story of Eveline was somewhat ironic and sad. Since the author James Joyce is from Dublin, Ireland, I think that Eveline's story can be connected to the struggle that many women experienced in Ireland during the time of the author. Even though Eveline is not happy at home because she deals with her abusive dad, she still has trouble deciding whether or not to leave. Her lover Frank, a sailor, wants her to marry him and move with him to Buenos Aires. Frank has done everything for her and has treated her well, yet she gets cold feet at the dock when they get ready to leave for their new life. Even though good times with her father occured less than the bad times, Eveline cannot stop thinking about the positive memories of her father. Also, I think Eveline feels tied down to her home and to her father because of her promise to her mom before her death. Personally, I feel bad for Frank in this situation. He has done everything right in their relationship, but he ends up getting the short end of the stick when Eveline leaves him at the dock for Buenos Aires. I think that this story is about seeing the difference between recognizing the need for change and actually making it happen as well as the comfort and connection to one's home.

A Worn Path

This story really confused me, because I couldn't figure out the point. I was also confused about the main character, an old lady Phoenix Jackson. During our small group discussion today, we couldn't figure out if Phoenix was blind or if her eyesight was failing. We picked up on small details such as her cane "tapping on the earth", her wavering balance, and her hearing everything around her. We also discussed the relevence and importance of Phoenix's grandson in the story. We thought that he could maybe be dead and she could possibly be going insane. We had a theory that she went to get the pills for her grandson so that she could take them. We got the idea that she had some mental issues when she talked to the animals and the scarecrow on the way into town. However, we also thought that her grandson could really be alive and the story could be centered around dedication, sacrifice, and love. Even though Phoenix is old and faces her own problems, she sacrifices her time and puts her grandson's needs before her own. She is willing to make the long journey, steal a nickel, and buy a windmill all for her grandson.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Once Upon a Time

I thought that Once Upon a Time by Nadine Gordimer was a fairytale story gone wrong. There are certain aspects of fairytales in this work such as the witch, the family that lived "happily ever after", and the perfect world in which they lived. However, the realization that the world is no longer a perfect bubble as the story continues and the twisted ending of the story turn this fairytale into a horror story. There are multiple themes conveyed in the short story such as happiness and perfection, segregation, and fantasy versus reality. The story also contains ironic situations in the end. As the family sees the threats around them, they begin to realize that their world isn't so perfect after all. They decide to isolate themselves from the others who are different than they are, which ties into the theme of segregation. The family tries so hard to protect themselves and their home, but that protection ultimately ends up killing their son. I also thought that the phrases "you have been warned" and "dragon's teeth" were both capitalized. I saw this as almost a foreshadowing of the barbed wire bringing tragedy a bad omen to the family.

Miss Brill

There are numerous themes that are conveyed throughout the work Miss Brill. These themes include lonliness, rejection, and reality versus fantasy and illusion. The main character of the short story, Miss Brill, conveys the theme of lonliness. Her fixed and monotonous routine each and every Sunday show how truly desperate she is for connection to people and for the company of others. When she goes and listens to the band play in the same spot each week, Miss Brill soon feels like she belongs. She feels like she is essential to this scene, which she soon sees as a play. This environment with others is something that she can reach out to in order to feel like she belongs. However, a new couple come and sit down by her and she listens to their conversation. While doing this, Miss Brill hears them make fun of her and becomes upset. She feels rejected by the one thing that she cherished the most, which ties in the theme of rejection and denial. She is extremely saddened after this occurs, but it created a desire for change within her. Miss Brill began to realize the difference between reality and fantasy that day. She didn't stop by the bakery like she usually did, and she put the old fur that she was wearing away in the box. I think this symbolizes a shift in Miss Brill's view on the world around her as well as a transformation of her self-image.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Irony

After studying all three of the works from this unit, I noticed that there were many ironic situations incorporated throughout the stories. The stories that I noticed the irony in the most were "Everyday Use" and "Hunters in the Snow". In "Everyday Use", Dee (known as Wangero), is trying to find and emphasize her heritage. She takes a new name, wears African style clothing, and wants to continue growing closer to her African past with the quilts that belong to her mother. Even though she is trying so hard to become in touch with her family's past, she is forgetting her roots and where she came from. She does not like her family's home or the traditions of the deep south African Americans. This is ironic because she seeks to be connected with and more like her ancestory, yet she denies her family, which is the essence of who she really is. In addition to the irony in Dee's life, all three characters in "Hunters in the Snow" are placed in ironic situations. All three men talk about how they are such good friends to each other at one point or another in the story, yet their actions don't show this. Frank and Kenny constantly make fun of Tub until Tub stands up for himself and wins Frank's respect in a confrontation. Also, Frank and Tub completely disregard Kenny after he is shot. Without think of the pain that Kenny is experiencing, they decide to stop to warm up and get food and coffee. As Kenny is dying in the bed of the truck, Tub is saying that he always supports his friends and has their backs. Irony is strategically placed in both of these stories and allows them to be even more effective.

Bartleby the Scrivener

The story of Bartleby the Scrivener is told from the point of view of the lawyer, who is looking back on his experiences with Barleby. When Bartleby is employed by the lawyer, he slowly begins to act strange compared to the other employees at the office. Even when Bartleby refuses to comply with his requests, the lawyer keeps him around just out of curiosity to find out more about him. When Bartleby simply does not listen and decides to quit, he still stays around the office. The lawyer is not bothered by this, until it starts to affect his business. Bartleby is arrested for continuing to stay in the office even after the lawyer moves his business. After visiting Bartleby in prison and later finding him dead, the lawyer finds out that Bartleby previously worked at the Dead Letter office. Throughout the course of this story, I noticed two themes. The themes that stood out to me were charity and selfishness. These themes were incorporated through the actions and motives of the narrator. He continues to give Bartleby chances and allows him to keep his job even when he continues to say "I would prefer not to" constantly. The lawyer also allows Bartleby to stay in the office even after Bartleby quits his job. However, the narrator is selfish because of his motives. He helps Bartleby to feel better about himself. As soon as Bartleby begins to negatively affect his business, the lawyer can no longer help Bartleby. He sees Bartleby as a burdon rather than a charity case. The narrator's view suddenly changes, and Bartleby is ultimately affected with the consequences.

Hunters in the Snow

I think this story is all about selfishness and self-absorption in the friendship of the characters. The three friends, Tub, Frank, and Kenny, all have issues in their personal lives or flaws that they have to deal with. Tub is overweight because of his eating habits, but blames it on "gland problems". Frank is considering leaving his wife for their family babysitter, who happens to be only fifteen years old. Lastly, Kenny just doesn't care about anything or anyone. This is shown when he nearly hits Tub with his car when he and Frank come to pick Tub up. The plot of this story is so important because it shows shifts in relationships and alliances within the group of three friends. At first, Tub is isolated by Kenny and Frank when they make fun of him and call him fat and dumb. Then, Kenny and Tub come together after Frank is shot when they share their personal problems with each other. They stop to warm up and grab coffee and a bite to eat while Frank is bleeding to death in the freezing cold outside. At the end of the story, the twist comes with the last two sentences. Frank and Tub took a "different" turn. Different and wrong have two completely different meanings when placed in that context, which mean that the two men driving didn't really care what happened to Kenny. The point of the whole story is to show the shift in friendships as well as the overpowering trait of selfishness that each of the three characters is guilty of possessing.

Everyday Use

This story is told in the point of view of "mama", the mother of Maggie and Dee. Although Maggie and Dee are sisters, they are foil characters throughout the entire story. While Maggie is shy, self-conscious, and close to her mother, Dee is outgoing, confident, and distant from the culture of the deep south. Dee embraces part of her heritage, but she also isolates herself from the other part. She takes a new name, Wangero, because she wants to identify with her African heritage and history. She avoids the deep south, where her family resides, and only visits them rarely. I also saw the mother in the story and Dee as foil characters. Dee has been given the opportunity to receive an education, which has ultimately distanced her from her background, true heritage, and family life. Mama never had the chance to receive an education because her school was shut down, and I noticed that her vocabulary and diction were at a lower level. She lives a simple, southern life and values her personal history as one of her main treasures. The quarrel over the quilts is a defining moment for these two sets of foil characters. Dee doesn't understand the true value of the quilts that were passed from generation to generation to tell the story of their ancestors. Mama sees the quilts as one of her most prized possesions, because the quilts are all she has left of her extended family from the past.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

A Rose for Emily #2

After I read the story, I thought that I would have a better understanding about the title. Why did Faulkner choose a rose, of all flowers to give to Emily? When I think of roses, I think of happiness and love. However, Emily is portrayed as the complete opposite of this. She is alone in her house, secluded from the rest of the town. She is judged constantly by those around her, and she doesn't seem to be happy all by herself. I looked through the story twice and couldn't figure out why the author came up with the title. Is the rose a symbol for something possibly? I thought that maybe it had something to do with the fact that people felt sorry and had sympathy for her. Then I thought that maybe the rose had something to do with funeral flowers, because that is the only time that flowers were mentioned. I know the rose has to have some significance, but I just can't figure it out.

A Rose For Emily

The plot and structure of A Rose for Emily was extrememly important to the overall effect of the piece. The story is told from the point of view of some townspeople, which also adds to the tone of the work. The story is being told after Emily's death, so it is not in chronological order. It is looking back on the past events of Emily's life after the people have realized that she is dead. The fact that the story is split into five sections that jump from one point in time to another add suspense and mystery. Because the people from the town told the story, I was curious to see how different Emily really was compared to their opinions, thoughts, and rumors about her. If the story were told from Emily's point of view, the plot would have changed drastically. Emily seems very distant and isolated because of the point of view chosen by the author. The way the story is told out of order and the point of view without Emily's thoughts or feelings creates a huge climax that ends the story and leaves readers shocked.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Interpreter of Maladies

Interpreter of Maladies is all about the Das Family, Mrs. Das in particular, and Mr. Kapasi crossing paths during the Das family vacation to India. Although this short story deals with relationships like How I Met My Husband, the point of view of the two stories are different. This story is told in third-person limited point of view. Instead of revealing the thoughts and feelings of all characters this narrator only delves into the perception of Mr. Kapasi. When the Das family is separated from Mr. Kapasi in different parts of the story, the narrator stays with him. I think the plot of this story revolves around the progression of familiarity between the two most important characters, Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi. At first, Mrs. Das views Mr. Kapasi exclusively as an employee with little or no interest in him. As the story continues, Mrs. Das becomes intrigued by Mr. Kapasi's other job as a translator for a doctor. She starts to warm up to Mr. Kapasi when she offers him gum and puffed rice, asks for his address to send him a picture, and even confides in him with her biggest secret that she hasn't told anyone else. Because the action is seen in the eyes of Mr. Kapasi, I began to see how he misconstrued Mrs. Das's interest in his services as a translator as infatuation. Using his point of view, Mr. Kapasi makes the problem about himself. Because he is unhappy in his own marriage, he thinks that the best solution for both himself and Mr. Das is to be together. I came to understand his feelings about Mrs. Das when he described her in his thoughts and began to act differently around her.

"How I Met My Husband"

This short story is told in chronological order from Edie's point of view. She is looking back on her past, which gives the piece a nostalgic tone. The structure of the story revolves around the actions of two main characters, Edie and Chris Watters. Edie is the protagonist of the story, and Chris Watters is a pilot who shows up to give plane rides for a fee. Although the thoughts and feelings of Chris Watter are not expressed in depth or detail like those of Edie, I understood his importance to the plot. Edie's reactions to Chris Watters conveyed by thoughts and feelings in the story show how central Chris is to the overall plot. The point of view of this story is first person, told from the perspective of Edie. Edie's mind-set added into the story allowed me to feel sympathy for her in diffferent situations in the story. An example of this would be when she was worried about Chris telling Mrs. Peebles that he saw her dressed up. I felt anxious and worried for her because of the huge importance of her first job. Edie telling the story also shows a transition between the young and maturing Edie versus the now mature, experienced, and knowledgeable Edie. The point of view in which Edie looked at the experience from the past created a twist in the plot. I would have never guessed that she married the Carmichael mailman and not Chris Watter, but the whole point of the story was to show Edie's shift from Chris, immaturity, and infatuation to her current husband, maturity and true love.