Everday Use- Alice Walker

Abstract: In the story, Mama and Maggie are waiting in their yard for Dee to come home. Dee is the oldest daughter, and she is more educated and stylish. She can read while Maggie and Mama can't. Maggie also has scars. She was burned when their house burned down. Dee never liked the house. Maggie is also very timid.She hides and is kind of scared of Dee. When Dee comes home, she brings a boy with her. Dee comes out of the car and is wearing a long dress with very loud and bright colors. Dee now wants them to call her by the name Wangero. She wanted to change her name because she no longer wanted to be named after the people that oppressed her. The man that came with Dee, Asalmalakim, meanwhile is trying to shake hands with Maggie, but she won't. Mama doesn't know for sure if Dee and Asalmalakim have been married. Then they have dinner. While at dinner, Wangero sees a some things that she wants. She wants the churn and dasher. Wangero then went searching through a trunk and found two quilts. These quilts were made out of her grandmothers and grandfathers old clothing. Mama was going to give these quilts to Maggie though when she gets married. Wangero says that Maggie won't really appreciate the quilts and will use them. Wangero says she will appreciate them and hang them on her wall. Maggie then said Wangero could have the quilts. Mama though then took the quilts and grabbed Maggie and went into the room and said that Dee could have different ones. Dee was mad and told her mother that she should start to understand her heritage again and left. Maggie and Mama then sat in the yard and enjoyed the day.

Response: Mama and Dee seem like very different people that have completely different views on life. Mama is more simple and enjoys the simpler things in life like sitting outside. While Dee wants to be cultured. She is more glamorous. She wears big sunglasses and such. She also feels like she is better than her family because she had an education. She also doesn't do manual work like her mother who works hard outside. Dee does not really appreciate her mother. She never liked the house she lived in, and I don't think Dee ever really appreciated that her mother was the reason that she was able to go to school and become educated. Dee also feels like she understands her heritage more than her mother. She changed her name to a more African name and dresses with African attire. Dee wants the quilts with her grandmothers and grandfathers clothing. Mama won't let her though. Mama stands up for her daughter that she knows won't ever have a life like her sister. Maggie is slow, and she is also scared. Dee feels more entitled to things than Maggie because she is educated and beautiful. The title also reflects different aspects of the story. "Everyday Use" could reflect the everyday use of the different character's education. Mama had an education that didn't involve school. She was taught instead by her family and surroundings to be useful and work hard. That is why she sees it as so so odd that Dee would just hang the quilts up and not use them. Dee uses her education differently though. Her education taught her about her culture and its past. Since she is educated and knows about her culture, she wants to embrace it and cherish the different aspects of it. Mama doesn't find the need for that though because she needs to think about other things in order to live. Instead she can only focus on the things that are needed for everyday use, and she doesn't have the time to think about her heritage while Dee has the time because she is not required to help out on the farm because she is educated and lives and works somewhere else.

The Things They Carried- Tim O'Brien

Abstract: The story is set in Vietnam. First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is there. He loves a girl named Martha that does not love him back. She only has platonic feelings for him. Throughout the story the soldiers are described through the different things they carry. Some carry different equipment for their specific jobs while others carry things out of superstition. Some carried things because of the sentimental value. They all carried emotional hardships and baggage also. They were filled with grief, terror, love, and longing. They did not let their pain show though and kept a mask on. One day they were going through the tunnels and a guy named Lavender got shot and died. One man Kiowa then kept talking about it. Cross blamed himself for it. He thought that it was because of him and his daydreaming that Cross died. He then burned Martha's letters and two photographs. He then vowed to himself that he would not think about Martha again because it was a waste of his time since she didn't even care about him. He would now perform his duties firmly and without negligence. He would make sure that no one else died because of him. He would be the leader that he should and would not let his men behave in ways that could cause their deaths.

Response: I really enjoyed this story. I liked how the author switched between describing what the men were carrying and the storyline. He did not describe people, but you still knew a lot about them from all of the different items that they carried. You learned what they cared about and also what they did. O'Brien often says how much each thing weighed that they carried, but the heaviest thing they carried was not something tangible but rather intangible. By saying the weight of the different items, it make you realize how much the soldiers really did carry around. It kind of burdens you down to realize how much weight they have to physically carry around, and the different emotions and memories that the soldiers had to carry. The war had a big psychological impact on the men. All of the men lived with fear. They feared for their lives. Lavender carried his fear with him because he always carried many different weapons in order if someone came up on him. He dealt with his fear by taking tranquilizers and also smoking dope. It is ironic how he died in the one moment he had no fear. Kiowa also had fear of death. When he saw Lavender die, he was really disturbed. He couldn't stop talking about it. He had to compare Lavender to cement in order to dehumanize him, so it wouldn't disturb him as much to talk about Lavender dying. Cross also fears disappointing his men. He became even more fearful after Lavender died that he would not pay enough attention in the future so more of his men would die. He decided to internalize his fear and not show it. He would put on a front in order to better protect his men. The other men also all live with fear. They are all afraid of dying in battle. They are always on edge scared that an enemy will walk up behind them and kill them. They all felt like cowards because they didn't want to be there and were scared of dying. That is why they killed other people. They wanted to show to their friends and fellow soldiers that they were not afraid of battle and dying. They also were fearful of themselves. They feared that sometime they would decide to try to injure themselves in order for them to be sent home. They were fearful of being seen as a coward that is why they would keep trudging through battle even though it caused them a lot of pain and suffering.

The Red Convertible- Louise Erdrich

Abstract: In the story, Lyman and his brother Henry live on a reservation. They buy a red convertible one day. They both paid for it and thus shared the car. Lyman and Henry went many places in the car. They went to Montana and then they went to Alaska. They went to Alaska because one day when they were driving down the road they saw a girl with her hand out. They picked her up and asked where she lived, and she said Alaska. They then decided to go there. They lived in a tent by her house. They stayed during the summer, but they then left when the weather started turning colder. When they got home, Henry had to go to the army. He didn't go to the army though. Instead he went to the Marines. Henry then went to Vietnam. He told Lyman when he left that the car was now his, but Lyman just kept it in the garage and didn't drive it. Lyman wasn't concerned with the draft because he was always good with numbers. When Henry came home, he was different from when he left. He became very quiet and fidgety. He was also jumpy and mean. Lyman and his family knew that Henry needed help. Lyman then thought about the car. Henry hadn't even looked at the car since he got home. Lyman ruined the car. He hit it with a hammer and ruined the muffler. He beat the car up. Henry then eventually found it. He said how it looked like shit, and Lyman ruined it. Henry then spent numerous days fixing the car. He fixed the car though. One day they went on a ride in the car. They went toward the Red River because the water was high. They then watched the current. Henry then said how he knew Lyman ruined the car. He then wanted to give the car to Lyman, but he didn't want it. They got into a fight. Henry jumped in the river sometime later. When he jumped in, the current started to take him. Henry's boots then started to fill up, and he drowned. Lyman then took the car and put it in first gear and took his foot off the clutch. He then watched as the car drove into the river.

Response: The war obviously changed Henry. He probably had PTSD. He wasn't himself when he returned. He was jumpy and quiet. The war left deep psychological scars in Henry. He probably was left with the fear of someone sneaking up on him to kill him. At the end of the story when he goes into the river, I don't think he wanted to kill himself, but when his boots started to fill, he didn't really care. He was probably depressed and didn't have it in him to try to fight the current which was a result of his experiences in war. The car symbolizes Henry and Lyman's relationship. When they bought the car, the car was new and nice. Henry and Lyman's relationship at the time was good. They didn't have any problems really and were able to travel the country together. When Henry went to war, the car stayed in the garage and was stagnate just like Henry and Lyman's relationship. Lyman would write to Henry during the war, but Henry wouldn't write back. When Henry returned and Lyman ruined the car, this portrayed Henry and Lyman's new relationship. Their relationship was now battered and wasn't the same. When Henry fixed the car, their relationship was starting to get better. They were able to talk and had a good time at the river. When Henry died and Lyman then drove the car into the river, this symbolized the end of their relationship. The boot also symbolize the war. Henry wore the boots. Henry would always wear the scars of war, and the war would always affect him. The boots were also the cause of his death, but in reality the cause was the war. The war caused Henry to change. He was depressed and had issues which I think caused Henry not want to fight the current when he was drowning and just let it take him. The war caused Henry to not want to live and just let whatever happen to him happen. I think Lyman felt guilty about his brother's death. He felt bad because he said he always had luck. He had the luck and wasn't drafted into the war like his brother. He felt guilty that he had more luck than his brother because it could have been him that was sent to war. His brother then came home and wasn't the same which made Lyman feel bad. He just wanted to have his old brother back, and he also realized that it could have easily been him that was changed if his name was picked, and he would have been sent to war.

The Lesson- Toni Cade Bambara

Abstract: Sylvia and her friends are from the ghetto. They are poor. Sylvia is pretty tough. She doesn't let people mess with her, and she is kind of a bully to her friends. Sylvia doesn't like Miss Moore very much. She doesn't want listen to her, and she especially doesn't want to be standing outside with her in the hot weather when she could go to the movies or go swimming. Miss Moore is a college grad that is unmarried that moves into their neighborhood. She likes to teach them different lessons. One day, she takes them to New York City. They go into a toy store where they see all of the different and expensive toys. They see how expensive all of the toys are. When they get back home, Miss Moore asks the what they all learned from going to the toy store. Sylvia's friend, Sugar, says that they the price one person pays for a toy could feed all of them for a year. Sylvia is upset with Sugar because she feels like she betrayed her, but then she starts thinking. When Miss Moore asks them if they have anything else to say and looks straight at Sylvia, Sylvia doesn't say anything. Sugar then says how they have four dollars, and she runs to away to go get some food. Sylvia doesn't follow her though because instead she is going somewhere else to think this day through because no one is going to beat her at anything.

Response: At the end, Sylvia really has learned a lesson. She realizes that she may be on the bottom of the totem pole, but that does not mean that she is not going to be successful in life. She wants to make a better life for herself and beat the odds. I think Miss Moore taught them a powerful lesson. She taught them that there are economic inequalities in the world. I think that the children never really thought this before. Instead they just thought that they were poor. Miss Moore taught them that there are injustices in the world, and its not always fair that some people are already born with an advantage over others. Sylvia's tough attitude made her want to overcome the odds and be successful. She has a lot against her though like her being black, from the ghetto, and being poor. She never likes to lose though, and she especially doesn't want to lose to people who already have an advantage over her. Sylvia also felt kind of bad about herself at the toy store like she shouldn't be there or touch the toys, but she had the same rights as everyone else. Sylvia didn't like feeling this way which will be another reason to why she will so determined to make a better life for herself. She is also very different from her friend Sugar. Sugar says its because of the flaws of government and our economy, but Sylvia won't let that stop her from doing what she wants and becoming successful. This story also teaches how it is important to listen to others when they have something to say. Sylvia tried to ignore what Miss Moore was trying to teach her, but when she finally did listen, she learned a really good lesson that will probably impact her for the rest of her life.

Happy Endings- Margaret Atwood

Abstract: In this story, John and Mary meet. The story then goes on to say what will happen to them if you want a happy ending. The story is divided into 6 different parts or scenarios. In A, John and Mary fall in love and get married. They have children and good jobs. Their life is nice, and then they die. In B, Mary falls in love, but John does not fall in love with Mary. John just wants Mary for sex. Mary becomes depressed. When she learns that John took another lady, Madge, to a restaurant, this depresses her even more because he never took her to restaurant. Mary then kills herself in hopes that John will save her, but he doesn't. John and Madge then get married and live their life like in A. In C, John is a older man and he loves Mary who just feels sorry for him. Mary is in love with James who is her age but not ready to settle down. John is married though. When he finds Mary and James together he becomes depressed. He then shoots them and himself. Madge, John's wife, then mourns him and marries Fred, and they live their life like in A. In D, Fred and Madge have no problems. Their life is nice, but their house by the sea gets hit by a tidal wave. A lot of people died, but they survived and continued their life like in A. In E, Fred has a bad heart. Then both are very kind and nice until Fred dies. Madge then volunteers for charities. In F, it says how you could change the characters and what they do, but the story would still end the same. It says the only true ending is John and Mary die.

Response: This story was very interesting. I like it and the format of it. The characters have no personalities though they just have their names. Atwood didn't really describe them. You just learn more about them through their actions. I think Atwood wanted this story to be very plain and simple, and she wanted to show that no matter what you say the people's characteristics or the different plots and twists of the story, the story always end the same. Either the story ends with a fake happy ending, or it ends with the characters dying which would be more true because it is a fact that everyone will die. She also writes how the beginnings and middle are always more fun because you get to change different things, but the ending aren't because they die or it's a fake happy ending. She is not just relating this story to writing but also to life. No one wants to talk about the end of life because it is depressing and every end is the same because everyone dies. Mary also changes in each ending. In B, she kills herself and feels sad for herself and is a pushover. In C, she feels sorry for John and is more confident and in control. The author also tells how it is not the what that makes the story, but the why and how because that is all that matters. If there is no how or why, then the story means nothing. The story also makes you think about your life. What do you want to do to make the middle of your 'story' exciting? In the end, the only thing that matters are the middle and the beginning and how you lived your life because by the end the only thing left will be the memory of what you did.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love- Raymond Carver

Abstract: In the story, four friends are sitting around the table drinking gin. One friend is Mel ,a cardiologist, who is married to Terri, and then there is Nick who is married to Laura. They are all talking about love. Terri talks about how her ex-boyfriend loved her even though he was abusive. Mel does not think it was love, but Terrie insists that he really did love her, but he just showed his love differently. When Terri left her boyfriend, he ate rat poison which really screwed his teeth up. He then would stalk Mel and Terrie. He would threaten to kill Mel. Her ex-boyfriend then eventually shot himself and died, and Terrie was in the room with him when he died. Nick and Laura also love each other. Their love was still in the honeymoon stage. Mel also talks about how love changes for people. He used to love his wife, but now he hates her. Mel also tells how one day an old couple were in a car accident. They were extremely injured. They had casts all over their bodies. The husband was depressed though even though he knew his wife was going to live. He was so upset because he couldn't see her through the eye holes in his cast. They then finish the gin. Once they have finished the gin, Nick hears his and the others' hearts beating. Not one of them moved though when the room went dark.

Response: Even though throughout the whole story they talk about love, none of the characters really know what love is. Nick and Laura cannot really describe their love. Mel says how if one of them died the other would grieve for some time, but then the other person would just go out and love someone else again. He then says how the love for the deceased person would just be a memory, but it may not even be a memory. Mel also doesn't understand the old couple's love. None of the other friends could understand it either when Mel asked if they knew what he was saying. It is ironic that Mel is a cardiologist and works with hearts, but he doesn't understand love. The characters also could be trying to fill the void in their life because of the absence of love with alcohol. They all don't really know what love is, and different forms of love confuse them. Mel is confused about how he once loved his ex-wife, but now he hates her. He also seems depressed about his life. It seems like he wishes that he could have the love and passion like other people have, but he doesn't. When the gin is finally gone and none of them move, they don't move because they realized that no of them have ever really moved. Their whole life they have been the same and nothing has really changed them. Their lives will always be empty and dark like the room because they don't really know what love is or have the ability to love.

Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?- Joyce Carol Oates

Abstract: In the story, Connie is a girl who always wonders how she looks. Her mother does not like her for this. Connie always goes to the mall with her friends. She would then go to the the drive-in restaurant across the highway. She would meet boys there too. One day, her parent and her sister went to a barbecue and she stayed at home. She was sitting in her room, and she heard a car come up. When she went to see who it was, she recognized the car. She had seen it before at the drive-in restaurant. There were two men inside it. One had shaggy black hair, and the other had side burns. The man with the shaggy black hair, Arnold Friend, wanted Connie to go on a ride with him. Connie doesn't want to go on a ride with him though. She can tell that he looks like he's in his thirty's, and his friend looks like he is about forty. Arnold Friend also knows a lot about Connie. He knows what she was doing the night before, and he knows her friends' and family's names. He also keeps telling her he is her friend and calls her 'my Connie'. Connie keeps telling him how she they better leave, but they won't. She then tells her she will call the police. His friend says he will turn the phone off, and Arnold says that if she calls the police, he will come inside and get her. He also tells her that he will pretty much rape her. She becomes frightened and finally tries to call the police. When she does, it is the dial tone. She then starts screaming. She then lost all of her emotion and gave up. Arnold then tells her how they will go to a nice place. She then finally gives up and goes with Arnold.

Response:Tshis story has a lot of deception in it. First, Connie does not just deceive her friend and family, but also herself. She has two sides. She has the side for home and the side for her friends. At home she is not really herself because she is afraid of being criticized by her mother. Since she has two different sides, she does not know who she really is. Arnold Friend also tries to deceive Connie. He tries to disguise himself as a younger person when he is really old. He also tries to deceive Connie and say he just wants to go on a ride with her, but he really has different ideas. He tries to make Connie feel safe saying he knows her, but he really doesn't and just wants to harm her. He also tries to use her sort of disgust she has for her family. He tells her she is better than them in order to make her try to make her like him. Arnold is tempting Connie. He seems like he really wants to make her go to the 'evil' side. She is sort of deciding between still wanting to be innocent and a child or become an adult. Connie doesn't really know what to do, and she is apprehensive to go with Arnold. When she finally leaves the house, she is going into her adulthood. She knows she will no longer be innocent and this makes her sad even though before in her life she was always trying to do adult things. She is also letting Arnold win though and letting him get what he wants. In the story, Arnold the man is the powerful one while Connie is the weak one giving into his desires and not standing up for herself. She lets herself be taken advantage of by Arnold. Arnold is depicted being more powerful than Connie because he knows what to do and what to say in order for him to get what he wants and make Connie give up her fight against him.

A & P- John Updike

Abstract: The narrator, Sammy, is working in a grocery store. He lives just north of Boston. One day while he is working, some girls come in. They are wearing their swimsuits and he admires them while they walk around the store. He especially likes the one who he thinks is the queen or leader of the group. He likes how the straps of her swimsuit come off her shoulders. He sort of objectifies them. When they check out, they come to his register. Right then, the store manager Lengel comes in. When he sees the girls, he tells them that it isn't the beach. Queenie tells him she was just getting a jar of herring snacks for her mother. When Sammy hears her voice, he is startled because he did not expect it to sound like it did. Lengel then goes on to say how they need to come into the store decently dressed. Queenie then says that they are decent. Lengel then tells Sammy to check them out. He does this, but then he says that he quits. Queenie and her friends don't notice though. They leave the store. Sammy then thinks that he really doesn't want to quit, but he needs to because he said he was going to. He was angry that Lengel embarrassed the girls. He then walks out, but the girls aren't there anymore. He then thinks that the world is going to be hard to him in the future.

Response: I think when Sammy walks out he realizes that life is going to be harder for him in the future. He will do things that won't always get recognition. He will also do things that he may regret later. He wanted to be the girls hero, but they didn't notice him at all and just left. He quit his job to help defend them, but he didn't really want to then. He went through with it though because he knew that once you start something you need to finish it. He was becoming more of an adult and realized that his actions like standing up for the girls did have consequences like losing his job. Even though he quit,his parents would still be angry at him. This story also objectifies the girls. Pretty much the whole story Sammy is just looking at the girls' bodies and criticizing them. It is also stereotyping men that all they care about or look at are girls looks. Sammy is also confused between rules and wanting to please the girls. He knows that is store policy, but he also doesn't want to girls to feel embarrassed. He also judges people differently because of their age. He describes the girls as cute while when he sees older people he describes what they are wearing was baggy gray pants. He also feels bad when Lengel makes the girl blush.

A Good Man Is Hard to Find- Flanery O'Connor

Abstract: In the story, a family is going on vacation. The grandmother wants to go to eastern Tennessee to see people she knows there, but her son wants to go to Florida. The grandmother says they shouldn't go to Florida though because 'The Misfit' has escaped from prison and is loose in Florida. They go to Florida anyways. The grandmother makes sure that she is dressed nicely like a lady, so that if they get in a car accident people will know she is a lady. They stop along the way and talk to an owner of a filing station. He says how he let some men get gas on credit, and they probably stole it from him. The grandmother then says he did it because he is a good man. On the way, the grandmother remembers an old plantation that she used to go. She wants to see it, so she says how there is a secret passage in it that the family hid silver in. The two grandchildren then really want to go, so their dad, Bailey, finally gives in. They then are traveling on a gravel road. The grandmother then realized that the house she was thinking of may have been in Tennessee. The moment she thinks that she knocks over a valise which then caused the newspaper over the basket containing the cat to move. The cat then escaped and jumped onto Bailey. They then rolled two times. When they got out of the car, they saw that a car was coming. The car had three men it. Grandmother recognized one of the men as 'The Misfit'. The grandmother then asks him if he would shoot a lady or not. He said he wouldn't. She then keeps telling him that he is from a good family. She also tells him that he should pray. His men then take Bailey and his son into the forest and shoots them. They come out and give 'The Misfit' Bailey's shirt. They then take Bailey's wife, their daughter, and their baby into the forest and shoots them. The grandmother then talks to him and says how he is one of her children and touches him on the shoulder. 'The Misfit' springs back and shoots the grandmother three times.

Response: The grandmother seems kind of selfish. She doesn't really seem to care when they take her family into the forest to shoot them. She doesn't say no. She just lets them go. She also was probably the only reason they got killed. She wanted to see the plantation, and then she brought the cat which caused the accident. She was also the one that said she knew the man was 'The Misfit'. Why did she touch him at the end? Did she do it to try to save herself? I don't really think that she thought he was her son. I think that she thought that maybe if she said that and tried to touch him, then he would feel bad for her and not kill her. She also said you wouldn't shoot a lady. She didn't say you wouldn't shoot someone. She only said lady. She wasn't trying to save the rest of her family. She was just trying to save herself because she said how she was a lady, and she also looked like a lady. Why did the Misfit say that she would have been a good woman if there was someone there to shoot her everyday? Did he mean that someone should have been there to shoot her up and not always let her be so demanding and selfish? The Misfit also had some issues. He killed his father, but he didn't remember it. I think he killed his father because he was angry at him because his father always said how he was different from his siblings and questioned things. He just blocked it from his mind. He also was mad because he felt like he was in jail longer than he needed to be. He also seemed angry at Jesus for coming back from the dead. He said that Jesus threw everything off balance. The Misfit seemed confused with his beliefs which could be a reason why he killed people. He didn't understand why Jesus would raise people from the dead. He then thought that Jesus didn't really do what he said, so he felt like he should enjoy his life. The way he found enjoyment was by killing people and burning things down.

The Lottery- Shirley Jackson

Abstract: It is June 27th which is the day of the lottery. Many other towns around the area also have their own lottery. Some towns though have given up the lottery which people in the town view as crazy. It was held in the town square and led by Mr. Summers. Everyone seems on edge before and during it like they aren't looking forward to it. One woman, Mrs. Hutchinson, forgot it was lottery day, but she quickly ran to the square. To start the lottery, each man or head of household would be called by Mr. Summers and he would then come up and pick out a piece of paper. It used to be wood chips, but they changed it over the years. Each man then went back to where he was standing before they opened it. Then Mr. Summers gave them permission to open their pieces of paper. When they open it, they all wonder who got the piece of paper with the black dot on it. The man who got it was Mr. Hutchinson. His wife keeps on saying how it wasn't fair though because he wasn't given enough time to choose his piece of paper. He was then asked if there were any other households in the Hutchinsons, but there was only one them, his family. Then everyone in the family including Bill, his wife Tessie, and their three kids drew out pieces of paper. They then did the same process. When they opened the piece of paper, Tessie was the one with the black dot. The villagers then preformed the ritual. They went to the stack of stones previously stacked by the boys. They grabbed the stones and then threw them at Tessie and killed her while she yelled that it wasn't fair.

Response: This story was very disturbing. It's sick how at the end Tessie's own child throws the stones at her. It's ironic how the story was titled "The Lottery" because I associate winning the lottery as something good when in this story it is something bad. The people of the town are barbaric. They stone someone because they think it will bring a good harvest. It is ironic how one man said if they didn't stone someone they should just go back to living in caves when what they are doing is like cavemen. The black box I believe symbolizes death. It holds someone's fate in it which is to die. This is also like the black dot the paper. The simple black dot symbolizes your death. Their names also go along well with this story like Graves and Harry Jones. Harry Jones could be like an ape man which is barbaric, and Graves for the death of the person who gets stoned and then put into their grave. Dunbar also seems like a name for some barbaric person because it sounds like dumb. This story also depicts men as being the strong ones and leaders of the households. The men are the one that go up and pick a piece of paper while the woman watch. The author also depicts Tessie as a weak female who whines because she does not believe the lottery was fair. She is also the one ultimately sacrificed for the community. What did the writer want to portray through this piece? Did she want to portray how society was barbaric? It was written around the civil rights era, so she could have wrote it to try to convey society through it. By the lottery, she could have meant that it was just by chance that black people were slaves and it could have easily been the other way around. Society treated black people barbarically during this time period and not just literally threw stones at them but they also symbolically threw stones at them by degrading and disrespecting them.

Battle Royal- Ralph Ellison

Abstract: In the beginning, the narrator describes his grandfather. He said that some people thought he was odd. His grandfather also stayed in his place in society when he was given freedom. On his death bed, his grandfather said how he was a traitor and that his family needed to keep up the fight. He wanted them to overcome them (whites). He then died. His grandfather's last word stayed with the narrator. He would always be haunted by what he meant. The narrator then goes on to become valedictorian of his high school. On graduation day, he spoke about how humility was the secret of progress. He was then supposed to say his speech the next night at a gathering of the town's leading white citizens. When he got there, he discovered that he was to fight in the battle royal before he gave his speech. When they got to the room to fight, there was a naked woman there. The boys didn't know how to act because some of the men told them to look while others told them not to. When the woman left, they began to fight. They were all blindfolded, and they then fought each other. Eight of the boys eventually left the ring, and the narrator was left to fight the last guy. He lost the fight. When they were done, they were told to pick up money off of a rug in the middle of the room. When they went to pick up the money, they discovered that the rug would electrocute them. Some of the white men would even push the boys onto the rug to see them squirm. The whole time though the boys would laugh. When they were done with that, they were all given their prizes. It was then the narrator's turn to speak. When he was speaking, people weren't really paying attention, and they would taunt him. The boy's superintendent then came up and gave the boy a briefcase. In the briefcase, there was a scholarship to a black college. The boy was extremely excited. When he got home, his family was excited too. The boy also did not let his grandfather's last words spoil his triumph which he usually let happen. That night though he had a dream. In the dream, the boy was with his grandfather. His grandfather gave him a brief case and told him to open it. When he did, there was an envelope. In each envelope, there were more envelopes. He then opened one. In it there was a short message that said, "To Whom It May Concern Keep This Nigger-Boy Running." When he woke up, the boy could still hear his grandfather laughing. This dream the narrator would remember forever. At time he said he had no idea what it meant. He first had to go to college.

Response: This story is very disturbing. It depicts the conflict that black people faced in their life. It was either to go along with the whites or to try to forge their own identities and not be oppressed by whites. This is very evident in the story. The narrator's grandfather said how he was a traitor. I think he meant that he was a traitor to his race and should not have let the white people oppress him. He wants his family to do a better job than he did instead of just trying to please white people. The narrator doesn't get this though. He wants to be just like his grandfather and be liked by the whites. When he goes to the fight and sees the naked woman this is evident. He is attracted to woman, but he shouldn't look at her because she is white and black men weren't supposed to look at white woman. He is also completely disrespected by the white people. He gives a speech about how humility will work towards progress, but in reality it won't. By not standing up for themselves, black people would have just been further oppressed and looked down upon by whites. The narrator did not get this when his grandfather told him to fight against whites. The narrator was treated horribly, but he was still happy when he got the scholarship even though the white people had just finished making a joke of him. It was ironic how he was speaking about how humility was important while he was being humiliated. I think when he keeps speaking even though people are laughing he is just adding more to the white peoples feeling of power over blacks. Also when he just keeps swallowing his blood, he is just swallowing his dignity. When he his grandfather gives him the briefcase in his dream and the note that says, "To Whom It May Concern Keep This Nigger-Boy Running," the boy doesn't really know what this means. I think that it means that white people want black people to always keep 'running.'By running, I think it means that they want black people to run away from trying to be like whites. They want them to accept that they are not like white people. It may also mean that no matter how much a black person may try to be respected by whites it will never work because white people will never accept them. That may be why the grandfather is laughing because he sees that is what the white people did to him, and it didn't work which is why he wants his family and his grandson to fight against them and not be a traitor to their race. This story could also be a reflection of the author's take on how society viewed him. Ralph Ellison was black, and he may have felt that society looked down upon him. He may have also felt invisible like the narrator did because no one really paid attention to him. He also could have felt invisible because white people thought that he didn't deserve respect and just looked over him.

The Chrysanthemums- John Steinbeck

Abstract:One day a woman, Elisa, is gardening. It is winter and very foggy. She is really good at gardening and grows beautiful, tall Chrysanthemums. Her husband has left to herd some animals, and then they are going out to eat and to a movie to celebrate his sale of cattle. While she is gardening, an old wagon then pulls up. The man in the truck fixes things and travels up and down the coast all year. He keeps on asking her if he can fix anything, and she says no. He then asks about her flowers. She then becomes very excited and prepares some stalks of the chrysanthemums to be sent to one of his customers who had asked him to keep an eye open for their seeds. Elisa likes the man very much especially because of the way he describes the flowers. She even attempts to touch him, but then snatches her hand back before she does. She then goes and finds him two pans to mend. When he leaves, she gets ready to go out with her husband. Her husband notices how she looks different. He says that she looks stronger. On their way to eat, Elisa sees something in the road. When they pass it, she sees that is is her chrysanthemums. They then pass the wagon. Elisa then begins to cry, but she won't let her husband see.

Response: Elisa is strong woman like Granny Weatherall. At the end when she hides her face so her husband does not see that she is crying, she does it because she thinks that her crying will show weakness, and she is not weak. She is strong to because she would not let the man sway her to let him mend her pot because she did need one mended. She let him mend her pot though because she liked him when he talked to her about the chrysanthemums. She was jealous of the man too. She wished that she too could travel up and down the coast in a wagon. She gets angry when he says that a woman could not do it because she believes that she could. When her husband notices that she looks strong, he notices because I think she fully realizes that she could do whatever she wanted to. She has control over her life and no one could tell her what to do. Her demeanor changes. She hides her tears at the end because she feels like she can't show her weakness because if she did then that would just prove once again society's stereotype that women are weak. She wants to show that women can do whatever they set their mind to. Just like when she asks her husband if she could go to the fight. She doesn't want to go, but she knows that she could. When he says that she really wouldn't like it, that just brings her down even more from the blow already that the man threw her flowers out.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place- Ernest Hemingway

Abstract: In the story, there is a deaf old man that goes to a cafe. He sits there all night and drinks brandy. A waiter tells how he tried to kill himself last week. The waiter dislikes the man because the waiter wants to go home to bed with his wife. The younger waiter also does not know why the old man would try to kill himself because he thinks he has everything because he has money. The other waiter can sympathize with the old man though because he likes to stay late too. He like the old man is lonely. A well-lighted and clean place is a nice place for the lonely. A bar is not a place that the lonely like to go. The young waiter then kicks the old man out, and the old man leaves by still walks with dignity. When the older waiter leaves, he begins to talk to himself. He then says the lord's prayer but with nada in it. When he finally arrives home, he will lie in his bed until it is light because he has insomnia.

Response: The young waiter is rude to the old man. Even though the old man cannot hear,it is rude and mean to say you should have killed yourself. The young man has no sympathy for the old. He also thinks that money will make you happy because he does not get why the old man would kill himself because he has money. The old man is lonely though, and he is very separated from the rest of society. Him being deaf also further separates him and makes it hard for him to communicate with others. I think that lonely people want to be in a clean, well-lighted place because there they are further away from their darker thoughts. The dark could make you think about death and dying, so the young waiter should have let the old man stay. The old man is also a clean person who never spills any of his drink while he is drinking which could be why he prefers to go to a clean well-lighted place to drink. The older waiter can also sympathize with the old man because he too is lonely at night because he is unable to sleep. He also realizes that he too is getting old, and he would one day also like to drink in a clean, well-lighted place. He wants to treat the old man nicely because in the near future he will be old, and he does not want to be treated poorly. This story I believe reflects Hemingway's emotions. Hemingway killed himself, and I believe this is how Hemingway felt. He felt like he was all alone and know one could understand him. I believe the old man reflects Hemingway's view on how he is treated and looked at by society. The older waiter I believe is the main character in the story. He is the one that reflects on the old man and view point is reflected by the old man.

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall- Katherine Anne Porter

Abstract: Granny Weatherall is dying. Dr. Harry and her daughter Cornelia are looking after her. She does not really know how sick she is. She says how she wants to get rid of some old letters from her husband John and George because she does not want her children to know how silly she was when she was younger. George was a man that jilted Granny Weatherall in her younger years. He left her at the altar. She alters between sleep and being awake and gets very irritated that her daughter is whispering. She thinks that she will live until she is 100 because her father did. She also says how she wants to move back home where she won't be reminded that she is old. She also reflects on her life. She remembers when her children were young and how much she liked it. She also thinks that John won't recognize her when he sees her. She remembers not so good times in her life like when George left her at the altar and when her child died. She wants to see George and tell him that he did not ruin her life, and she had a pretty good life without him. The priest then comes to give Granny her last rites. She does not feel like she needs them. She also then wants to tell her children many different things before she dies. Her children are all there too. She then wants a sign, but she doesn't get one and she is struck with grief. She then dies.

Response: Granny Weatherall seems like a very strong woman. She has had some hard things happen to her in her life like her husband and child dying and also being left at the altar. She also was a very hard-worker. It seems like she hides her emotions though. Even after many years being left at the altar, she still felt angry. She was still upset with George, but she also was able to move on with her life which she wanted to tell George. She also was not expecting to die when she did. She almost died when she was 60, so she thought that this would just be another one of those experiences. She thought that she would live until she was 100 just like her father that's why she said that she would do everything tomorrow. She wasn't expecting to die, and her being on her deathbed surprised her and also made her feel bad because she hadn't got done all that she thought she needed to. Granny has also changed throughout her life. She was probably not as strong as when she was younger, but she was able to overcome her hardships and in the process become stronger. She doesn't look the same anymore and has worked hard like when she put fence by herself. She also seems like a very good mother who loves her children. She said how she would always take care of them when they were younger and sick, and she wished she could go back to the days when they were young. It also seems like her husband John died at a young age, and she was able to care for her children by herself.

The Rocking-Horse Winner- D.H. Lawrence

Abstract: In the story, the mother says she is very unlucky and her husband is also unlucky. Her sons then tells her how he is lucky. He and his siblings always hear voices in their house that say "There must be more money!" Paul, her son, then starts betting on horse races with the help of Basset their gardener. He makes a lot of money doing this, and his uncle also knows about his betting. Paul is able to do this a lot and win quite a bit of money. He wants to give all of it to his mother. He gives her 5000 pounds. He was going to give her 1000 a year for 5 years, but she wanted it all. He then started losing all the races he was betting. One night he was really upset that he couldn't 'know' the right one. He then started rocking on his rocking horse very crazily which he had done numerous times leading him to know. His mom then had a gut feeling that something was wrong, so she came home early from a party. When she came home, she found him rocking. He then shouted the horses name that he thought would when the Derby. For the next days, he was very sick and dying. He then found out that the horse he chose won the race. He now had 80,000 pounds to give to his mother. He then said how he was lucky. He died later that night.


Response: I think the mom is kind of annoying in how she thinks she's unlucky just cause she is poor. She should just deal with her problems. It's also horrible how she doesn't really care for her children that much. Why did she have a sudden change of heart at the end? Was she finally happy with the money she had? She could have finally felt satisfied with her money and felt like she could then love her children. I think that Paul's extreme desire for luck was because he wanted to be loved by his mother who did not really love his father because he was unlucky. Also, the 'voices' that they always heard saying "There must be more money!" were maybe just a figment of their imaginations. Instead that saying and feeling they 'heard' because that was how their mother acted, always acting like what she had was not good enough. Why did Paul die though? Did he die from the stress of always wanting to pick the correct winner? Did Paul really get the winner's name from a higher power? There is really no explanation to why he was able to pick the winner but other times he was not. Maybe it was just luck that he was able to pick the winner and the rocking horse had nothing to do with it. It's kind of sick that all the stress and turmoil he spent trying to get a lot of money and be 'lucky' may of caused him to eventually die. Paul's mother did not have her priorities straight. She valued material things over her relationships especially with her children. It is also odd how she thought luck caused you to have money rather than hard-work. She just wanted favors and did not really want to work-hard in order to get what she wanted.

The Metamorphosis- Franz Kafka

Abstract: One morning, Gregor Samsa wakes up and discovers that he has turned into a bug. He then proceeds to try to figure out how to get out of bed, so that he will be able to get to work as a traveling salesman. His boss then comes over to his house in order to see why he has not come to work. Gregor then comes out of his room. His boss and family are horrified when they see Gregor. His boss flees, and Gregor's father begins to try to shoo Gregor back into the room. In the process, Gregor was injured. Through the coming days, Grete, Gregor's sister, gives Gregor food and water to eat. She also cleans his room for him. Gregor hides under the couch so that she won't see him when she comes in. During the days, he climbs around the room, listens to his family's activities and conversations, and looks out the window. He not only looks like a bug, but his voice changes and he feels the same emotions as a bug. Gregor was the breadwinner in the family and now that he is unable to work his family must go out and find jobs. Once Grete gets a job, she stops caring for Gregor as much. One day Gregor comes out of his room and when his father comes home after his mom has fainted he becomes mad. Gregor's father begins chasing him throughout the room and then throws apples at him. One of the apples lands in Gregor's back and wounds him. Gregor's mom then chokes his dad begging for her son's life. Gregor then began to lose his appetite. His parents also get lodgers. They move the furniture from the lodgers room to Gregor's room. Gregor becomes completely neglected and is covered with dust and old food. One day Gregor hears his sister playing the violin and he goes into the living room to listen to it. When the lodgers see Gregor, they freak out and leave and don't pay their rent. Grete then says how Gregor is no longer the insect, and they must kill it. Gregor then goes back to his room and dies. His family then seems relieved that he has died. They move houses. One day when they are on a train, they notice how Grete has become a woman during the time that Gregor was an insect.

Response: It is odd how Gregor didn't even question or freak out when he woke up and was a bug. He just accepted it and seemed sort of content with the fact. I feel bad for him. His family doesn't even seem to care about him anymore because he is not the main financial support. They just ignore him. He is also unable to communicate with his family after his transformation because they cannot understand him. This could be similar to his past where maybe he was not the best at communicating with his family or rarely did because he was not home and was working. His family then completely ignores him once they get jobs and even his sister does not treat him how she once did. It seems like Gregor is not even missed and his family is perfectly capable of functioning semi-normally without him. Gregor's transformation into an insect could just be the outward appearance of his change, and his real change was when he began to be the financial support of his family and no longer looked like a member of it, but instead someone to support it and work for it. Gregor also does not even seem to mind that he is by himself. He does not really seem that lonely. His life as an insect just kind of seems like a continuation of his life as a traveling salesman because he stayed by himself many nights and did not really have any close relationships with other people. Gregor also seems more concerned that now his family has to work rather than being concerned with the fact that he is a bug. He feels bad that his sister has to work and his mother and father. He also feels bad about the fact that he was unable to send his sister to school to play the violin. On the other-hand, Gregor seems like a little bit of a procrastinator. He kind of takes his time to try to get up and move at the beginning of the book which is similar to the story about him wanting to send his sister to school, so she could play her violin. He said how he always was going to do it, but in reality he never did. I think at the end when Grete announces that she does not believe that Gregor is really the insect anymore is because he has lost the one thing that Grete identified him with which was working and supporting the family. He is no longer able to support them, so he is dead to them. Gregor also probably felt completely helpless and hopeless that his family would never love or care for him anymore. His family also seemed relieved when he died. They no longer had the burden of Gregor or the fear that he would be discovered. Instead, they could move on with their lives and continue working and living. It is also ironic how at the end of the story Grete has also gone through a metamorphosis which was becoming a woman. Gregor's parents don't alienate her though, but instead are happy about her transformation.

The Yellow Wallpaper- Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Abstract: In the story the narrator and her husband John live in a colonial mansion for the summer. The narrator is sent there because of her nervous depression. She goes kind of crazy looking at the wallpaper all the time. She writes about it even though her husband does not want her to, and she sees a woman being constrained beneath the top layer. She sees this woman outside of her windows too. She also notes how the room is kind of destroyed by children she assumes who lived in the room which must have been a nursery. The narrator also feels that her husband John and his sister Jennie are effected by the wallpaper. One night, she decides to try to 'free' the woman. She begins to tear the wallpaper off to try to free the woman behind the bars that she is kept. On the last day they are there, the woman locks herself in the empty room. She goes around the room rubbing her shoulder on the 'smooch' that is in the wall which she noted earlier in the story. Her husband John then comes to the door, but she won't let him in and insists that he get the key from downstairs. When he comes in the room, he sees her going around the room and asks her what she is doing. He then fainted, and she continued to go around the room stepping over his body.

Response: The narrator has some mental issues. She says how there is a child, so it may have been hers. She could have postpartum depression which could explain her odd behavior and why her husband has them move away for the summer. She says how the room is a mess and the bed-stand has bites out of it, but then she also bites it. She could have been the one that ruined the room and not even realized it. She sees a woman in the wallpaper and outside which I believe are figments of her imagination, and she has gone crazy. Her husband also seems kind of controlling of her though. He won't let her leave the house and sends her away for the summer. He won't let her visit her friends, and he won't let her work or write which could make her feel better. He may think he knows what is best for her because he is a doctor, but she wants to work and write, so maybe he should let her. The woman she sees behind the wallpaper may also be her. She feels like she is trapped in and is unable to get out. By her wanting to free the woman behind the wallpaper, she wanted to free herself from all of the control that her husband and his sister have over her.I think that when she finally did tear the wall paper off she freed and thus lost her sanity and became more psychotic. By stepping over her unconscious husband, she is finally rising over the control he has had on her all summer. The wall paper may symbolize the image her husband and her portray to society. Others may view them as fine, but in reality they are not. She is crazy and has issues, and he sort of tries to avoid these issues by making her stay inside with hopes that she will get better.

The Story of an Hour- Kate Chopin

Abstract: In the story Mrs. Mallard has heart trouble. Her sister tells her how her husband has died during a railroad accident. Mrs. Mallard then becomes very upset and mourns the loss of her husband. She says then how she is free and able to be independent. She then came down stairs. When she came down the stairs, she saw her husband who had not died and had not even heard of an accident. She then died. The doctors later said that she died of heart disease.

Response: This story is ironic. It's kind of sick how she thought her husband died, but then he really didn't die, and then she died. She seemed upset that he had died, and she wanted to be upset that he had died, but then she didn't She exclaimed how she was free. She seemed excited that she was finally free of him and could be independent which is kind of sick considering she just found out that he had died. She was happy that she would be by herself in the coming years, and she thought about how she had not really loved him that much during their marriage. She would only live for herself and know one else which excited her. I think Mrs. Mallard had some issues since she was so happy after finding out that her husband died, or maybe she did not really love him at all or he had done something to her. Her character is seen as a selfish woman who does not care about her husband who loved her deeply. She could have been seen as an evil person even though she may not have wanted her husband dead,she was happy and relieved when he died which is sick. But maybe her husband was not that good of husband to her and that is why she was relieved when he died. She could have also been happy that he had died because then she would not be stuck worrying about him while he was away working on the railroad. She could have been sick of worrying about him, or she could have been sick of waiting for someone and being married to a man that was never home. Did she die from shock that he was still alive? Was she so upset that her independence she dreamed about for her future would be gone? Or did she die from the joy that he was really alive? The end of the story says how she died of joy that kills, but where did that joy come from? She seemed joyous about her independence, but she could also have been joyous over the return of her husband. Her happiness over being free of her husband could have just been a defense mechanism she used in order to try to cover up the pain she really felt about her husband's death.

The Necklace- Guy de Maupassant

Abstract: In the story, there is a girl Mathilde who is a poor girl but feels inside her that she should have been born into a family of wealth. She married a clerk though. She was very unhappy with her life because she did not have all the luxurious things that she wished for. One day her husband returns home, and he has an invitation for her. It is to a party held by George Ramponneau who was very well known and rich. Mathilda then says how she does not want to go to the party because she has no good clothes to wear and the people at the party were rich. Her husband then says that he will buy her a new gown to wear to the ball. He gives her four hundred francs to buy a dress. Mathilda then went out and bought a nice dress to wear. She then wanted jewelry to wear. Her husband then tells her to ask Mme. Forestier if she can borrow some jewels. Mathilda then went and chose a diamond necklace to wear. When she went to the party, all eyes were on her. She was extremely happy during this party. When she left though, she did not put her coat on because she did not have good furs like all of the other women. She and her husband then took a carriage home. When they got home, Mathilda realized that she was not wearing the diamond necklace anymore. She looked everywhere for it, but she and her husband could not find it. They then had to buy a new one to replace the one she had lost. They paid 36,000 francs for it and had to take out numerous loans in order to buy it. She and her husband had to move, and she had to get a job. It took them 10 years to pay off the loan, but they were able to. One day she came upon her friend and she finally told her friend that she had lost the necklace. Her friend then revealed to her that the necklace was paste and was worth 500 francs.

Response: I found this story to be depressing because Mathilda worked so hard to pay off the loans for the diamond necklace she lost and it wasn't even real. Mathilda was obviously obsessed with material things and her image. The story showed that greed can ruin a person. Mathilda wanted everything to make her outfit perfect for the ball in order to impress others, so she borrowed her friends necklace which turned into a horrible fiasco. Her greed and desire to be envied by others ultimately lead to her destruction. She was no longer the person she once was. She lost all of her looks and looked very old and overworked. Its kind of twisted how the one time she was truly happy lead to her life being ruined. The story shows how being greedy and getting what you want can hurt you. Mathilda's husband was also kind of push-over. Even though he didn't really have the money to buy her the dress, he gave her the money anyway. He might have just wanted to make his wife happy though. The story also shows that images can be deceiving. Mathilda looked like she had it all at the ball, but she really did not. Some other woman could have looked at Mathilda and thought how she wanted to be like her. In reality, Mathilda didn't have it all and by her trying to fool the world that she did, her life turned into a complete mess. The story could also be seen as a a stereotype for women and how women are obsessed with image. The story depicts women not being happy with what they have and always wanting more. It infers that women are materialistic and not happy with their lives. It shows how women are concerned with outward appearance and the image that they portray to society. The story shows how you truly can't judge a book by its cover because at the ball you would have thought that Mathilda and her husband were very rich, but in reality they weren't and they got into more trouble by Mathilda wanting to portray that image.

The Cask of Amotillado

Abstract: In The Cask of Amontillado, the narrator Montresor wants to get revenge on Fortunato by murdering him. He never reveals the reason why he want to murder him though. One day he meets Fortuanto during the carnival when he is drunk. He tells Fortunato that he has received a cask of Amontillado but he isn't sure if it is or not. He says how he is going to another guy to see if it is real or not. Fortuanto says that that guy , Luchesi, knows nothing and insists on seeing it. They then go to Montresor's vaults or catacombs to get it. When they get to the catacombs, there is this little niche which would fit a person. Fortuanto goes into it and then realizes there is a wall at the other end, and he can't get out. Montresor then chains him up and proceeds to build a wall to close the niche. Forunato then realizes what is happening. At first, he begins screaming and shaking the chains. Then Montresor yells louder than him and mocks him. Later, Fortuanto thinks it is a joke and his wife will be waiting for him. Montresor then finishes the wall and leaves Forunato there to die. At the end, he says how no one has discovered Forunato's body for 50 years, and he hasn't been caught.

Response: This story was interesting. Forunato's name looks a lot like Fortune which is contradictory because he is obviously not very fortunate since he was murdered. Montresor's name looks a lot like monster to me which goes well with his character/personality considering he murdered someone. Montresor is obviously mad/crazy because he killed someone. He enjoyed it too because he would stop and listen to Forunanto scream and call out for help. He would also mock him. At the end he says, "My heart grew sick" (19). His heart only grew sick though he reveals because of how cold it is in the catacombs. Why did Mostresor want to get revenge on Fortunato? Montresor says how Forunanto is a rich, respected man who would be missed if he was dead. Montresor then says how it would not be the case for himself. Is Montreour jealous of Foruanto or did Forunato do something to Montresor? It was probably something big that Forunato did to Montresor in order for Montresor to want to murder him, or maybe Montresor was just crazy and Fortunato didn't really do anything that bad to him because you have to have something wrong with you in order to murder someone else and find extreme enjoyment in it. Why does Poe write stories that are so scary? Did Poe write them because he was depressed or maybe a little deranged? Poe was abandoned as a child by his father and then his mother died, so that could have influenced him later in his life and left him some issues. He also had a drinking problem. What was Poe's inspiration for this story? Did he want to maybe subconsciously murder someone or get revenge on someone else for what they had done? Or maybe Poe just had heard about something similar to this story during his life and it inspired him, so he embellished it.

Bartleby, the Scrivener

Abstract:In Bartleby, the Scrivener,the narrator is a lawyer. He employs scriveners who copy documents by hand. One day he hired Bartleby to be a scrivener for him. Bartleby does a good job for him until he asks Bartelby to do something other than copying. Bartelby refuses and says he would 'prefer not to'. Bartelby continues to do this for numerous different tasks that the narrator asks him to do. Bartelby also eventually stops copying documents all together. The narrator also finds out that Bartelby stays at his office all day too. The narrator tries to fire Bartelby, but he won't leave. He just stands in the middle of the room all day. The narrator eventually moves offices in order to try to be rid of Bartelby because he does not have it in him to move Bartelby out. Bartelby stays in the offices though. The new tenants ask the narrator to come and move Bartelby.The narrator tries to get Bartelby to leave, but he won't. The narrator then finds out that Bartelby has been arrested and moved to the tombs. The narrator visits Bartelby at the tombs and has someone give him a nice meal there. When the narrator returns a couple days later, he finds out that Bartelby has died of starvation. He later finds out that Bartelby was previously employed at a dead letter office, but he lost his job there. The narrator thinks that Bartelby's previous job at the dead letter office was the reason for his odd temperament.

Response: I did not like this story at all. It was kind of boring, and I thought there would be a different more interesting reason to why Bartelby would 'prefer not' to do anything. Bartelby has some issues. He seems really depressed or has some other kind of mental illness because he won't do anything. He just stands there it seems like and wallows in his own misery. It is probably not good either that the narrator gave him a desk that faced a window that looked at a wall with nothing on it. It is kind of like Bartelby who seems to have no personality. The wall/view would also be depressing to look at all the time. It seems like Bartelby was depressed because he had worked in the dead letter office. The dead letters could have been a symbol of men and all they want to say, but never have the chance or courage to say which could have depressed Bartelby even more. The narrator seems kind of scared to do anything. He felt bad for Bartelby, but I don't know why. Bartelby never really did anything for him except copy paper, and then he even stopped doing that. Why was the narrator so compelled to help Bartelby? Did the narrator just feel bad for Bartelby because he seemed so depressed? It gets kind of annoying because the narrator wants Bartelby to leave so badly, but he won't confront Bartelby and be aggressive in order to make him leave. Bartelby could also reflect how Herman Melville felt during the time in his life when he wrote the story. Some of his novels were well accepted,but Moby-Dick and Pierre were not. Bartelby could be a reflection of Herman Melville and his desire to maybe give up on writing since some his works weren't received or accepted the way that he wished. He also had a nervous break down during his life, so maybe some of the emotions he felt during that time were reflected in the story.

Young Goodman Brown

Response: Young Goodman Brown portrays the thoughts of Puritan New England. The Puritans thought that the devil and evil were found in the forest. In the story, Young Goodman Brown meets the devil in the forest and proceeds onto an evil ritual in the forest with others from the town. The people do not show their true selves or sins in the daylight or in town. They do all their evil-doings in the night and forest. The story also focuses on evil versus good. Young Goodman Brown goes to the forest to participate in a wicked ritual. He doesn't want to though. He remembers his faith and doesn't want to participate in it. He keeps on changing his mind on whether he wants to go to the ceremony or not. When he sees all of the devote Christians and then his wife Faith also going to the ceremony, he loses his faith and comes to the conclusion that no one is who he thinks they are. They are all evil and sinners. He can never look at them the same anymore. He had faith that all people were good especially the people who were his religious advisers and when he discovers that they aren't he becomes distraught. He becomes a cynical man who is never able to trust others again. I think that his wife Faith also portrays all that Young Goodman Brown views as good. His wife Faith I believe was portrayed as an innocent good girl who was naive because of the pink ribbons she wore and how she said that she was afraid to be home alone. Once he sees her at the ceremony, he believes that know one is truly good and there is no good in the world because even his wife who was such a good person couldn't resist the evil side and was turned to it. The world is ruled by the devil and he has control even over people who others believe are very religious.
Abstract: Young Goodman Brown is about the evil in all people, and the side that they portray to the world and the side that they keep hidden. It is about how many people are not who you think they are.


Young Goodman Brown leaves Salem one night and goes into the forest with an old man. He walks with the man in the forest for awhile, but then he says how he wants to go back. Along their way through the forest, Young Goodman Brown and his companion come upon people on the road whom Young Goodman Brown thought were devote Christians. All these people are going to an evil ritual. Goodman's companion, the Devil, then disappears. Goodman sits down for awhile but then he hears voices. He hears his wife, Faith's voice. Brown then becomes mad. He loses both his wife Faith and his faith in Christianity. He decides then to go to the meeting and follow through with his original intentions. He then goes to the evil ritual. All the new converts are called forth. He and Faith then come up. They are about to go the evil side when Young Goodman Brown told her to resist the evil. All of sudden he is in the forest by himself. The next morning he comes back to the town. He was unsure if what he experienced was real or if it was a dream. Even though he does not know if it was a dream or not, he can still not look at the people whom he thought were devoted Christians the same because he thinks they are sinners and have gone to the dark side. He continues living his life being bitter and gloomy trusting no one not even his wife.

Writing About Literature

Literature reflects the mind of the author and the world and the ways in which people interact with that world and one another. Helps shape the world.Writing causes us to forge new connections. Writing about literature can teach us about ourselves and reading it can teach us much about the world.
Give plenty of time and minimize distractions while reading to get the most out of it.The best readers reread pieces. Critical reading is important when reading imaginative literature. Meanings in literary texts are not hidden and you need to look for the meanings.
You should take notes while reading. Underline, circle or highlight passages that strike you as important. Briefer and more specific the better. Make notes that say why certain points strike you. Ask questions of the text. Talk back to text- to something that offends you but remain open-minded. Look for unusual features of language like patterns of images, repeated words, or phrases and any other unusual stylistic features. Develop your own system of shorthand- write short notes that won't slow reading. Also go help to keep a reading journal to remember long complex notes. Use the dictionary.
It is important to ask more complex questions about literature. Questions about literature are in four categories- about the text, author, reader, and the cultural contexts. Text ?s focus on genre, structure, language, and style. Don't always assume that what the author wrote was based on his/her life. Knowing about an author's life can help us understand how to read a work of literature. Events in the wider social and cultural context influence author's writings. Also how does our culture today influence us? Consider work's intended audience.
When writing, write about something that you care about. Think about how the topic will relate to you and call upon your background and knowledge to approach the topic in fresh and interesting ways. When writing a paper you work to convince your reader that what you're
saying is true. Principle point is the thesis. Thesis is about topic and topic is issue or area you will focus attention. Want to explain defend and prove your thesis. Thesis should be clear and specific. Should be relevant. Be debatable. Be original. Should state it as a complete sentence. Be appropriate to assignment.
Support for thesis- sources: text, other people's ideas (textbook, online, conversations), and your own thoughts. Use pertinent evidence to support thesis. Reread primary text with thesis in mind. Each paragraph should contain one main idea and explanation to support it. Keep open mind to structure and organization. Sometimes you should work from an outline.
Try to write first draft fairly quickly knowing that you will revise it. Revision stage is when the real work gets done. Large-scale (don't worry too much about details) , then small-scale, and then proofreading and editing. If possible put first draft away for a day. Annotate your text just the way you would do to literature.
Globally revising- Refine or develop your focus and thesis. Reorganize paper. Expand paper with new paragraphs or new evidence within existing paragraphs. Eliminate unnecessary, contradictory, or distracting passages. Clarify any difficult passages with more specific explanations or evidence. Change overall tone of paper.
Local-level focuses on style and clarity. Words, phrases, and sentences.
Peer editing- can help you on future works. Help you grow. Guidelines- Be respectful of another's work. Be honest. Look for good and bad. Keep eye on time. Take notes on draft or on separate piece of paper. Ask questions. Don't assume that explaining yourself to your workshop partner can replace revision. Be specific in comments. Try to focus on the big picture. Push your partners to help you more.
Tips for writing about Literature- Don't assume readers will remember(or consider important_ the same ideas of incident in literature that you do. Don't retell the plot or text at length. Don't assume that quotations or summaries are self-sufficient and prove your point automatically. customary to use present tense when writing about literature. First time you mention an author, use his or her full name. Titles of poem, stories, and essays should be put in quotation marks. Titles of books, plays, and periodical should be underlined or italicized. Give your paper a title. Use commons sense and be consistent.
Explain quotations. Try to fit quotes into your sentences. If change quotation signal to readers that you have added or changed it. If omit it use ellipses by using three periods between square brackets. Checklist for Quotations- double-check the wording, spelling, and punctuation of every quotation you use. Use the shortest quotation you can while still making your point. Never assume a quotation is self-explanatory. If you are quoting a character in a story, play or poem be sure to distinguish that character from the author. Take acre not to distort the meaning of a quotation.
MLA Format. Use plain white paper, black ink, and a standard, easy-to- read font No separate cover page is needed. Include vital information in upper left corner of first page. Center your paper's title. Page numbers should appear in the upper right corner of each page.
Summary- brief recap of most important points- plot, characters.Explications- takes what is implicit or subtle in a work and makes it explicit and clear (technique is close reading). Point is to point out elements and explain them. Analyze- to take something apart and examine how the individual parts relate ton one another and function as a whole. Comparison and Contrast- proceed item-by-item or point-by-point. Literary Criticism and Literary Theory- criticism: evaluative (seeks to determine how accomplished a work it place it should hold in the evolving story of literary history) book reviews and interpretive ( all writing that seeks to explain, analyze, clarify, or question the meaning and significance of literature) it will be mostly this for this class. No has the key.People start at different theoretical bases.
Formalism- things like structure, tone, characters, settings, symbols, and linguistic features (explication and close reading) and New Criticism- focus on text not extratextual features. Formalists interested in how parts relate on one another and to whole.
Feminist and Gender Criticism- 1970s- tied to raising consciousness about the patriarchy in which many women felt trapped. Sought to reveal how literary texts demonstrated the repression and powerlessness of women. Others showed how women could overcome the sexist power structures that surround them. Other's sought to promote women's work. Realized that over the years men have usually been expected to be good providers, to be strong physically and emotionally, and to keep their problems and feelings to themselves.
Marxist Criticism- originally sought to use literature and criticism to forward a socialist political program. Social Classes. Another venue for the ongoing quest for individual material gain. Sole purpose is to expose inequalities and underlie all societies and to thus raise the consciousness of readers and move the society closer to a socialist state.
Cultural Studies- general name given to a wide variety of critical practices some which might seem on the surface to have little in common with one another. Certain texts are privileged while others are not. cannon- texts read and taught again and again. Some focus on outsiders. Some believe that all texts are to some extent artistic expressions of a culture and it can give us vital insights into the human experience. Might study tv shows, movies, and comic strips.
Historical Criticism and New Historicism- to gain insights into the composition and significance of a given work.To gain insights into periods studied.
Psychological Theories- Segmund Freud- popularized idea that the mind can be divided into conscious and unconscious components and we are often motivated most strongly by the unconscious. Examines the internal mental states, the desires, and the motivations of literary characters. Might examine why a writer wrote what he did. Examine psychology of humans. What draws and repels us from certain literary themes. Attention paid to symbols as the manifest representation of a deeper, hidden meaning.
Reader-Response Theories- text is an interaction between an author and a reader and it can never be complete unless readers bring to it their own unique insights. Insights come from beliefs, background, and other reading experiences. gaps- what text doesn't tell you. process- them meaning of the text is not fixed and complete but rather evolving as the text unfolds in the time it takes to read.
Structuralism- concerned with the structures that help us to understand and interpret literary texts. Every piece of our knowledge is a network of associations. Two types of context- cultural and literary.
Poststructuralism and Deconstruction- Post- begins with the insights of structuralism but carries them one step further. Ideas leading to other ideas leading to other ideas. Meaning is forever shifting. De- tries to undermine the idea that reality has a stable existence. Allows for several interpretations. No text and meaning is absolute.
Timed Essays- Be prepared and know what's expected. Prep: knowing material and anticipating the questions. Read through exam first. Clarity and conciseness.

Writing about literature begins from one point: the primary source. It should be a critical argument. Find and evaluate sources for your paper, read them and take notes, and then write a paper integrating material from those sources. Print books and journals are best sources in most cases. don't do large quotes.

Practice

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