The Lottery

When I begun reading "The Lottery", it reminded me of a town meeting. Everyone within the town came on June 27th to the town square because that was what they did every year, it was tradition."'Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon.' There's always been a lottery" (408). It was a chance to get out of the house and away from work for the morning, and catch up with the neighbors. As I continued reading, what I believed was an innocent town meeting, revealed to have another purpose of stoning the winner to their death. It seems barbaric to us that people would stone and kill their neighbors because of a tradition. After some consideration of the time and place, I believe that it is not so much barbaric but strictly custom. While times have changed, the town did not want to abandon its past. As with many small towns, allowing change is difficult because they are afraid of losing their heritage and charm. This was not a "charming" custom, but it was all the town seemed to have held on to. While I do not agree with this particular custom, I agree that holding on to tradition is important, but it should not be at the expense of someone else. I think that real tradition the town was trying to hold on to was the value and moral of the lottery. They wanted to remind the people that life is like a lottery, you never know when you will be the one with the black spot. However strange and disturbing the lottery might seem, the message behind it seems like something worth holding on to.

A Worn Path

This story kept me in suspense as to why this old woman was making such a long trip when she is using a cane and cannot even tie her own shoes. When I found out it was to get medicine for her grandson who had swallowed lye it made me sad to think that this old woman has no other way to get this medicine than to make a very long walk to town. I cannot imagine having to leave the boy at home by himself, sick, and wrapped in a blanket waiting for his grandma to return and not knowing how long it will take her. What would happen to the grandson if the grandma could not make it back one of these times with his medicine? The grandma tells the nurse in town "We is the only two left in the world" (454). Would the boy be left alone to slowly starve? I am so grateful for the advancement in medicine, transportation, and help for people who are not able to support themselves and do not have any family left. Phoenix seems like she would do anything to help out her grandson, even if it meant the world. It is good to know that there are people that will do anything to help someone who cannot yet help themself. If there were not people such as this, what would this world become?

The Lottery

This short story started out with a happy demeanor about it. I believe that this was an interesting story and was also very upsetting. Thinking about that this was a custom for them to do, was very strange. It makes you wonder if there are and how many little places around the world that may still do stuff such as sacrifice. We know about animal sacrifice, but do we really know if there are human sacrifices going on? It really is disturbing if you truly think about it. What was also very strange is how everyone could be in agreeance with such a horrible sacrifice. I did not catch from the story how often they did this, but I am guessing that it is a yearly thing or you would think that they would run out of sacrifices and people! The part that really upsetted me was after Tessie Hutchinson already had her fate decided, "The children had stones already, and someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles" (411). To think of getting stoned to death by the town would be hard enough, but to see someone hand your little boy stones to be thrown at yourself would be more than I would be able to take. I just do not understand how people can do customs such as this. Murder is one thing, but when it is a custom to draw someone's name to sacrifice yearly is just not human at all in my mind.

I Stand Here Ironing

There is a feeling a sadness that I get after reading this story. It is practically dripping with guilt. Yet, even though throughout the whole story she is telling about all the things she did wrong, I wonder if the mother really tries to make it up to Emily. She is so distracted by the other children in the house and all the million things she must do in a day that she seems to forget to really give Emily her attention. Even after she flashbacks to the beginning and realizes what all happened all those years, she doesn't seem to make a huge effort to change things. She knows what she should do, and she does maybe do it to an extent, but in the end Emily will still be the oldest of a large family and one who does smile much. She will always be the "outcast", in a way because the dad in the house isn't her real father. And I wonder if the mother ever really sat down with Emily and explained why things turned out the way things did. Or was she to busy ironing?

The Lottery

The Lottery was a very interesting story. As I was reading it I had no idea what was going on, and why the kids were collecting stones. Everyone in the village seemed excited for lotterty day and they didn't want anyone to miss it. I think that it is differnet how everyone walkes up to the stage and pulles out a ticket and waits until everyone gets one. If someone in your family gets a ticket with a black dot you have to put it back in and the whole family draws a ticket. I think that the story is very different I don;t know how people can take other peoples lives by pulling out a ticket and then that person has to get hit with stones. Why would you live in a village like this? I don't know how they can kill someone then get on with there day likeit was nothing. Mr Summers kept saying, "lets hurry up and get this over with so we can go back to work."
I did not like this story. I still don't get why you would live there if you knew what was going to happen to you.

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"A Worn Path"

In the story “A Worn Path” by Eduora Welty, I thought the author had a sense of humor when Phoenix Jackson meets the hunter with his dogs. I could just picture her tumbling down the hill and being stuck. She was so careful the whole way through the woods but then she fell. When she came across the hunter, I felt like he did not return the courtesy or respect that she had given him. “Well Granny! he laughed. What are you doing here?” (451) The fact that he laughed while she was down made him seem like a jerk but her response to him was ever better. “Lying on my back like a June-bug waiting to be turned over, mister.” (451) Although he helped her up, she had to reach for his hand first. Why wouldn’t he have just put out his hand before he said anything? Then a little further into the conversation, he asks her how old she is. “How old are you, Granny?” (452) That seemed so rude to me. Obviously she was old. Did he need an age? I liked her response. She never answered his question. “There is not telling, mister.” (452)
I liked her determination and her wise cracks. On top of all that, she got to take a nickel from him that he never knew he lost.

A Worn Path

The story of "A Worn Path" goes beyond what you can actually read. The true story goes further than being about an old woman, Phoenix Jackson, who is on her way to get her grandson medicine because he is ill. Her journey is a long one, with many obstacles to overcome including how "She was very old and small" (par. 1), her eyesight was failing, and the path was full of twists and turns and the unexpected. This journey symbolizes the journey of life. Especially as she was an old Negro woman in the south in the 1930's. Although she had all these obstacles to overcome, she was bound and determined to make it to town. You only hear the ergency of her errand at the end of the story when she is at the doctor's office to get the grandson's medicine. "old Phoenix would have been lost if she had not distrusted her eyesight and depended on her feet to know where to take her." She had obviously taken this trip many times before, and hard as it may have been for her in her old age, she did it out of love and caring for her grandson. I think that on these long journeys to get her grandson's medicine, she perhaps worried that he might pass away before she would arrive home. There are many references to death and darkness in this story, which could give the reader the idea that the grandson may already be dead such as "Down in the hollow was the mourning dove (symbolic for death) - it was not too late for him." (par. 4) Though the reality of death is all around her, she trudges forward for the life of her grandson.

"A Worn Path"

I really enjoyed reading this short story. I really liked how they took so much time to explain in detail how her journey went. She was a very brave old lady, could say that Phoenix was an unusual old lady. The 3rd paragraph states "Now and then there was a quivering in the thicket. Old Phoenix said, "Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals!. . . Keep out from under these feet, little bob-whites.... Keep the big wild hogs out of my path. Don't let none of those come running my direction. I got a long way." Under her small black-freckled hand her cane, limber as a buggy whip, would switch at the brush as if to rouse up any hiding things(A Worn Path, Par 3)." which shows a part of her bravery. She is on a mission to get medicine for her grand-son and she will not let anything between her and the warn path. Phoenix meets a young hunter man in the woods, which she steals from when he dropped and nickel. She also gets a nickel from the nurse ,at the shop she visited, from charity. Through her long journey she receives the medicine, which she made the long trip for. Plus she got 10 cents through her journey , which then she will buy and paper windmill for the little boy. I thought this was a nice inspiring story to read.

"The Lottery"

I am just beginning to read this story but i had to write my reactions to the first page. I love the description from the first paragraph of "The Lottery" it describes the day. "The morning of June 27Th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green(Par 1)." With this description in my mind i get an image of a beautiful little town full of happiness and color. I also enjoyed reading the description of all the different people, The boys gathered rocks and piled them together, The girls stood talking with each other and looking at the boys, Little children hung onto family members, The men stood together and talked about tractors and such, and also the woman greeted each other and gossiped. This description can resemble different society's. the way it describes each is what we actually will find or expect in each particular model.
As i continued reading i didn't know really what to expect with the lottery. I didn't know what they were doing. By the time i was done reading it, the townspeople were throwing stones at her as a sacrifice. I did not enjoy the ending of this story at all it deserved me. I thought it was going to be a nice town story but really its a story of sacrifice. I did not like the ending of this story !

"The Storm"

When i first started reading Kate Chopin's ,"The Storm" I was shocked and confused on what the story was actually saying. The two Characters Celixta and Aclee had a romance way before the story takes place. Their romance is evolved around the storm , Which helps states peoples nature and passion towards sexuality. As the storm rolls closer the closer they get together and their sexual passion arouses. Paragraph 5 gives a great example of the passion they once had for each other and are regaining that passion for each other as the storms continues. "Do you remember—in Assumption, Calixta?" he asked in a low voice broken by passion. Oh! she remembered; for in Assumption he had kissed her and kissed and kissed her; until his senses would well nigh fail, and to save her he would resort to a desperate flight. If she was not an immaculate dove in those days, she was still inviolate; a passionate creature whose very defenselessness had made her defense, against which his honor forbade him to prevail. Now—well, now—her lips seemed in a manner free to be tasted, as well as her round, white throat and her whiter breasts(The Storm, par 22.)
As long as the storm is covering their existence from the outside world they have no worries or thoughts of their family. As far as they know they are the only two in existence.
As the storm departs their sexual experience comes to an end. Now they are back to the real world, finally aware of what they have done, but neither seem to show any sign of guilt. The last statement in "The Storm" says that "So the storm passed and everyone was happy" to me this is stating that the storm renewedneveryone. It gave celixta a break from her duties as a wife.

"A Worn Path"

I like this story. This was a story about an old black woman who I thought was physically and mentally strong. She would not let anything or anybody stop her from completing her mission. Her grandson was the most important thing to her, more than money or how people treated her. She knew he needed medicine and she would go down the worn path to get it for him. She didn't apologize to the hunter when he dropped a nickel and picked it up and put it in her pocket. I liked that she wasn't scared when he put the riffle to her head. When asked if she was scared, she responded by saying "No, sir, I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for less than what I done" (p.452). She got another nickel for charity because it was Christmas. I liked the quote "I going to the store and buy my child a little windmill they sells, made out of paper" (p.452). She is still thinking of her grandson although she has nothing. She takes the worn path back home.

"The Lottery"

This story really bothers me. I have heard it before and it still has the same effect. These people are absolutely crazy! They are following a tradition which they no longer even know why it exists. At least with the traditions we follow in today's world, we usually know why. They act like it is just another beautiful spring/summer day and they are going to kill someone and then go eat lunch?? It scares me because that "crowd" mentality can get the human race into a lot of trouble. At least in the story there are some younger people who question it and they mention other towns which have stopped it. What is also scary is the young boys who get the pile of rocks ready and that the children stone their own mother.
To me the black box symbolizes the devil and the people feel that if they satisfy it once a year it will leave the rest of them alone.

The Storm

When I first started reading this story, I thought this story was going to be about a storm and how it affected a community, not how a personal relationship “storm” was created. However, when Alcee rode up right before the storm hit, I had the feeling that something was going to happen. Especially on p. 256 when the text began describing how Calixta looked. “She was a little fuller of figure than five years before when she married; but she had lost nothing of her vivacity. Her blue eyes still retained their melting quality; and her yellow hair, disheveled by the wind and rain, kinked more stubbornly than ever about her ears and temples.” I was a little surprised when Calixta did not respond to Alcee’s “arm encircling” her on p. 257 and instead was worried about Bibi’s safety. “Calixta put her hands to her wyws and with a cry, staggered backward. Alcee’s arm encircled her, and for an instant he drew her close and spasmodically to him.” I was even more certain that something was going to happen between Alcee and Calixta when the text began describing her looks a second time. “Her lips were as red and moist as pomegranate seed. Her white neck and a glimpse of her full, firm bosom disturbed him powerfully” (p. 257). As I read on I was not surprised to see that the two actually did have an affair. It seems that in times of trouble or worry, people sometimes make very brash decisions that are sometimes confusing.

I Stand Here Ironing

If I was Emily in “I Stand Here Ironing” and I had to tell my mother my thoughts on my childhood it would probably go something like this. I would go over many questions in my mind. Why did you abandon me so many times? Why didn’t you give me more attention? Did you make my father go away? I would turn these and many other questions over and over in my mind only to come up with one conclusive answer to all of them. I could answer them myself and wouldn’t need to ask my mother any of them. I know that my father left us because he was a coward. I know that she needed to support us and during the Depression there weren’t enough jobs. I know why she left me with relatives. No, I don’t need to make her feel guilty because I know she did what she had to do. Neither of us can change the past and I need to look ahead to the future.

All I can do is say to my mother that I do love her. I love her despite my childhood. She is my only mother and my father. I can’t be angry at her any longer.

I Stand Here Ironing

Throughout the whole story I felt really sorry for Emily. She was the first child of five. Her mother was only nineteen when she had her, and became a single mother before she was one. I think her mother had a lot of pressure on her to be a good mother and at the same time have to provide for her daughter and herself. I think that it was really hard for her and she regrets having to send her away. When she got married and added to the family, it was especially hard for Emily. “Susan, the second child, Susan, golden- and curly-haired and chubby, quick and articulate and assured, everything in appearance and manner Emily was not;” Emily was of course treated totally differently when Susan was born. I think that her mother was not sure yet how to raise two children at once. Her mother blames herself for not being as good as a mother to Emily, like she was to her other children. She didn’t purposely try to treat them so differently, I think she was just too young and did what she thought was best for Emily.

The Storm by Kate Chopin

“So the storm passed and everyone was happy” (259). This is the last line of the “The Storm” by Kate Chopin. I liked the way this story ended because usually an adulterous affair is not a happy ending. Of course one doesn’t know if Claxita and Alcee’s spouses ever find out about the affair but based on the fact that I don’t know I won’t assume they ever did.

The storm outside helps set the scene for the storm about to go on inside the house. The approaching rain brings Alcee to Claxita’s house. The chinaberry tree gets pulverized by lighting and scares Claxita right into Alcee’s arms. The raging weather doesn’t faze these two and only adds to their excitement. “They did not heed the crashing torrents, and the roar of the elements made her laugh as she lay in his arms” (257).

I find part III of the story might have been the only evidence that Bobinot had that something might be awry because he fully expected Claxita to be angry at his absence during the storm, yet she was not. He even brought her shrimp to appease his late arrival.

The affair between Alcee and Claxita probably would not have happened had it not been for the storm bringing their desires to the surface. But, so as the storm released what it could no longer hold in so did Alcee and Claxita’s reunion and both passed away leaving a rejuvenated feeling behind.

The Storm

Right away in the story when it talked about Alcee, I could tell that he and Calixta had something in the past; by “She had not seen him very often since her marriage, and never alone.” I was hoping that if she let him in to wait out the storm that they wouldn’t rekindle the romance. It really made me mad that they were cheating on their spouses. They both were married and had children, so you think they would be faithful to their families. I liked however, how the romance went right along with the storm, and once it was over Alcee left. Once their fling was over it was like nothing ever happened, she happily greeted her family and had an enjoyable dinner as a family. “At the table they laughed much and so loud that anyone might have heard them as far away as Laballiere’s” I think the fling for Calixta made her more relaxed and was something she may have needed at that point in her life. I don’t agree with cheating what so ever, but I did find the story enjoyable to read.

"the storm"

The storm was a huge metaphor for Alcee's and Calixta's affair. Calixta is married to Bobinot and has a son named Bibi. Alcee has a wife named Clarisee who is out of town with thier kids. When Calixta is outside doing laundry it begins to rain and Alcee wanted to come in. I didn't agree with her letting him in concidering her son and husband were to return soon and since those two had a thing in the past. "Do you remember-- in assumption, Calixta?" clearly stating they had a fling in the past. I liked how the storm was moving along with thier actions "the growl of the thunder was distant and passing away." (258) I think Alcee is a dirtbag in many ways. Cheating is wrong and he went with it anyway. And afterwards he sent a letter to his wife telling her to stay away for a month. I'm not sure why he wouldn't want to see his wife, but I don't like it. "He was getting along nicely; and though he missed them, he was willing to bear the seperation a while longer." (259). Overall I liked this story and the metaphors, however it made me angry with the cheating

"The Storm"

Storms are often metaphorical for hard times in peoples everyday lives. This story seemed to be a bit different, because it almost seems like the "storm" lasted for one day and then no one really knew about it, or was naive, and life went back to normal. Alcee and Calixta have this sensuous affair that seems to have history to it. In fact spending time Calixta had, " aroused all the old-time infatuation and desire for her flesh." (pg. 257). Apparently Alcee's family is away doing whatever business they need to attend to, and Calixtas' family is unable to come to the house because they are stuck in the storm. Whether the physical storm caused the actions between Calixta and Alcee because they were scared, or if it just happened to be on that day seems could be debatable. Eventually, Alcee and Calixta would have continued their affair, it just so happened that the storm gave them an opportunity to advance on their desires. Bobinot seems to be a man that cares very much about his representation, and how others see him. He is wiping down Bibi before they go into the house after the storm and it is likely that Calixta is the same. She has dirty laundry, but as long as she presents herself as the perfect wife to her husband than there should be no need for any issues. Clarisse is happy to recieve a tender not from Alcee but at the same time also expressed, " their intimate conjugal life was something which she was more than wiling to forego for a while." (pg. 259). It just shows that everyone has their secrets, and their secret lives that maybe that want to keep hidden from the ones that they care for. In their eyes maybe the believe that what people see from them is more important than what is really beneath the surface. Another way to look at it is that, if someone is happy believing what they want to, why take that from them? It's something that we all do in our everyday lives. Maybe not to that extent, but we all bend the truth here and there until we can forget about it. "So the storm passed and everyone was happy," (pg.259), sums up the story. Is it likely that this is the last "storm" between Calixta and Alcee? I think not, the storm was over for the time being. But that doesn't mean that it can't come back again.

"The Storm"

I believe that this story represents a woman feeling sexually repressed in her marriage and unable to express herself. Therefore she kept to herself and concentrated only on her work to occupy her time. "She sat at a side window sewing furiously on a sewing machine. She was greatly occupied and did not notice the approaching storm."(7) Everything was mundane before the start of the storm. I think that before her marriage or the early stages of her marriage she was easily excited; she had passion. The storm represents the awakening of her passion that she was repressing. Alcee was someone she used to see more often than now. Seeing him reminded her of her feelings she used to have. During the storm, they shared an intimate moment which awakened both of their passions and made them feel alive again. Calixta felt a feeling of excitement seeing her family and didn't have any negative feelings as she might have before. “She gave him a smacking kiss on the cheek that resounded. We'll have a feas' tonight!"(35) I don't feel that this is a matter of adultery but it is about renewing what was lost and gave both Calixta and Alcee a sense of euphoria. I enjoyed reading this story and it was a reminder of not letting every day routine get to you. I can't imagine how much harder it must have been during the time frame of the story. Women were not really allowed to express themselves in this manner. 

"I Stand Here Ironing"

In the Olsen's "I Stand Here Ironing," I think the passage about Emily's mom going out and leaving Emily by herself, in my opinion was kind of mean. ""Can't you go some other time, Mommy, like tomorrow?" she would ask."Will it be just a little while you'll be gone? Do you promise?" The time we came back, the front door open, the clock on the floor in the hall. She rigid awake. "It wasn't just a little while. I didn't cry. Three times I called you, just three times, and then I ran downstairs to open the door so you could come faster. The clock talked loud. I threw it away, it scared me what it talked (Olsen)."" She could have at least got her a babysitter because Emily seemed to be so scared. Also the passage about where Emily has a nightmare and her mother just talks “You’re all right, darling, go to sleep, it’s just a dream (Olsen),” to Emily, she didn’t even go into her room; even though, Emily had the fever that comes before the measles Emily’s mother could’ve sent some one else to check on her.

"The Storm"

The concept of the short story, "The Storm" is clearly sexual in its contexts. This story is full of sexual innuendos and senxual terms when looked at little differently than they are used, even before Calixta and Alcee embrace in their forbidden passion. Bobinot and Bibi, husband and young son to Calixta are stranded at the store as a somber storm approaches. As they wait there, they worry of her and Bobinot even buys a can of shrimp which his wife is fond of. This is just a symbol of his love for his wife. The storm in this part of the story represents a hindering force keeping a family apart.

Calixta is at home gathering laundry as the storm closes in when Alcee, a former lover approaches on his horse. "She had not seen him very often since her marriage, and never alone." (par. 7) tells the readers that the love affair has not happened before, but perhaps that the chance of it happening was there which is why they avoided the encounter up until this point. Alcee thinks very passionatly of Calixta, and the sexual desire they possess for eachother is prominant. As the storm beats down, and they give into their desires. "Do you remember - in Assumption, Calixta?" (par. 23) Alcee asks her after he first kisses her. This brings them back to a time when they were together before her marriage, which in turn brings those feelings to the present. He had such a passion for her then, that he "to save her he would resort in desperate flight." (par. 23) He thought her too defenseless to act on his feelings for her, yet now that she is a wife and mother, as well as he a husband and father, he feels as though this is the right time. This to me seems a little off, however the storm builds the sexual tension until they both give in. In this part of the story, the storm represents sexuality and passion.

When the storm subsides, so does the passion, and Alcee rides away before Bobinot and Bibi arrive home. Ironicly enough, life goes right back to normal. Bobinot and Bibi arrive home to a loving, caring wife and mother, and they enjoy a feast together and laugh as though nothing happened. Alcee writes a loving letter to his wife who is away with their children, telling her that not to hurry home. His intentions in this may be that he feels quilty, or maybe he would like the affair to happen again. Clarisse, Alcee's wife, has a surprising reaction to this letter. She was charmed and was enjoying herself "And the first free breath since her marriage seemed to restore the pleasant liberty of her maiden days. Devoted as she was to her husband, their intimate conjugal life was something wich she was more than willing to forego for a while." (par. 38) Perhaps with a strange twist to the story, she too was having an affair.

Although I do not agree with what happens in this story, I do not believe that either Calixta or Alcee are nessecerly in bad marriages. I think that they both could very well love their spouses and be happy with their marriages, but possibly the intensity of the storm with the intensity of their desire for eachother was too much for them to deny. The undeniable power of passion could be the same undeniable power of a mighty storm.