The Yellow Wallpaper

In the story of the Yellow wallpaper, the protagonist of the story is suffering from postpartum depression, but no one thinks anything is wrong with her. In the end of the story the woman feels like she has to accomplish what she wanted to when she first arrived at the home, to take down the wallpaper to be free from it. In a sense I think she felt trapped with no way out. The husband finally realizes in the end that she really was not getting better as he faints at the sight he walked in on and sees his wife had tore down the wallpaper and told him that “I’ve got out at last” “And I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back!” (378) As you can see, she was not in the right state of mind.
In the beginning of the story as she tells it, she sounds normal and acts normal but tired and she writes about how she feels. As the story progresses, the woman goes in detail about what she sees in the wallpaper that no one can see except her. She describes what happens in the wallpaper with a woman inside of it, yet she keeps all this information to herself. The woman feels like there is something wrong with the house, she claims it is beautiful but there is something that bothers her with the house. The bedroom was a big room with lots of windows with bars on them and she hated the color and wallpaper in the room that was suppose to help her get better but only made her condition worse by being isolated in the room separated from the world, alone with her thoughts.

"A & P"

The story “A & P” I believe is about “manly decisiveness,” in two different ways. First of all when the story starts Sammy is checking another lady out at his register, from the tone of it I could gather that Sammy was not necessarily loving his job as a checkout boy. He refers to the woman as, “one of those cash-register-watchers.” (220) Which to me denotes that he runs across them often and then annoy him. On page 222 Sammy is talking about his job being boring: “ There was nothing much to do except lean on the register and wait for the girls to show up again.” Then when Sammy’s boss Lengel starts harassing the girls (223), it is the last straw for Sammy. He obviously wasn’t too keen on his job to begin with; it was something his dad had gotten him. Maybe he never wanted to work at A & P? All these things together that particular day I believe led to Sammy quitting his job which was his, “manly decisiveness.” Lengel, the boss also shows his “manly decisiveness” in this story on page 223 when he is telling the girls all about his policies and making them feel embarrassed. To Lengel, he was in charge and making the girls feel embarrassed when they left the store was his “manly decisiveness.”

Unit 3 "A&P"

In discussing the story: "A&P" I would first like to say that this story really cracked me up because of the way the Narrator (Sammy) explains details of the customers (the foil) and as well as the girls (in my mind fit both the round and dynamic characters) in the story. Using phrases like: "She has on a kind of dirty pink - beige maybe, I don't know - bathing suit with a little nubble all over it and, what got me, the straps were down" (220). Just really personalizes the story (especially if you're a guy). I really get the vibe that this is a "story about conformity" (or perhaps the lack there of). Just think about what the girls whole motive was... to go against the flow! They knew it wasn't 'proper' or 'appropriate' to be in bathing suits in the store. Yet they did anyway as expressing their desire of one; freedom, two; emancipation from rules and three; for the feeling of individualism. This totally is one of the things that turns Sammy on, and in turn one of the main reasons he quit. People taking a stand is contagious, especially to someone who isn't in a place of life where they want to be. Sammy quit not only because of the girls and how he felt they were mistreated and the fact that he had it up to here with his job and dealing with customers, he also quit because of the inspiration he was given to be your own man, go against what your superiors tell you is right. This thought process with no doubt in my mind leads to the 60's and 70's time of rebellion and hippies. The epiphany and climax (in my mind) is when Lengel confronts the girls at the checkout. This caused Sammy to gather a new perspective which in turn led to him quiting.

A&P

I would agree with John Updike when he states that his short story, “A&P”, can be seen as a story about conformity. There is both conformity and a lack of conformity presented as “A&P” unfolds. The girls in the supermarket, shopping in nothing but their bathing suits, are not conforming to the norms when it comes to shopping apparel. In their own unique way they are breaking from the norm as a way to seek attention. However, these girls are not completely independent. In fact, they are quite dependent on Queenie, who can be seen as the leader of their small group. Updike states that Queenie “had talked the other two into coming in here with her, and now she was showing them how to do it, walk slow and hold yourself straight (220). For whatever reason, the other girls feel they must live up to Queenie’s expectations, and are thus conforming to her ways. The story also shows how other shoppers act like “sheep” when Lengel confronts the girls (223). Using the term “sheep” to describe the shoppers shows how they have conformed. The main reason Sammy quits is to show the girls that he supports them. He respects them for coming into the store in their bathing suits, and he hopes he will gain their respect by quitting. He also does not appreciate how Lengel, the store manager, treats the girls. Sammy’s epiphany comes when he walks outside and realizes that the girls are already gone. He sees that he will not be viewed as their hero. Instead, his decision to quit his job will lead to great struggles with little reward.

"A&P"

The short story “A&P” is about feminist protest. When the girls walk into the A&P they are clearly going against the norm of that society by the way they are dressed. The leader of the three girls did not look around to see if anyone was watching she just walked slowly and held herself straight (220). The three girls even walked the opposite way in the aisles than the regular customers did (221). The most evidence of feminist protest in the story was at the end when Lengel confronted them about their clothing. When he confronts them they do not simply say “sorry it will not happen again”, they argue with him (223). One of the factors that cause Sammy to quit is the way that he sees Lengel treat the three girls (223). He also wants to be seen as a hero to the girls by saying that he quit before they walked out (223). I think that he also wanted to show those girls that he supported them and their decision to go against the norm of that society. Sammy’s epiphany is that he realizes that Lengel is not treating the girls with respect and he does not agree with the way things are at the A&P. The epiphany happens when Lengel says “Sammy, have you rung up this purchase?” (223). The story then notes that Sammy answered “No” but that is not what he was thinking about (223).

A Rose for Emily

The short story, A Rose for Emily was written by William Faulkner in 1930.
In my opinion, the narrators of the story is the town's citizens. Throughout the whole story, the narrator speaks as if they were more then just one person. "Our whole town went to her funeral" Faulkner (pg 206). The narrator also went on to speak in terms of "We" not "I". This effects the order of which the story is told in because the town is gossiping. Everyone is hearing the different details of how Emily's life was told. Every time someone passes the details on about Emily's poor, tragic life, it changes a little bit.
I also believe that because the town is narrating the story the this will greatly effect the tone of the short story. I believe this because every person will have a different opinion or feeling towards Emily. Some my feel bad for her and some may not even care. But I believe that the whole town did pity Emily. As it mentions, "Poor Emily" Faulkner (pg 209). This is showing that they feel sorry for the way that she is living her life.
Emily poisoned her own husband. I believe she did this because she was scarred from losing her father so early in life. Now that she had found love again, she never wanted to loose it. She didn't want to ever be alone again. So she poisoned him and kept him in her bed. Her own grey hair was on the pillow and an indent that matched her head was on the pillow next to his.

A Good Man is Hard To Find

In the short story, "A Good Man Is Hard to Find", by Flannery O'Connor, i felt the religious "pretenders" were the family. The "Misfit " and his followers had no remorse, they were very sure of themselves and what their belief was, pure evil. What is the price of acheiving a moment of religious grace for anyone? In this case, this family, facing the devil in the eyes, lost their lives to acheive their moment of grace. This story is a reminder to me we should all thank god everyday for everything in our lives, not wait until a moment such as this to be thankful. This story had me laughing and crying. How devistating it would be to be face to face with the devil like that! I believe the role of violence in this story is to be a reminder we can all be faced with evil, but not wait until then to say "thank you", and be gracious to god.

Story of an Hour

In “Story of an Hour” written by Kate Chopin, the author uses external images to describe how Mrs. Mallard felt about her husband death. Although Mrs. Millard received the news of her husband’s death with mixed feelings, of which one part of her showed sadness and the other part of her expressing her freedom. In this story, the author uses “the open window” to symbolize the breath of a new life into Mrs. Mallard. According to Chopin, “She could see the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air” (193). The author uses “suspension of intelligent thought” to describe Mrs. Mallard as being in a confused state of mind because different thoughts were flowing in and out of her head. The reader’s noticed the opposite part of this state of being when Mrs. Mallard said, “Free, free, free!” (194). The reader’s understands that Mrs. Mallard was filled with joy of her freedom, which can be compared to everything beautiful in sounds, beautiful trees, blue skies and in songs of the birds. The passage that epitomizes the story was the end result of the joy that took her life when she realized her husband's return.

A Rose for Emily

There are many precious things we lose throughout life. Trying to live without the people we love often times drives us to a breaking point. In the short story, "A Rose for Emily", by William Faulkner we are introduced to Miss Emily at her funeral. This story is told in almost the same way you would hear town gossip. Many times throughout the story I got the feeling however that the narrator was biased or even prude. Miss Emily explained multiple times, "I have no taxes in Jefferson", this was done in order to help the reader realize she was set in her ways (pg 207). Faulkner also does a great job of keeping the reader in suspense throughout the story. I often times had assumed different scenarios leading up to the end.
Miss Emily gives Homer rat poison in order to keep him from ever leaving her. As soon as the narrator gives us insight into Homer's sexual preference, "Homer himself had remarked - he like men", it helped develop a new motive into why Miss Emily might want to kill Homer and keep him to herself (pg 210). She had been left twice before, once by her father who had passed away and another time when her sweetheart had decided to leave her.

Kirszner and Mandell. Literature: reading, reacting, writing. 2007.

The Story of an Hour

The Story of an Hour and paragraph five relate as if the writer is foreshadowing what will become of the woman and her future. It is to show you how she is feeling. It was if heaven was calling her home. As if a higher power is hinting to her what is to come next for her in life. " The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which some one was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were twittering in the eaves." Chopin (193)

" She sat with her head thrown back upon the cushion of the chair, quite motionless, except when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams." Chopin (193) When something so life changing happens, there is nothing that can console a person. She was speechless. Mrs. Mallard was at a loss of words

"Free! Body and soul free!" Chopin (193) Mrs. Mallard had realized she was free again. She was free from all her fears. She had lived her life. Mrs. Mallard could finally hang her hat up knowing she was free again!

The Story of an Hour

In The Story of an Hour the significance of paragraph five is to help the reader feel what she is feeling and seeing. It’s were you begin to feel that she is fading from becoming no longer among the living, like she is flying above and seeing things from outside her own body.

When Chopin used the phrase “suspension of intelligent thought” Chopin (193) she was indicating that there was a loss of thought, that Mrs. Mallard’s mind had gone blank. The opposite passage of “suspension of intelligent thought” would be “there was something coming to her” because her thought process has begun again.

“And yet she had loved him- sometimes. Often she had not. What did it matter! What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being”Chopin (194). This phrase epitomizes the story. At this point she realizes that she is her own person. She loved her husband but has found her self as an individual again. She feels free again.


Litereture reading *reacting *writing - Kirszner & Mandell 2007

A Rose for Emily~ Unit 2

In the story, A Rose for Emily, William Faulkner recreated a tragic piece that portrayed the connection between strong family values and resisting change in an evolving society.
This piece starts with the death of Emily Grierson and proceeds with a microscopic view of Emily’s life through the lens of the townspeople. Using this distinct writing style, Faulkner successfully created a story that provokes his readers to dig deeper into the text to find out what type of woman Emily was. The fact that this story is told from the townspeople’s point of view, this piece was written from a bias perspective against an aristocratic family. They spoke about Miss Emily’s controlling father and how he had chased every man away because he felt no one was good enough for his daughter. After Miss Emily’s father had passed away, she appeared to be in denial about his death and refused to give his body over to the officials for a proper burial. “We knew that with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which had robbed her, as people will” (208). Miss Emily secluded herself from the view of the townspeople, but this only heightened their interest in her life. “Now and then we would see her in one of the downstairs windows. Thus she passed from generation to generation- dear, inescapable, impervious, tranquil, and perverse” (211).
The story concludes with the assumption that Miss Emily poisoned her husband and had concealed his body in a room upstairs. Although a motive is not clear, I believe that Miss Emily wanted to respect the ideals upheld by her father and those of the Old South generation. “She carried her head high enough... It was as if she demanded more than ever the recognition of her dignity as the last Grierson” (206). She continued to refuse to pay her taxes and even, “refused to let them fasten the metal numbers above her door and attach a mailbox to it” (211). I feel that, in the end, Miss Emily fell in love with a common laborer and in order to keep her secret safe, she poisoned the man she loved as means of saving the family name and preserving the love she had for her husband forever.

The Story of an Hour

I really enjoyed reading "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin. This story is about the reaction a wife has to the news about the death of her husband and the emotions she goes through. The protagonist Mrs. Mallard, is at first struck with grief when she is told her husband is dead. While she sits in a room by herself she comes to a realization that it is a blessing instead. In paragraph five Chopin describes the surroundings of Mrs. Mallard as she looks out the window. "She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life"(193). She could hear someone singing in the distant and hear sparrows chirpping. "There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds" (193). These statements are foreshadowing the new outlook on life she comes to realize. These are all pleasant things occuring around her. The new life of the trees represents her new life. The sounds of birds chirpping and someone singing are signs of happiness. In paragraph seven she has a "suspension of intelligent thought"(193). She becomes overcome with joy when she realizes the freedom she has from her husband. Later on she states "it was only yesterday she thought with a shudder that life might be long"(194). This shows the differences between how her state of being was and how it is now. Just yesterday she was dreading having to live a long life. If I could pick one passage that interprets the human condition it would be "There would be no powerful will bending her in that blind persistance with which men and women belive they have a right to impose on private will upon a fellow creature"(194). I think this is a strong statement that summarizes the story well. It represents how life was in those times. It shows how women had to answer to men and were not able to live thier own lives. There were many inequalities between men and women. Mrs. Mallard felt trapped in her life, being a wife not an individual. She had no joy or excitement to live. When her husband shows up and is found to be alive still her new freedom is quickly taken away and she dies. "When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease-of joy that kills"(194).

A Rose for Emily

A Rose for Emily is a short story written by William Faulkner. The narrator of the story are the people of the town because throughout the story the narrator said, "our whole town went to her funeral" (206) and "We did not say she was crazy then." (208). Also, people explained things about Emily's life situations that occurred. The story is not written in chronological order which also hints that it was written by the people because think about a reality situation, someone hears about something ("a smell developed" (207) in Emily's house) then two days later they hear about more of the story (Emily wanting to buy Arsenic), and then in the end they put all the pieces together from what they heard and realized what happened (Homer dead in a bed of Emily's).
As I read the story I am not sure if the people are scared of Emily or if they feel sorry for her because they send her many tax papers but never kick her out, this makes me feel that they are sorry for her. Then, when she asks the druggist for Arsenic and she didn't give a reason what she was going to use it for, the druggist still gave it to her. Which makes me feel that he was scared of what she might have done if he didn't give her the drug.
Emily's father died and she did not want to give up his body. Once the people took the body she was alone until she met Homer. Homer and her were seen together but one day he left for a while. When he returned "A neighbor saw the Negro man admit him at the kitchen door at dusk one evening." (210) and that was the last time the people saw Homer. I think when Homer returned Emily killed him with the Arsenic because she didn't want him to leave again and then be alone once again. Emily kept his body and then distanced herself from the town so the people would not take Homer's body like they took her father's body. Emily didn't kill Homer because she didn't love him, she did it because she wanted to "have" Homer so she wouldn't be alone. To prove this the narrator says "we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair." (212) next to Homer.

A Rose for Emily Unit 2

A Rose for Emily, written by William Faulkner, is told through the eyes of one of Miss Emily Grierson's southern neighbors. Which gives the story an outside view of Miss Emily's actual life and an inside to the life the towns people painted of her. It also leaves some unanswered questions as to why certain events take place.
This is a story of a woman, with a recluse past after the death of her father and the disappearance of her lover. Miss Emily, it seems, had always been a woman with a strong head and heart. Even though the thought of the towns people was to pity her, which is repeated through out the story, "Poor Emily", Faulkner writes (209) "She carried her head high enough - even when we believed that she was fallen" and shows her inner strength.
Her lover, Homer Barton disappeared some time after Miss Emily brought some arsenic from the local drug store, and after her death the authorities/neighbors found a room in which lay a body and dressings for a wedding. The body of Homer Barton, had lain on the bed for quite awhile, and next to his pillow was another with an indent of a head and a hair that matched Miss Emily's. I think this shows that Emily was not as strong as she would like to think herself. She poisoned her love to keep him with her so she would not be alone in this world, knowing that he could die and "be taken" from her as her father had, she killed him and kept him close.

The Story of an Hour- Unit 2

In “Story of an Hour”, Kate Chopin writes of a woman with a heart condition (Mrs. Mallard) who learns of her husband’s death.
As one would expect, the story possesses a sad overtone through the first four paragraphs, as she weeps and retires to her room alone. I feel the mood changes in paragraph five as it hints to what she perceives to be her future, a “new spring life”, a lifting storm. It is also important to note the cultural context of the story which describes the setting in a time where women had no domestic rights whatsoever. This is also supported by the text in paragraph eight(p.193): “She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and even a certain strength.” I suspect Mrs. Mallard, though never beaten, lived under the thumb of her husband for a number of years and is finally experiencing freedom. This leads to her “suspension of intelligent thought,” which I believe should be taken literally as, she was dumbfounded, she was happy to be freed from her marriage, but uncertain what was to come.
I think the most significant passage in this story comes in paragraph 19(p.194). “She breathed a quick prayer life might be ling. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shutter that life might be long.” I feel this most accurately describes the human condition and the irony of life…that everything can be changed in an instant. Just as Mrs. Mallard experiences as her husband walks through the door.

The Story of an Hour - Unit 2

It has been my pleasure to read other Kate Chopin literary works. Chopin has a unique ability to write in a way that touches a woman’s senses. In “Story of an Hour,” Chopin proves this talent in paragraph 5, with her descriptions of “new spring life” outside her window (193). Only a woman, when facing the news of a spouse’s death, could focus on the new life outside her window, when life as she knows it has just fallen apart. The emotions that the main character, Mrs. Mallard feels change from utter remorse to having no feelings at all, as in paragraph 7 when she sits with “suspension of intelligent thought,” thinking nothing at all, just being (193). Mrs. Mallard very quickly came to the realization that she did not have to feel remorseful or wallow in self pity, but that she was now “Free, free, free!” and this filled her with a new emotion, joy (194). She knows that she loved her husband, at times, and she knows she will miss him, but she also realizes she will not miss the oppression she had felt as a married woman in the 1800’s in Louisiana. The story does not seem to allude to any physical domestic violence between Brently Mallard and his wife, perhaps mental but not physical. It does give me the impression that the times Mrs. Mallard lived in were not kind to married women, as was indicated when Chopin writes,

“There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending her in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow creature” (194).

She realizes that her life will be very different from this point on, although I do question that as widows were held to very strict moral standards during that time in history, so I do not believe Mrs. Mallard would really have been free. She does finally get what she wants though, she finds the only true freedom there is, at the moment the doctor declares her dead, and Mrs. Mallard has nothing to worry about ever again.

The Story of an hour

This story is about a women, Mrs. Mallard, that is told her husband had died. She broke down and cried, she was sad at first then she realized she was now free of him. "There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending her in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow creature" (pg 194). I believe this passage represents her belief on marriage that men and women have expectation of what marriage should be and how each other should act. In paragraph five the author describes everything around Mrs. Mallard. I think its about Mrs. Mallard taking in her surroundings as if almost for the first time. When the author says "suspension of intelligent thought"(193) I think she meant that Mrs. Mallard pauses with all rational thinking for a moment.

A Story of an Hour

If I could pick a part of the story that eptomizes the story's significance, I would definately say the part that reads "her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her. Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own. She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long." (194) This means so much to me. She is now excited and wants life to be long. She can do anything she wants and can life each day to its fullest. Yesterday when her husband was alive, she feared each day would drag on forever and he would be there every second to control her and beat her. This paragraph was full of the past, present, and future.

A Rose for Emily - Unit 2 Blog

A Rose for Emily is a short story written by William Faulkner in 1930. He based the story on "fears and rumors" (205) surrounding his real life neighbors.
Miss Emily was a strong woman, albeit, a little off-kilter. Emily dealt with much sorrow and loneliness in her life and yet she managed to live the years necessary to earn long iron-gray hair.
Emily stood up to the modern city officials who insisted she owed property taxes, repeatedly telling them "I have no taxes in Jefferson." (207). Blame this to her Grierson name or the innocence of a mentally ill woman left alone in this world, except for a single manservant, or is it possible that Emily didn't understand the changes that were taking place with reconstructing the south and the many transitions from Confederate to modern-day politics. Either way, she stood her ground and never opened her pockets no matter how many letters were posted to her.
There was no doubt the town busy-bodies kept a close eye on Emily and their tongues were a-wagging whenever an opportunity presented itself. As if the townspeople were all against Emily, referred to as "we" (206) throughout the story, still there was a respect that came by way of the elderly, dutiful men. Attending her funeral, "For a sort of respectful affection" (206) and when a difficult situation arises, "Will you accuse a lady to her face of smelling bad?" (208) and finally, waiting until Emily was "decently in the ground" (211) before opening the door in her home's upstairs, these townsmen showed Emily the dignity common in those days.
I do not suggest Emily was sane, for she poisoned her beau and laid with his corpse for years. She lived as a shut-in, except for the time she gave china-painting lessons in her downstairs, even as Homer Barron lay lifeless in a room just up the stairs. No, Emily was crazy, but she showed that her will could survive the loneliness and challenges of her days, and she lived to be an old woman adorned with iron-gray hair.

A Story of an Hour

Mrs. Mallard's husband, Brentley Mallard, was said to be killed in a tragic railroad accident. She seemed to be sad but as a reader her joy was foreshadowed by words like "the delicious breath of rain was in the air" and "the notes of a distant song which some one was singing." (193) "Free, free, free" (194) was the words she mumbled as she rocked in her rocking chair. Mrs. Mallard had to be a woman in a very controlling relationship. She could have possibly been abused my her husband. She was absolutely overjoyed to know that she would spend the rest of her days without him in it. "She would live for herself" (194) which to me meant that she lived her life doing everything for him and nothing for herself. The line that got me the most was the one that said "and yet she had loved him-sometimes." (194) I just cannot imagine living my life the way Mrs. Mallard did. Spending everyday so miserable and unhappy would be so sad.