A family of five decide to go on vacation to Florida, but the grandmother in the family wanted to visit Tennessee. The family eventually stopped at a diner called The Tower where they meet the owner, Red Sammy. He and the grandmother talk about how people are different how and “how a good man is hard to find.” When they get back on the road, the grandmother suggest they visit a plantation she once remembered. They follow a dirt road and the grandmother suddenly remembers that the plantation was in Tennessee, the grandmothers cat jumps out of her basket and causes the family to crash.…
The short story “Shiloh” by Bobbie Ann Mason offers insight into a valuable life lesson. In “Shiloh” there is a man named Leroy married to a woman named Norma Jean. Leroy was on the road for many years and had to come back home to Norma Jean because he was in a trailer accident. Norma ended up being uncomfortable around Leroy and Leroy assumed she was uncomfortable having him around because his presence reminded her of when before he went on the road and their child was still alive. Norma Jean encouraged Leroy to get a job.…
SUMMARY Gail Godwin’s short story “A Sorrowful Woman” illustrates depression’s overwhelming effect on a woman’s life. Initially, the woman grew anxious at the sight of her husband and son and eventually with time, she withdrew herself completely from the home normal activities. She lost touch with her surroundings although her husband desperately tried to please her every desire. He grew tirelessly from life, but it was never enough to satisfy the woman. EVALUATE…
The plots in both “The Man Who Knew Belle Starr” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” are driven more by chance, coincidence and irony than by character. From chance encounters to ironic deaths, each story bounces from one irony and coincidence to the next, until it is clear that their authors started with the seed of these coincidental events, and then grew their stories around them. In “The Man Who Knew Belle Starr” the protagonist Mcrae has a chance meeting with a young girl that goes by the name Belle Starr. Unbeknownst to him when he first meets her, she will be the cause of his untimely demise as the shawl she was wearing was concealing a pistol.…
Pieces of April This film Pieces of April, which involves A daughter that is having her whole family over for thanksgiving in New York city, which could possibly be the last time they have their mother for thanksgiving. The mother joy has cancer and is dying she is trying to re-connect with her daughter April, which seems to be weight on her chest since she has never had a good connection with her oldest daughter. This family dynamic is complicated in the way that they all have a different way in coping how their mother illness is taking a toll on them. From the father being afraid that his wife could die in her sleep.…
The main characters in Mansfield “Miss Brill”(155) and in Welty “A Worn Path” (223) are both elderly single ladies in different parts of the world. They both have very different lives due to, but not entirely based upon their financial positions. Both of the characters prove that being able to provide for yourself and others does not always bring fulfilment. Miss Brill and Phoenix Jackson both have people in their lives that are important to their self-worth. Objects can be loved, but objects cannot love in return.…
“The jilting of Granny Weatherall” written by Katherine Anne Porter, deals with a woman who allowed a wrongdoing committed against her in her youth dictate her life and consume her final thoughts as she approached death. Ellen Weatherall, the main character of this story is given a chance to clear her conscious and forgiver her transgressor, which can be argued to be the moral or ethical thing to do. It is Ellen’s choice to hold on to the pain she felt when she was left standing at the altar, it was her choice to keep bitterness in her heart. For many years, Granny Weatherall lived with her decision, and in her final moment she chose to die with that same pain and bitterness.…
We can all agree that the Youngers as well as the Hoovers had some sort of dysfunctionality in their families. In both films, each character challenges social norms in one way or another. In Little Miss Sunshine, Olive goes against the norms of her society by entering a beauty pageant where society puts absurd beauty standards for little girls. In the film “A Raisin in the Sun”, Beneatha goes up against all the norms of that era, and attends college. Beneatha strives to become one of the first female african american doctor.…
Southern Charms and Feminist Harms “The most beautiful voice in the world is that of an educated southern woman,” Winston Churchill. Born in the North but raised by a Southern Mama, I have adopted many Southern ways and traditional Christian values. As toddlers my sister Carolyn and I wore big bows a top our heads, kept impeccably clean, and looked like models from a Brooks Brothers magazine. Etiquette was not taught, but expected from us. Ever since birth we used real plates, cups, and silverware: no plastic for us.…
In her short story “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”, Flannery O’Connor introduces the reader to a world of family issues, danger, and murder. The story was written in 1955 during a period of social and racial unrest in the southern United States. Mostly, the story follows O 'Connor 's basic Southern Gothic writing style, a work that is "cold and dispassionate, as well as almost absurdly stark and violent" (Galloway). While the quote gives major insight into the tone of the story, it does not offer a glimpse into O 'Connor 's real message of the story. Her take on the characters is a complex mixture of agreement and disapproval.…
The Tale of Two Loves In two short stories, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck, the hidden feelings of main characters Mrs. Mallard and Elisa are brought to the surface at a time when the very identity of their lives is threatened. Through a series of choices they discover who they really are and what they really desire—“good” for themselves or the true good of the other. Mrs. Mallard meets a fateful end after satisfying her selfishness and rejoicing in her husband’s death, while Elisa, whose true love for Henry overpowers her own longing for adventure, uses the same temptation to selfishness to strengthen what is most dear to her, her marriage. Both of the characters, although they appear happily…
Olive Kitteridge: A Critical Review Introduction Olive Kitteridge is a collection of short stories written by Elizabeth Strout in 2009. The stories, linked by a common thread, the title character Olive Kitteridge, typify life in small town Maine. Trudy Bush’s review of the book was witty and enlightening because Bush never attempts to flee from Olive’s colorful character, as tempting as it may be. Bush embraces Olive entirely, giving a glimpse into her gloomy, and at times loving nature while coming to terms with growing old.…
The film Little Miss Sunshine follows a family on their road trip from New Mexico to California. The shows the lives of a dysfunctional lower middle-class family. The protagonist Olive gets accepted to compete in a beauty pageant in California. Her family consisting of her Mother Sheryl, Father Richard, Silent Brother Dwayne, Suicidal Uncle Frank and drug addict Grandfather all take the trip with her in a beat down Volkswagen bus. The film goes into depth about different problems ordinary people may face on a day to day basis and the way that they handle these issues.…
Throughout modern history, society always develops expectations on how girls should behave, what they should know and generally how to live their life. It would appear that in most predominant civilizations, girls are destined to take on the role of being innocent and incredibly dependent on their male counterparts. In the short story “The Werewolf” by Angela Carter, we are introduced to a young girl who drastically challenges the reader 's expectations and preconceived notions on a the child should act as opposed to how the girl does. Being much more mature than her other “LRRH” counterparts, the girl uses her training and knowledge, resilience to the cold, and help from the community to overcome her innocence and, in turn, grow up.…
The Duda’s have taken a family vacation to Siesta Key, Florida. They are staying in a hotel that is not far from the beach. They were going to stay their for two whole days. They are going to have the best time ever at the beach. So the Duda’s get to Florida and go straight to their hotel…