Fiction
Known as “prose, [such as] short stories and novels, that describes imaginary events and people” (“Fiction”), fiction and its stories “are a part of daily life in every culture” (Mays 46). While fiction shares some basic literary elements with poetry, such as imagery, figures of speech, symbolism, and setting, some elements are more closely associated with this genre. For instance, plot and point of view are common elements identified when analyzing fiction for an overall theme. Like the preceding poetic works, Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”, John Updike’s “A&P”, and Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” each present themes relating to the quest for identity, this time through fictional prose.
Kate Chopin: “The Story of an Hour”
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In John Updike’s short story, “A&P”, the protagonist, Sammy, establishes his own identity after witnessing the denial of someone else’s. Point of view and symbolism of color help to establish this central theme. While working at his local grocery store, “the A & P” (Updike 431), Sammy notices three young women in bathing suits while they shop. He notes the “bright green” (430) swimsuit worn by one girl and the “dirty-pink” (430) bathing suit worn by another girl, Queenie. He notes her “very blue eyes” (434), as well. The colors of the girls contrast starkly with Sammy’s surroundings: the “little gray jar” (433) of “Kingfish Fancy Herring Snacks” (433), the “baggy gray pants” (433) of Stokesie’s customers, and the “old and gray” (435) appearance of the manager. The dreary ambience of the A & P supports Sammy’s inner dialogue as he watches “sheep pushing their carts down the aisle” (431). The bright colors worn by Queenie and her friends represents the girls going “against the usual traffic” (432) of the typical, sheep-like members of society. The manager, Lengel, notices the three girls, and immediately begins reprimanding them for their bathing suits. The girls protest, informing Lengel they are only picking up a single item. Lengel continues to chastise the girls while the “sheep, …show more content…
“The Piano Lesson” details a dispute between the siblings Boy Willie and Berniece, about a piano, one of their family heirlooms. Boy Willie wishes to sell the piano to purchase the land of Sutter, whose family once owned Boy Willie and Berniece’s ancestors as slaves. Berniece, on the other hand, sees the importance of the heirloom as part of her identity. “The Piano Lesson” exemplifies the significance of preserving one’s family history “for the sake of sustaining a cultural legacy” (33) and personal identity. The symbolism of the piano is the main element driving this theme. The piano has “mask-like figures resembling totems” (Wilson 846) carved into it. These mask-like figures, however, are actually carvings of Boy Willie and Berniece’s ancestors. Although Berniece sees the cultural importance of the piano, Boy Willie sees it as a “piece of wood” (878) to sell for land. The clash between Boy Willie and Berniece continues throughout the play with several instances of the ghost of Sutter appearing in Berniece’s home. Finally, as Boy Willie is about to haul the piano out of Berniece’s home, the ghost of Sutter appears, again, and wrestles with Boy Willie until he leaves without the piano. As stated by Sandra Shannon in her article, “Framing African American Cultural Identity”, “the piano
Known as “prose, [such as] short stories and novels, that describes imaginary events and people” (“Fiction”), fiction and its stories “are a part of daily life in every culture” (Mays 46). While fiction shares some basic literary elements with poetry, such as imagery, figures of speech, symbolism, and setting, some elements are more closely associated with this genre. For instance, plot and point of view are common elements identified when analyzing fiction for an overall theme. Like the preceding poetic works, Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”, John Updike’s “A&P”, and Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” each present themes relating to the quest for identity, this time through fictional prose.
Kate Chopin: “The Story of an Hour”
Author …show more content…
In John Updike’s short story, “A&P”, the protagonist, Sammy, establishes his own identity after witnessing the denial of someone else’s. Point of view and symbolism of color help to establish this central theme. While working at his local grocery store, “the A & P” (Updike 431), Sammy notices three young women in bathing suits while they shop. He notes the “bright green” (430) swimsuit worn by one girl and the “dirty-pink” (430) bathing suit worn by another girl, Queenie. He notes her “very blue eyes” (434), as well. The colors of the girls contrast starkly with Sammy’s surroundings: the “little gray jar” (433) of “Kingfish Fancy Herring Snacks” (433), the “baggy gray pants” (433) of Stokesie’s customers, and the “old and gray” (435) appearance of the manager. The dreary ambience of the A & P supports Sammy’s inner dialogue as he watches “sheep pushing their carts down the aisle” (431). The bright colors worn by Queenie and her friends represents the girls going “against the usual traffic” (432) of the typical, sheep-like members of society. The manager, Lengel, notices the three girls, and immediately begins reprimanding them for their bathing suits. The girls protest, informing Lengel they are only picking up a single item. Lengel continues to chastise the girls while the “sheep, …show more content…
“The Piano Lesson” details a dispute between the siblings Boy Willie and Berniece, about a piano, one of their family heirlooms. Boy Willie wishes to sell the piano to purchase the land of Sutter, whose family once owned Boy Willie and Berniece’s ancestors as slaves. Berniece, on the other hand, sees the importance of the heirloom as part of her identity. “The Piano Lesson” exemplifies the significance of preserving one’s family history “for the sake of sustaining a cultural legacy” (33) and personal identity. The symbolism of the piano is the main element driving this theme. The piano has “mask-like figures resembling totems” (Wilson 846) carved into it. These mask-like figures, however, are actually carvings of Boy Willie and Berniece’s ancestors. Although Berniece sees the cultural importance of the piano, Boy Willie sees it as a “piece of wood” (878) to sell for land. The clash between Boy Willie and Berniece continues throughout the play with several instances of the ghost of Sutter appearing in Berniece’s home. Finally, as Boy Willie is about to haul the piano out of Berniece’s home, the ghost of Sutter appears, again, and wrestles with Boy Willie until he leaves without the piano. As stated by Sandra Shannon in her article, “Framing African American Cultural Identity”, “the piano