Toni Cade Bambara’s short story “The Lesson,” illustrates the unequal distribution of wealth in America which causes the protagonist, Sylvia, to lose her innocence and reevaluate the social class spectrum she lives in. Miss Moore, who is the only person with a college degree in the area, wants to teach Sylvia and the other children a life-changing lesson in an outing to a toy store. From the group of children, Sylvia shows she is a naïve and stubborn child who does not value anyone’s opinion. However, she becomes a different character who changes perspective on the economic world.…
Essay over Okay For Now Okay For Now is written by Gary D. Schmidt and it is a story about a kid whose dad made him and his family move to Marysville. The main character of the story is Doug Swieteck and he doesn't want to move to Marysville but they have to. His dad named Mr. Swieteck is not a nice dad…
“Final Exam” Character Analysis In the book the “Final Exam” by Pauline W. Chen, she is presented as a round and dynamic character in the book. She is a round character because she is complex and multidimensional and she is also a dynamic character because she changes in an important way as the story progresses. Chen’s ways of thinking changes as she work her way to becoming a surgeon and faced with many moral and ethical challenges. She had to come up with her own answers to different questions that have no right answers. Throughout the story, her character was developed by many trials and errors to become a surgeon that she believed to be good.…
6. How do the townspeople react when one townsperson speaks out? When a person dares to speak out against the Hangman, their fellow villagers are quick to shun this outcry for fear it will turn the Hangman against them as well. They remain quiet once that person is acknowledged by the Hangman without ever realizing that they could save everyone by simply standing as a group instead of allowing the Hangman to torment them.…
With Kit's considerable amount of knowledge of hunting and cooking skills from living on the frontier, he proved himself to be a valuable member of the expedition team despite his age and his height. Even though Carson was 5' 7", he was considered small compared to the men he lived with. As more and more time passed, Carson, too, became just as skilled in beaver trapping as the others, and he established himself as aggressive and efficient when fighting people who meant harm. His fighting skills came to save him when he and his expedition crew were attacked while traveling near the Gila River in Eastern Arizona. This pugnacious attitude would be carried around with him until he retired to be a rancher.…
Jill Ker Conway grew up in an oscillating household, experiencing economic failure, personal tragedy, social isolation, and eventual financial success. A gifted student, Conway eventually fled Australia, citing psychological distress and professional stagnation. Conway’s upbringing was largely similar to a rural American girl in the middle twentieth century. Facing social limitations, economic hardship, and controlling parents, Conway received similar autonomy to female Americans. However, her experience differed from the American because she experienced British expectations and religious ambiguity.…
The Beautiful Struggle is about the personal experience of Ta-Nehisi Coates and his brother Bill growing up in West Baltimore. The book takes place in 1980s Baltimore during the Crack Epidemic and explores issues of survival, morals and family. The book is a coming of age story that looks at multiple perspectives. Ta-Nehisi is a boy who isn’t cool, doesn’t understand the rules of the street, and generally doesn’t apply himself in school. His brother Bill on the other hand, is known for being cool, charismatic, and street smart.…
A Lesson Before Dying Grant Wiggins has a responsibility to his Aunt Tante Lou and Miss Emma because he cares for them and wants their approval even if Grant does not realize it at the beginning of the novel. Miss Emma’s godson, Jefferson, is in jail because he “supposedly” killed someone. Jefferson goes to his trail where his lawyer calls him a hog. ‘“What justice would there be to take this life? Justice, gentleman?…
Triggers and Communication Sheila Labarre demonstrates the personality traits of a sociopath. She was abused by her mother and father physically and psychologically, and her father and a male family friend sexually. Sheila was known around town and to the local police for having fits of rage. She also had multiple relationships with men, who she claimed abused her (Flynn, 2010).…
Throughout the novel of “The Damage Done” Warren Fellow’s experiences and hardships he finds himself faced with cause on-going anguish both mentally and physically. These aspects of his unjust life in prison and the events preceding convince Warren into believing that his punishment was not justified, or even remotely equal to his crimes that led to his arrest. There are multiple excerpts from book that can confirm and justify his beliefs of unjust incarceration. One of them includes a quote from page 137 that follows, “Suddenly, my punishment seemed way out of proportion and I couldn’t see the lesson that was to be learned. How much suffering was I to go through before the world agreed that I had paid my price?”…
In the Story A Lesson Before Dying, two main characters Jefferson and Grant learn many crucial things about themselves and overcome the brutal racism of rural Louisiana. In the beginning Jefferson is sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. He was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and because he was black they assumed he did it. Grant Wiggins, a local teacher in the community, is told to go to the jail and convince Jefferson that he is man, and is important. At first he doesn’t know how to make Jefferson see that even though things are not good,there is still good in him.…
Jeannette becomes much more independent, although in the book at the age of 3 her parents were very carefree and let her do what she pleased, there was no fear in their eyes. “‘I got all these cuts and bruises from playing outside and the burns from cooking hot dogs’ I said, They asked me what I was doing cooking hot dogs at the age of 3”(10). She was able to do these things alone at a very young age her parents didn’t care what she was doing because she wasn’t hurting herself, and even after her parents didn’t care, in-fact they were proud of her. As she grows up she becomes more dependent on her father, especially when he does something wrong. “‘ he does’ I said ‘he brings in money from the odd jobs’ ‘he spends more than he earns on booze’…
Clarissa celebrates life because she has not had to face Richard’s illness and the demons that come with it. She has never been the type to judge others too harshly, as evidenced in her interactions with Walter. Even when she feels attacked, as by Mary Krull, she keeps her thoughts to herself and tries to understand the other person. She doesn’t judge Laura either, even though Richard portrayed Laura as a monster sometimes. Now Laura is just an old woman, and Clarissa understands that Laura has had a complicated life and has reasons behind all of her decisions.…
It is generally agreed upon that past experiences and circumstances play a significant role in shaping the decisions, attitudes, and values of individuals in the present. This holds true in both real life and literature, and the characters in the novel The Help by Kathryn Stockett are no exception. One character in particular who has to contend with and is considerably influenced by her past is Celia. Celia, unlike the other privileged white ladies of Jackson, grew up dirt-poor in a white-trash town in Southern Mississippi called Sugar Ditch. Not many specifics are mentioned in relation to her childhood there, but it can be inferred that it was quite a harsh environment.…
You’re Mine, Margery: The Utilization of Instrumentality, Ownership, and Unhealthy Relationships in The Book of Margery Kempe The nature of a patriarchal society is depicted by a system or social order where women are subordinated and considered inferior beings. The women in such a society have no power to make their personal choices and their actions pertaining different situations are dictated by men. Women are considered as second-class citizens with no voice or influence in decision-making in their respective patriarchal society. Margery lived in this typical nature of society.…