Missed Opportunities and Acceptance
(A comparison of “Checkouts” and “The Girl Who Can”)
In the short stories “Checkouts” and “The Girl Who Can,” there are several intriguing details that are similar and different between the two. One distinct difference is the points of view. In “Checkouts,” Cynthia Rylant uses third-person omniscient point of view, while Ama Ata Aidoo uses first-person point of view in “The Girl Who Can.” Obviously, these points of view are incredibly different. They portray the characters, and overall storyline, in interesting ways. In many ways, these points of view help the authors portray the story the way they want to. These views hide and reveal certain details that help the storyline. “The Girl Who Can” and “Checkouts” are very different and similar in many ways, such as how they are both girls, but they are fighting their own problems. …show more content…
To make a long story short, this girl who hates her life finds love, but does not act on it, so she never gets to know the guy. They met at a store, and it was love at first sight. The third-person omniscient point of view in this story helps portray the theme of missed opportunities. The narrator mentions, “It is reason enough to be alive, the hope you may see again some face which has meant something to you. The anticipation of meeting the bag boy eased the girl”s painful transition into her new and jarring life in Cincinnati….And for the boy, the long and often tedious hours at the supermarket which provided no challenge other than that of showing up the following workday...these hours became possibilities of mystery and romance for him as he watched the electric doors for the girl in the orange bow.” (pg 84) This excerpt clearly shows how both the boy and girl in this text love each other. It consumed their every thought. When they did see each other again, they ignored each other and missed their opportunity for
(A comparison of “Checkouts” and “The Girl Who Can”)
In the short stories “Checkouts” and “The Girl Who Can,” there are several intriguing details that are similar and different between the two. One distinct difference is the points of view. In “Checkouts,” Cynthia Rylant uses third-person omniscient point of view, while Ama Ata Aidoo uses first-person point of view in “The Girl Who Can.” Obviously, these points of view are incredibly different. They portray the characters, and overall storyline, in interesting ways. In many ways, these points of view help the authors portray the story the way they want to. These views hide and reveal certain details that help the storyline. “The Girl Who Can” and “Checkouts” are very different and similar in many ways, such as how they are both girls, but they are fighting their own problems. …show more content…
To make a long story short, this girl who hates her life finds love, but does not act on it, so she never gets to know the guy. They met at a store, and it was love at first sight. The third-person omniscient point of view in this story helps portray the theme of missed opportunities. The narrator mentions, “It is reason enough to be alive, the hope you may see again some face which has meant something to you. The anticipation of meeting the bag boy eased the girl”s painful transition into her new and jarring life in Cincinnati….And for the boy, the long and often tedious hours at the supermarket which provided no challenge other than that of showing up the following workday...these hours became possibilities of mystery and romance for him as he watched the electric doors for the girl in the orange bow.” (pg 84) This excerpt clearly shows how both the boy and girl in this text love each other. It consumed their every thought. When they did see each other again, they ignored each other and missed their opportunity for