Tobias Wolff’s short story “Bullet in the brain” is written as though it was a film and this rhetorical manner evokes a visual, a sonorous, and a neurotic feeling. Yet, even though it seems like a movie, there is a realism to it. Wolff generates a sad ending from the most ordinary thing a human could be doing and this is expressed through the eyes of the story’s narrator that knows how to bring the important details to light. The point of view greatly influences the construction of the story and its meaning; by means of different stylistic approaches, the story’s point of view gradually unfolds and reveals that behind the main character’s harsh personality is hidden a sensitive side. Wolff is known to be a minimalist writer that is “concerned…
In the short story collection Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri, the two stories, “A Temporary Matter” and “This Blessed House,” illustrate how the differences between two people can ruin the relationship in the long run. The first story in the collection is about a couple who lost their baby after birth. This traumatic event causes them to drift apart and to not feel the same love for each other that they once had before. The second story is about a newly married couple who, after buying a house, learn that they can not cooperate with each other. The couples’ personality differences are brought out when dealing with challenging situations.…
Compare and Contrast Draft The world has a very distant perception of what reality can be in our society. Both stories explain what the real world is, how poorly informed society can be, and what can lead to taking different actions. However, despite the racial inequality, both turned their experiences into something informative towards society. In many circumstances the main characters in the stories were in an overwhelming situation which caused many doubts that became stressful towards them. However, despite some obstacles such as nationality and inequality, today Amy Tan and Brent Staples are professional and successful writer.…
A Broken Puzzle “Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change” (Shelley). The two stories “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich and “The Brothers” by Lysley Tenorio demonstrates that a sudden change can turn a lifetime of memories into betrayals, In “The Red Convertible,” the brothers Henry and Lyman has a strong bond filled with amusement and adoration but disintegrates as a result of an unexpected event that happens to Henry. In comparison, in “The Brothers,” the brother Eric who later becomes Erica, reveals to the world on national television his change in identity. This event shocks his mother and brother Edmond, causing their familiarity to drift apart.…
There is also a similarity between the two stories knowing that montresor is bitter about his family's fallen status and Miss. Emily feels lesser due to her lack of family status. In both short stories their is apparent family value within the two main characters. Within these stories the largest undebatable similarity is the theme. The theme in both of these stories is death, although it is portrayed in…
It wasn't until the end of Popular Mechanics that I was truly was brought into the story. The final line drew me further into the story and made me think. I was impressed that a single line he was able to make this simplistic piece so much more memorable. I admired him, I admire this style of his so much that I wanted to mimic it, but that proved to be too difficult as I will later explain. I did however know from the beginning that I wanted to keep his ending, therefore I added it to the ending of my story.…
Authors often use their stories as commentaries to convey the societal shortcomings of their societies. Hence, they also promote an alteration in social and or personal values. Evidently the commentary revealed throughout the works of Ambrose Bierce, Shirley Jackson, and Tim O’Brien is the fear of being a social outcast, which then alters the values within the characters present in the stories. In the short story On the Rainy River the protagonist of the story Tim O’Brien is faced with hardship and adversity which could change his reputation in his hometown society.…
“Popular Mechanics” by Raymond Carver and “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway deal with an important human issue in life. In Popular Mechanics the couple fights over their relationship and who keeps their baby. “In Hills Like White Elephants” the couple fights with each other about whether or not to have an abortion. The human issue in the stories is that couples should always communication in every situation in their daily life. However, the couple in these stories have disagreement over their relationship.…
Heartlessness progresses as a topic of discussion. In these three opposing works, Serial Podcast, Ordinary People, and The Glass Castle come similarity. They relate not only in comparing the themes but comparable in modern society. The theme heartlessness leads to abuse or death, matches in all three texts. In current times, we see this problem more often than necessary.…
They are similar because the women in both stories are forced to live by standards that have been implemented by men. Sexuallity is something that can go wrong or right and can affect everyone in the story differently. With the combination of sexuality and gossip, we can see how messy and crazy it can get between characters within both stories. The nonstop gossip only amounts to more and more drama which then results in a consequence that nobody likes. Even though each character has their own freedom to live through, we can see that men have more freedoms and have less consequences for the actions they make.…
In the short story”Lamb to the slaughter” by Roald Dahl, Mrs. Maloney does not premeditate her husband’s murder. Mrs. Maloney does not premeditate her husband’s murder because her love towards him is too immense, she is willing to serve him, and because of the way she reacts after she spontaneously kills her husband. Thus, Mary Maloney spontaneously kills her husband. There are many reasons why Mrs. Maloney does not premeditate the murder.…
Utopia, the place that can only be imagined, where everything is perfect. No person in need nor are they sad, sinful, or unhappy. Dystopia on the other hand is a supposed place where everything is substandard, people live in inadequate conditions and everything is reprehensible. In Ayn Rand’s Anthem and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 the main characters live in places that by all accounts of todays society should be called dystopia. However the citizens do not see it as unsatisfactory they believe to be a utopia because of their upbringings and current knowledge.…
Human life is precious. There are many creatures that live and eat, but only humans are capable of complex emotions and understanding. Human life is a luxury, full of memorable moments, love, and accomplishments. However, there are devastating moments in life that can completely change and alter all of these luxurious aspects. In literature, authors use these disastrous times to inspire and provide meaning to the lives of those affected.…
Fear, love, and hope sum up the beginning two parts of A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. The author takes readers on a journey with a young girl no older than 14. Readers watch as she grows as a person and is forced to face unfathomable truths. From early on in life she has to make a decision on who to believe: Nana, her mother, or Jalil, her father. Nana simply doesn’t believe in Jalil and his way of life as a rich man with many wives who segregates one of his daughters far from his home.…
Labels, Empathy, and Inability in Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif” Numerous authors make the decision to write about conflicts that exist within society; issues that audiences can make a connection with and apply the issues to their personal experiences. This method of writing has been effective for years because it is easy for people to engage with the pieces of literature. Through the course of history literature has continuously challenged the socially and psychologically constructed stereotypes in society.…