"Son of a bitch! I'm so glad you're leaving! She began to cry. You can't even look me in the face, can you?
This story is very short but from the beginning, the tone states that something bad is about to happen. Arguing generally leads to violence, and with a baby in the room, things were not looking good. Then tone in the first part is hostal, and hateful. The separating couple acts like they don't even notice the little baby in the room, until the argument become directed toward the subject of the baby. In the heat of the situation the care of the baby was all but disregarded, by the father, and only slightly by the mother. If either one of them had been level headed and wanting the best for the child, they would have handed over the baby, rather than see it get hurt. Because of the ager felt in the beginning of the story, the baby paid the ultimate price. Because both of the parents wanted the baby so bad, with no regard to the baby's welfare, they with both not have the baby. This is a reversal of the Bible story, where solomon threatens to cut the baby in half, because the mother in that story would rather see her baby alive, no matter what. These parent were selfish and ultimately choose the to have the baby cut in half.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
You're Ugly Too- Characterization
"It was not irony. What type of perfume? a student asked once. Room freshener, she said. She smiled, but looked at her, unnerved. " (353, p 5)
The fist part of the story indirectly characterizes Zoe as a professor, who finds her life unbearable, and is difficult to talk to. The only friend she has is her sister, and the rest of the time she is alone or with her student, who do not understand her irony. Not even her sister gets her humor, but overlooks these oddities because they are related. Then we fid out that she can't have kids, furthering the since that she will always be alone. The news of her sister marriage is just a slap in the face after her "check up". It seems that her sister has every thing, and Zoe is not jealous in the slightest. She is emotionless throughout the entire story. When a topic come up that she is uncomfortable with, she will awkwardly change the subject, especially at the mention of love or anything serious. Maybe she gave up on life because of those medical test. Dying would explain why she would sabotage her date and her life.
The fist part of the story indirectly characterizes Zoe as a professor, who finds her life unbearable, and is difficult to talk to. The only friend she has is her sister, and the rest of the time she is alone or with her student, who do not understand her irony. Not even her sister gets her humor, but overlooks these oddities because they are related. Then we fid out that she can't have kids, furthering the since that she will always be alone. The news of her sister marriage is just a slap in the face after her "check up". It seems that her sister has every thing, and Zoe is not jealous in the slightest. She is emotionless throughout the entire story. When a topic come up that she is uncomfortable with, she will awkwardly change the subject, especially at the mention of love or anything serious. Maybe she gave up on life because of those medical test. Dying would explain why she would sabotage her date and her life.
The Lottery- Misleading Title
"The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny"
The title along with the start of the story make the reader feel as though this "lottery" will bring good fortune to the winner. After all, this is generally what lotteries do. In today's world, winning the lottery means riches and happiness and luck. Also, the beginning of the book is filled with light diction of beautiful days, and children gathering. This throughs the reader off suspecting the ending. However, the beginning of the story might elude to the end because it was to happy, and too light. Nothing really happens, except the gathering of stones and the bringing of a ritualistic box. These concepts combine foreshadow the end result, but it is written so as to through the reader off. Only at the end does the reader understand what the lottery is, basically a sacrifice of one of the town members, though is unclear what the purpose behind this is.
The title along with the start of the story make the reader feel as though this "lottery" will bring good fortune to the winner. After all, this is generally what lotteries do. In today's world, winning the lottery means riches and happiness and luck. Also, the beginning of the book is filled with light diction of beautiful days, and children gathering. This throughs the reader off suspecting the ending. However, the beginning of the story might elude to the end because it was to happy, and too light. Nothing really happens, except the gathering of stones and the bringing of a ritualistic box. These concepts combine foreshadow the end result, but it is written so as to through the reader off. Only at the end does the reader understand what the lottery is, basically a sacrifice of one of the town members, though is unclear what the purpose behind this is.
The Drunkard- Irony
"Go away ye bloody bitches!" (350, 70)
The most ironic part of this story is the role reversal of the father and the son. Instead of the father getting drunk as usual, the son not only drinks his fathers beer but acts like his father acts when he is drunk. In the beginning of the story, the reader finds out that the father embarrasses himself when he is intoxicated. This is wat the son does out side the bar infront of the entire neighborhood. People in town probably knew of the fathers problems, but his embarrassing situation most likely were contained inside the bar. With the son, the whole town saw exactly what happened. This, more than anything made the father want to change his ways. Even though he acts like he is mad at the boy, in the end he does give up drinking. This is ironic, because it took the boy to get drunk to force the father to see the danger it presented and the embarrassment it brought.
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