#16 Week 10 John Updike "A&P" pg.311-315

Summary

 Sammy a nineteen year old boy working at an A&P store one day, notices three girls walk in dressed completely different form everyone else in the store. The girls were all in two piece bathing suits and were barefoot. Sammy observes each girl and gives each of them a nickname “the fat one”, “the tall one” and the “queenie”. Sammy notes that the girls each have different feature and strange quarks. When the girls finally find the item that they were searching for, they go to Sammy’s cash register to get checked out, at the very same time Sammy’s manager walks in and starts to harass the girls. He tells them there is a dress code and they are not at the beach, the girls faces turn red with embarrassment as they finish paying and hurry out of the store: Sammy turns to his manager, Lengel, and says he quits. Lengel who is a friend of Sammy’s parents warns him that his parents won’t be pleased. Sammy takes off him apron and tie and leaves them folded nicely on the register. As Sammy leaves Lengel tells him that he will “feel this for the rest of your life”, Sammy agrees and exists the store. Feeling uneasy about the future ahead of him, Sammy knows he has experienced what the world can be like but knows that he can be the change in it.

Reader Response      

This was a cute story! Cute to me anyway, because Sammy stood up for what he believed in and for the girls and quit because his jerk of a boss was so rude for no good reason. I liked the moral of this story, which is to stick to your morals and always stand up for what you believe in. Although it kind of stinks because of the stories we have read before  that  have mentioned this story and the way it ends so really the whole story was spoiled for me. I think Lengel is just one of those ugly people who just like to make others feel bad about themselves so he can feel good about himself, which I think is pathetic. I felt however that Sammy, at the end of the story, felt like he had seen and witnessed how harsh the world was going to be but at the same time he knew that he did not have to be the same, he could be the good and different individual. Overall I liked the story, and I liked how it was written in a not so serious, joking way, it was funny.

#15 Week 10 Kate Chopin "The Story of an Hour" pg.293-295

Summary

Mrs. Mallard, a young, pretty woman who had heart problems is unaware that her husband had just died in a terrible railroad accident. Her sister, Josephine, along with one of her husband’s friends Richards, go to break the news to Mrs. Mallard. When Josephine finally broke the news to her sister, Mrs. Mallard went to her room in tears, and wanted to be alone. She sat in a large comfortable chair facing a window. As she looked out the window at every little feature outside including the smell, Mrs. Mallard was overcome with an indescribable joy; she told herself repeatedly that she was “free”. The reader can only assume that Mrs. Mallard was often put down by her husband and possibly abused by him.   When she emerges from her room, Mrs. Mallard has come to terms with her husband’s death and is embracing life as she never had before. But at that very moment Brently Mallard walks through the door and had no idea a crash had even occurred, as Josephine and Richards run toward Mr. Mallard, in amazement Mrs. Mallard dies of heart failure, to do her overwhelming joy.

Reader Response      

This was such a weird story! I thought Mrs. Mallard was dying when she went to her room, and that she was having like a spirit like encounter with her dead body as a spirit. The story definitely had a cool twist of fate.  I liked how Mrs., Mallard was finally at peace and happy that her husband was dead, only to die a few moments after her husband arrived home. The irony in this story was just ridiculous, in a good way. I love stories that have such powerful irony like this one did I also like stories that have a turn of events and this story had not just a twist, like the majority of stories do, but two twists which really worked for the story. I also enjoyed the voice as well as the tone in this story, it was well written.

#14 Week 10 "Tone and Style" pg.286-287

Summary

Tone is how the authors/writers show the feelings or attitudes characters might have toward certain situations they are exploring or telling the reader about. Style is the way the writer presents his/her story to the audience: the way they organize their thoughts, arguments, and the way the write overall. Writers, depending on their subjects, give their readers credit on how much they know about their subjects as well as what they know. Authors also acknowledge their readers ability to comprehend the ways they present their materials. Writers often choose words that help their works according to circumstances, and differentiate their styles by using descriptive paragraphs and dialogs. A crucial part of style is the use of diction. Writers must choose words that work for their stories, and that are understandable, and precise, so that readers fully grasp their concepts. If the authors are successful in their works, their readers should be involved, curious, and interested in the work.

Reader Response       

I knew that an author’s style had a lot to do with an author’s tone. The way an author writes using diction, voice, descriptive words, and vivid details all help establish the works’ or the authors style which in turn establishes the author’s tone. I think it’s really cool how so many different literary elements can come together to create a tone or a style. I also love how the same literary elements and devices can also be used to make a completely different tone and style setting so many authors apart.

#13 Week 8 Edgar Allen Poe "The Cask of Amontillado" pg.226-230

Summary

A man who used to be very wealthy and prominent in society, one day his friend, Fortunato, had been teasing him as he often did. But, when Fortunato insulted his friend, his friend vowed to get his revenge. The man instantly thought of an ingenuous way to trick Fortunato into a trap. Fourtunato was an expert at fine wines, he knew practically every kind made, which when the narrator says he might have found a great and rare find, Fortunato cannot resist tagging along to see if the wine truly is real. The pair travel under the city in catacombs modeled after Paris’, the entire catacombs where one consistent wine cellar. The narrator knowing that Fortunato was ill at the time kept using reverse psychology on the man making Fortunato more persistent to reach the end cellar to see the fine wine. When the two reached the cellar with the wine, the narrator told Fortunato to continue on without him and he would be waiting when he returned. But all the while Fortunato was gone the narrator was sealing up the cellar with bricks to seal his “friend” in. When Fortunato returned and saw the wall he laughed thinking it was a joke, the narrators skin crawled at his laughter and placed the last brick in place leavening his friend s body to rot and never be found again.

Reader Response

This like Poe’s other works was creepy to read yet the ending was pretty predictable, since Poe likes to kill off many people in different ways in all his stories. Poe’s dark humor sets a tone for his story and his dark setting make his story that much more intense. It was not until I started typing that I realized the irony in Fortunato’s name. Fortunato in Spanish means fortunate, the irony in this work is that at the end of his life Fortunato is anything but fortunate in the way he dies. I have always oddly liked Poe’s work, and like the way he skillfully makes good things turn dark so fast.

#12 Week 8 Cynthia Ozick "The Shawl" pg.223-225

Summary

A Jewish mother, Rosa, and her two daughters, Stella and Magda, are walking in a death march during what the reader assumes to be the Holocaust. Magda is a fifteen month old infant who had been hidden the entire time of the march; she was wrapped in a shawl that lay across Rosa’s bosom, which made her undetectable. Magda was a quiet, happy child; she never cried which left Rosa thinking the child was born a mute. Rosa thought the shawl was magic, because after her milk dried and Magda had nothing left to suck on but the shawl, it kept her alive past the time she should have died. Stella always envied Magda, and wanted to be the one wrapped up in the shawl. Rosa always thought that the way that Stella looked at Magda was a way that carnivores look at their prey: Rosa felt that her daughter would eat her other daughter if given the chance. But one day in a concentration camp, Stella takes Magda’s shawl to cover her during a roll-call of the camp. Rosa always hind Magda behind a wall during roll-call wrapped in her shawl, Magda would never cry.  But one day, the day Stella takes the shawl, Magda starts to cry. Rosa notices and runs to a sleeping Stella to take the shawl she had stolen and wrap her younger daughter up in it before her crying became noticeable. But while running toward Magda, Rosa realizes she (Magda) has already been discovered by a Nazi guard and is being taken toward an electric fence. Before Rosa even has time to react she watches while her baby cries the loudest she has ever cried then is thrown to the live electric fence. It takes mere seconds for the child’s life-less, burned body to fall to the ground. Knowing she would be killed to if she tried to run to her fried daughter, Rosa falls to her knees and stuffs the shawl into her mouth hoping to be magically fed by it as her daughter once was.

Reader Response

This is a very powerful story that had me gasping from beginning to end. As I type this I have a giant lump in my throat and an upset stomach. I know just how gruesome the holocaust was and how many god awful things the Nazi’s did to innocent people. But it is this very knowledge that the writer wants the reader to go off of and recall while reading the story. This story is a good example of cultural and historical setting. It explores practically every aspect of that horrible time in history, the concentration camps, death marches, human ovens, and inhuman guards. This was a well thought out, well written story that explores a very touchy and hard to talk about subject but also sheds light on a horrible possibility that could very well have happened during that time in history. It is a very sad and moving story to read, but I’m glad I read it.

#11 Week 8 James Joyce "Araby" pg. 213-216

Summary
A young boy lives on a dead-ended street, in a house where a priest had died in. Across the street from him loved a lovely “brown” girl, named Mangan. He would spy on her daily; he knew her usual routine of playing out in her yard until her sister called her in for supper. He would wake up in the mornings and peek out a window in his front parlor waiting for her to come out of her house so she could walk to school. After Mangan emerged and walk down the block a bit the boy ran down a hall in his house and would rush out the door to follow behind her, and then pass her often saying nothing, but sometimes exchanging a word or two. One day however the young boy had a conversation with Mangan, they talked about an upcoming bazaar and asked each other if they were going. Mengan said she could not go because of a retreat she had to attend, the boy replied that if he were to go he would surely bring her back something. The day of the bazaar arrived and the boy waited for his uncle to return all day with money for him to go to the bazaar, when his uncle finally arrived he said he had completely forgotten about the matter but the boy could still go. After arriving at the bazaar the boy realized most of the vendors were already closed, and then he walked up to a stand that sold beautiful glass vases and tea sets. When the woman working at the stand approached the young boy and asked if he needed help, he responded “no” but lingered after she walked away admiring the different things the woman had to sell. When he finally turned to walk away he realized what a fool he was, foolishly in love with a person who showed nothing in return, which left the boy feeling angry and tortured inside.
Reader Response
This was a pretty confusing story to follow. It had vivid imagery but was a little weird. I don’t understand why the writer felt the need to mention the priest that had died, and the ending was really weird. I don’t understand why the boy felt so emotional, I suppose he realized that he was hopelessly in love with a person who barely noticed he existed and he was wasting his time trying to buy her a gift. But it the story kind of left me feeling like I did not know where the story was headed and left me with lots of unanswered questions. I liked the imagery in this story but over-all didn’t like the story.

#10 Week 8 Setting Is a means by which authors structure and shape their works pg. 209-210

Summary

Authors use setting as a way to organize their stories, such as starting off with one setting and ending with another. Enclosed settings or framed settings are another means of organizing objects, place and time in stories. Framing can also mean that an author starts their story in one setting and ends with the same one, which creates completeness in the story. Authors can also express their ideas through settings emphasizing certain things in the setting that may become symbolic as the story begins to develop. Authors create atmosphere and mood by describing sounds, shapes, animals, winds, and light. For happy moods authors use bright descriptive colors while dark colors reflect gloomy moods. Adding references to smells and sensory responses can lead readers to respond the readings, perhaps recalling a moment in time they can relate to what the character smells or senses. A setting can also add to ironic times in a work, much like “The Lottery” where the setting was plain and calm which made the stoning at the end ironic.

Reader Response
I didn’t know that author’s use setting to organize their stories. I knew that settings can become symbolic in certain stories, and that that symbolic item can become the main focus of the story. I did not realize that irony could be portrayed through setting; I always thought irony was delivered by dialog or actions. Before this, I guess it never clicked that bright colors in stories meant happy moods and dark colors meant depressing moods. I think it’s over pretty cool how setting can affect so many aspects of a story without the reader ever realizing that it affects so many different things.  

#9 Week 8 The Literary Uses of Setting pg.209-210

Summary

Literary use of setting is meant to create meaning in stories, enhance credibility and realism, and to emphasize character qualities. The amount of detail varies depending on the individual author’s purpose in their story. In order for a writer to establish verisimilitude, they must describe particular objects in particular and detailed locations so that the story becomes believable or real. For example using real life places in order to  help the reader better visualize the location, or real life events to help the story sound plausible and even including everyday items to help the reader relate to the character and story.  The way characters react and or change to their surroundings can show the reader some qualities about said characters.

Reader Response

I really like how setting can be used to manipulate a story, characters and plot. I knew a setting was an important part of a story I just did not know that it could change so much in a story. I think it’s cool how writers can manipulate literary locations to make them comparable to other things almost like symbolism: for example a curvy woodland path can represent and unpredictable, deceiving, and risky life ahead. It’s also interesting that credibility can be established with a setting that is set in the real world.  I think that paying attention to certain details and trying to explain their role in a story is always kind of fun but I didn’t know it was “vital” to the plot of a story.

#8 Week 8 What is setting? pg.208-209

Summary

Setting is an environmental setting where stories take place and where characters are during the story. The setting can also include or be described by what the characters own know and experience throughout a story.  Characters can be hurt or helped depending on their surroundings; they can cause a scene with another character and even divulge secrets about themselves to other characters. Three types of settings are public and private places, outdoor places and cultural and historical circumstances. To make their stories more lifelike, and highlight character qualities, authors use details to describe many objects and places surrounding a character: such as park benches, halls, cars, books, and landmarks exc. When describing outdoor areas it is important that authors make the come to life by describing hills, valleys, conditions, lakes, and even wildlife. Physical as well as historical and cultural settings can influence character assumptions. For example a material object like Ms. Brill’s fur shawl can suggest isolation of a character. Setting can ultimately help give some background on a character, help or hurt a story and can influence character behavior.

Reader Response

I always knew setting was a vital part of writing; it helps the reader create a mental picture of the story being told. I also knew that authors usually give little details about the setting so the reader can get a better mental picture of what kind of setting the characters are in and if they can relate that setting with one they have come across in their own lives. I did not however, know that a fight can be started because of a setting. I also knew that depending on their surroundings, characters can tell a lot or a little about themselves.