Welcome to our short story blog page! In this blog you will be able to read for critcal essays about different short stories! We hope that you enjoy our essays!
Below you will find the following:
"Turmoil in a Blue and Beige Bedroom" by Samantha
"On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning" by Kayleigh
"I Am Beowulf" by Amber
"Dead Man's Path" by Michael
Sunday, November 15, 2009
"Turmoil in a Blue and Beige Bedroom"
“Will he call? When will he call? Will that phone ever ring? And what will he say when he does call? Being a teenage girl waiting to be asked out to a party is sooooo painful…” (Gallo 72). “Turmoil in a Blue and Beige Bedroom” by Judie Angell is a short story about a day in the life of a stereotypical teenage girl. The whole story revolves around the main character, June, sitting in her bedroom waiting for John, a guy from school, to call her. She hopes that when he calls he will ask her to be his date to a big party that night. There are two main literary variables that Angell incorporates into the story to make it seem like a true day in the life of a teenager. The characters and irony play a large role in telling this short story. Without them, there would be no story at all.
Characters can be defined as a fictional person in a story and readers’ first reactions to him or her are usually based on their subjective capacity to empathize with the character’s experiences (Gillespie 925). In “Turmoil in a Blue and Beige Bedroom”, there are two types of characters: round and flat. There is only one truly round character and that would be June. One could say that she is the main character, since the whole story revolves around her. She also is the one who knows the most about the story and what is going on. The reader hears the story from her view and can hear the thoughts that are running through her head. From her perspective, the reader can see what is happening through her eyes as she learns more information from the other characters. There are also many other people in the story, but they would be considered flat characters. Throughout the story while June is waiting for John’s phone call, she receives many other calls from different people while sitting in her room. She receives calls from her mom, Susan, Liz, and Mary Ann, and all of which only provide the reader with a little more information about the advancement of the story. John also is a flat character, but he is ever present throughout the entire story. June can’t stop thinking about when he is going to call, which takes up a good amount of her thought. The flat characters may only have little roles in the story, but since there are so many of them, they add up to have an important role.
The purpose of the flat characters is essential to the story even though the reader may not realize it at first. These flat characters contribute to the situational irony that is found in the story. Situational irony is the discrepancy between the expected end results and the actual end results. In the story, June repeatedly tells her friends that she is maybe hoping that John will call her and ask her to Nancy’s party. She says that maybe so that her friends won’t think she is desperate, even though she is really wishing he will call. In fact, June is so desperate for him to call that she has to keep her conversations with her friends short so she won’t tie up the phone line. In the beginning of the story, it is almost as if she is praying that John will call her. The reader can hear her thoughts as she says that she will baby-sit Stewie for three days in a row without arguing. It is clear form the start that she really wishes that John will call her. She also declines invitations to go to the arcade with her best friends so that she won’t miss his call. While June is desperately waiting for her magic phone call, her other friends call her. They all ask if she is going to Nancy’s party. June finds out that all of her friends are going without dates to the party, even though she specifically heard Nancy say it was a couple’s party. She denies the fact that they are all going stag. In the end, John finally calls June. She is so excited that he calls, and when he asks her to the party…she tells him thanks for the offer, but she thinks it would be more fun to go as a big group! The irony is that she has spent her entire day waiting for this one call, and then when she does receive the call, she turns John down. The author purposely leads the reader to believe that June is still going to say yes to John even after she learns her friends are going alone because June tries to persuade her friends so hard to get dates. The reader doesn’t know of June thinking otherwise about the party and John until the very moment when he calls her.
The irony in “Turmoil in a Blue and Beige Bedroom” is what makes the story come to life. If June had accepted John’s invitation, the story wouldn’t have been as interesting. The characters are also a big factor in making the story more than just a story with a happy ending. The readers can feel the anticipation leading up to the phone call, and then receive the shock of having June turn him down. The characters make the story believable because their dialogue and actions fit the stereotypical images of teenagers. The irony also fits into this image because teenagers are always changing their minds and can make small things into enormous events. Angell’s knowledge of the stereotypical teen leads the reader into believing that the story is really occurring. This is what makes the story unique and exciting.
Characters can be defined as a fictional person in a story and readers’ first reactions to him or her are usually based on their subjective capacity to empathize with the character’s experiences (Gillespie 925). In “Turmoil in a Blue and Beige Bedroom”, there are two types of characters: round and flat. There is only one truly round character and that would be June. One could say that she is the main character, since the whole story revolves around her. She also is the one who knows the most about the story and what is going on. The reader hears the story from her view and can hear the thoughts that are running through her head. From her perspective, the reader can see what is happening through her eyes as she learns more information from the other characters. There are also many other people in the story, but they would be considered flat characters. Throughout the story while June is waiting for John’s phone call, she receives many other calls from different people while sitting in her room. She receives calls from her mom, Susan, Liz, and Mary Ann, and all of which only provide the reader with a little more information about the advancement of the story. John also is a flat character, but he is ever present throughout the entire story. June can’t stop thinking about when he is going to call, which takes up a good amount of her thought. The flat characters may only have little roles in the story, but since there are so many of them, they add up to have an important role.
The purpose of the flat characters is essential to the story even though the reader may not realize it at first. These flat characters contribute to the situational irony that is found in the story. Situational irony is the discrepancy between the expected end results and the actual end results. In the story, June repeatedly tells her friends that she is maybe hoping that John will call her and ask her to Nancy’s party. She says that maybe so that her friends won’t think she is desperate, even though she is really wishing he will call. In fact, June is so desperate for him to call that she has to keep her conversations with her friends short so she won’t tie up the phone line. In the beginning of the story, it is almost as if she is praying that John will call her. The reader can hear her thoughts as she says that she will baby-sit Stewie for three days in a row without arguing. It is clear form the start that she really wishes that John will call her. She also declines invitations to go to the arcade with her best friends so that she won’t miss his call. While June is desperately waiting for her magic phone call, her other friends call her. They all ask if she is going to Nancy’s party. June finds out that all of her friends are going without dates to the party, even though she specifically heard Nancy say it was a couple’s party. She denies the fact that they are all going stag. In the end, John finally calls June. She is so excited that he calls, and when he asks her to the party…she tells him thanks for the offer, but she thinks it would be more fun to go as a big group! The irony is that she has spent her entire day waiting for this one call, and then when she does receive the call, she turns John down. The author purposely leads the reader to believe that June is still going to say yes to John even after she learns her friends are going alone because June tries to persuade her friends so hard to get dates. The reader doesn’t know of June thinking otherwise about the party and John until the very moment when he calls her.
The irony in “Turmoil in a Blue and Beige Bedroom” is what makes the story come to life. If June had accepted John’s invitation, the story wouldn’t have been as interesting. The characters are also a big factor in making the story more than just a story with a happy ending. The readers can feel the anticipation leading up to the phone call, and then receive the shock of having June turn him down. The characters make the story believable because their dialogue and actions fit the stereotypical images of teenagers. The irony also fits into this image because teenagers are always changing their minds and can make small things into enormous events. Angell’s knowledge of the stereotypical teen leads the reader into believing that the story is really occurring. This is what makes the story unique and exciting.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
"On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning"
The narrator is “the technique that writers use to create a particular point of view from which they will tell the story, present the actions, and shape the readers' responses” (Gillespie 927). The narrator can be omniscient, meaning that they do not take part in the action, but know everything that happens in the story and what the characters are thinking. The narrator can also tell a story from the first-person point of view, meaning that the participate in the story and tell it from one point of view. Haruki Murakami tells his story “On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning” with a first-person narrator. His narrator gives an account of when he met this “100% perfect girl” and then even further goes into a first-person narrative when he tells the story he wishes he could have told her. Steven Moore said that “he writes uncanny, philosophical, postmodern fiction that's actually fun to read” (The Complete Review). I found this story to be very enjoyable; Murakami has clever humor, and I think the first-person narrative style is a very effective tool to tell this story.
Murakami starts his story with almost a repetition of the title: “One beautiful April morning, on a narrow side street in Tokyo's fashionable Harajuku neighborhood, I walk past the 100% perfect girl” (Gillespie 285). Murakami uses the pronoun “I” because it is his narrator that is experiencing this. The narrator then divulges into his thoughts on the girl. He says that she is not particularly pretty, but “still, I know from fifty yards away: She's the 100% perfect girl for me” (Gillespie 285). The first-person narrative style is really effective here because the reader can feel what the narrator is feeling and understand what the narrator is thinking.
The narrator then thinks of all the things they could have done together if he would have talked to this girl, so he regrets that he did not talk to her while he had the chance. He thinks of all the things he could have said to her, such as: “'Good morning, miss. Do you think you could spare half an hour for a little conversation'” (Gillespie 286), but then he thinks to himself “Ridiculous. I'd sound like an insurance salesman” (Gillespie 286). Many men can relate to this—trying to figure out what to say to a girl, but throwing out every option because it just does not sound good enough. The use of the first-person narrator allows us to hear the narrator's thoughts, which makes for comic remarks like the insurance salesman remark, and many men can relate to the narrator in this particular situation.
Finally, the narrator decides what he would say to this girl—a story. He tells us the story he would tell her, which enhances the effect of the first-person narrative. The story is told in an omniscient style because the first-person narrator is telling the story to the reader, but it still feels like the narrator is talking directly to the reader. Because the narrator is a first-person narrator, the setting feels personal and intimate even when he tells his story. When he is finished with his story, he says “yes, that's it, that is what I should have said to her” (Gillespie 286). This statement creates the feeling that the narrator was having a conversation with the reader while telling the story, and after hearing it aloud, he is reassured by it.
Thus, the first-person narrative method is a good tool for Murakami to use in telling this story. It really creates a good personal feeling, as if the narrator is just telling a story about this girl he met to his friend or something. The story is also more relatable and more comedic, as we are able to hear the narrator's thoughts (like the salesman quote above). These small remarks have a profound effect, as they make the story that much more relatable. The first-person narrative method gives the entire story the feeling of a conversation between two friends, and it is very enjoyable this way.
Works Cited
Gillespie, Sheena, Tony Pipolo, and Terezinha Fonseca. Literature Across Cultures. New York: Pearson, 2008. Print.
“Murakami Haruki at The Complete Review.” The Complete Review. M.A. Orthofer, 2008. Web. 6 Nov. 2009.
Murakami starts his story with almost a repetition of the title: “One beautiful April morning, on a narrow side street in Tokyo's fashionable Harajuku neighborhood, I walk past the 100% perfect girl” (Gillespie 285). Murakami uses the pronoun “I” because it is his narrator that is experiencing this. The narrator then divulges into his thoughts on the girl. He says that she is not particularly pretty, but “still, I know from fifty yards away: She's the 100% perfect girl for me” (Gillespie 285). The first-person narrative style is really effective here because the reader can feel what the narrator is feeling and understand what the narrator is thinking.
The narrator then thinks of all the things they could have done together if he would have talked to this girl, so he regrets that he did not talk to her while he had the chance. He thinks of all the things he could have said to her, such as: “'Good morning, miss. Do you think you could spare half an hour for a little conversation'” (Gillespie 286), but then he thinks to himself “Ridiculous. I'd sound like an insurance salesman” (Gillespie 286). Many men can relate to this—trying to figure out what to say to a girl, but throwing out every option because it just does not sound good enough. The use of the first-person narrator allows us to hear the narrator's thoughts, which makes for comic remarks like the insurance salesman remark, and many men can relate to the narrator in this particular situation.
Finally, the narrator decides what he would say to this girl—a story. He tells us the story he would tell her, which enhances the effect of the first-person narrative. The story is told in an omniscient style because the first-person narrator is telling the story to the reader, but it still feels like the narrator is talking directly to the reader. Because the narrator is a first-person narrator, the setting feels personal and intimate even when he tells his story. When he is finished with his story, he says “yes, that's it, that is what I should have said to her” (Gillespie 286). This statement creates the feeling that the narrator was having a conversation with the reader while telling the story, and after hearing it aloud, he is reassured by it.
Thus, the first-person narrative method is a good tool for Murakami to use in telling this story. It really creates a good personal feeling, as if the narrator is just telling a story about this girl he met to his friend or something. The story is also more relatable and more comedic, as we are able to hear the narrator's thoughts (like the salesman quote above). These small remarks have a profound effect, as they make the story that much more relatable. The first-person narrative method gives the entire story the feeling of a conversation between two friends, and it is very enjoyable this way.
Works Cited
Gillespie, Sheena, Tony Pipolo, and Terezinha Fonseca. Literature Across Cultures. New York: Pearson, 2008. Print.
“Murakami Haruki at The Complete Review.” The Complete Review. M.A. Orthofer, 2008. Web. 6 Nov. 2009.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
"I am Beowulf!"
Beowulf is the “McDreamy” of the literature world. Women loved him and men wanted to be him. He is handsome, courageous, smart and heroic. Beowulf had such an influence in the poetic world that they transferred the poem into a short story, and the short story into a blockbuster movie. The short story Beowulf retold by Rosemary Sutcliff doesn't get into much depth like the poetry, leaving his character up in the air. According to Literature Across Cultures, the definition of character is a standard, recognizable type often is stereotypical and found in numerous genre types (Gillespie 1020). The character of Beowulf can be misleading. It is true that he was all of the above, but there are some key points that aren’t exactly spelled out for the reader. The attributes of Beowulf, not to mention, his goals, are misleading in the short story. He wanted fame, because the fame meant immortality; he was greedy and he had so much pride that it accounted for his death and the death of his people.
From the beginning of the short story, we are already able get a sense of the true character of Beowulf. He was on a selfish quest. He loved fame and lived for it. It didn’t matter where he had to go, or who he had to fight. His overall objective was to be remembered as a hero. So when it came time to save the Danish kingdom from the evil Grendel, Beowulf didn’t hesitate. He used the excuse that he owed the king for helping his father; but there was more behind his reasoning. Beowulf was always up for an adventure and more fame. Although Beowulf was a rather selfish person, he chose to fight Grendel without armor or weapons, because Grendel had none. The movie Beowulf portrays the fight differently than the short story. Beowulf fights Grendel completely naked. However, at the end, Beowulf still rips Grendel’s arm off; as the story goes, he had the strength of thirty men. The fact that Beowulf chose to fight Grendel with no armor or clothes, in some versions, is a clear sign of arrogant self-confidence. He didn’t care who was injured by Grendel in his quest, because he placed many in danger. If he was so determined to defeat Grendel on his own, he didn’t need any of his men in the hall when they were going to battle.But still, they were all there. One very interesting thing about his character is that the men who followed Beowulf wouldn’t be remembered as the hero, yet they risked their lives for him. It is a clear example that he had a large influence on the people that surrounded him. Thanks to the movie, readers are able to get a Hollywood version of the fight with Grendel. Many would be able to see Beowulf’s true nature. His need for fame led to many more downfalls in his character.
Beowulf was also a greedy man. His greed was what led to the rest of his life being a curse, so the movie goes. One of the other things that Beowulf longed for was the dragons gold. Having the gold would indeed make him rise to even more fame. With the many different versions and translations of the poem and the numerous short stories, the accounts for what Beowulf desired have been changed many times. Upon the death of Grendel Beowulf and his men were give numerous gifts. "Then the king gave to Beowulf a magnificant gold embroidered banner, and a helmet and a battle sark and a drinking cup all curiously worked with gold, and a great heavy sword wrought by the dwarf-kind long ago in the dark caverns beneath the earth" (Sutlcliff 42). If Beowulf had gone to help the king who once helped his father, why would he accept any monetary gift? Once Beowulf became king he was once again met by a dragon, that was searchin for his lost golden horn. The most common version is that Beowulf wanted the dragons gold horn, ending in his demise. The movie version accounts that Beowulf went to kill Grendel’s mother, he ended up making love to her in order to give her the son that he had taken. He then was appointed king and given the golden horn that he thought he destroyed, and when the golden horn came back to him, his life would be over. The movie seems to signify his greed more so than the short story. The short story tells us of Beowulf’s selflessness to save his kingdom from the dragon, sentencing himself to death. However, the dragon did have large amounts of gold that Beowulf would be given if he defeated the dragon. The greed and pride that he had in the end of his life, had led to his death. His last words in the story were once he defeated the dragon. He said," A fine bright gleam of gold to light me on my way. Glad am I since the time has come for me to go" (Sutcliff 90). On his dying breath, he still focused on the gold, nothing else.
Beowulf’s pride got him in the end. Not only did his actions account for his death, but it also counted for the affliction that his people faced while he was king. Beowulf’s pride had over powered him at the end of the story. He chose to fight the dragon on his own, wanting to have the fame come back once more. Unfortunately, his battle with the dragon would be his last. Beowulf’s death was caused by his own flaws. The movies place him in a great battle, saving the queen and his mistress. He would not allow anyone else to fight for him. However, in the story it is Wiglaf who slays the dragon. Beowulf always had a large amount of pride with all of his success in his younger days. His pride also had gotten his best friend and right hand man killed. Yet he had no guilt, he only felt glory. He said to the king, " the day that we land on our own shore, before evening of that day, shall the gold and the kings words be with Hondscios kindred" (Sutcliff 43). Beowulf thought that giving treasure to his comrads kindred would take away the pain, reflecting more of his greed.
Beowulf’s character has been changed many times over. He was the courageous, smart and heroic many that many knew. However, his personal demons and desires caused his own demise. His character will most likely be remembered as the hero, but looking deeper you can see that all of his so called selfless actions held benefits for him in the end. He became a King, had more gold than could be imagined and, the biggest prize of all, his fame. He would always be remembered as the one who defeated three monsters by himself. Beowulf needed nothing because everything that he wanted was given to him, but he always seemed to want more. The story of Beowulf will always be epic with many themes and historical context. At the end, Beowulf had gotten what he wanted, his immortality.
Works Cited
Sutcliff, Rosemary. Beowulf. New Yori: E.P. Dutton, 1961. Print.
Gillespie, Sheena., Tony Pipolo., and Terezinha Fonseca. Literature Across Cultures. New York: Pearson, 2008. Print.
If you haven't seen the movie, I recommend that you do. Here is one of the trailers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdiYWi3h3h8&feature=related
From the beginning of the short story, we are already able get a sense of the true character of Beowulf. He was on a selfish quest. He loved fame and lived for it. It didn’t matter where he had to go, or who he had to fight. His overall objective was to be remembered as a hero. So when it came time to save the Danish kingdom from the evil Grendel, Beowulf didn’t hesitate. He used the excuse that he owed the king for helping his father; but there was more behind his reasoning. Beowulf was always up for an adventure and more fame. Although Beowulf was a rather selfish person, he chose to fight Grendel without armor or weapons, because Grendel had none. The movie Beowulf portrays the fight differently than the short story. Beowulf fights Grendel completely naked. However, at the end, Beowulf still rips Grendel’s arm off; as the story goes, he had the strength of thirty men. The fact that Beowulf chose to fight Grendel with no armor or clothes, in some versions, is a clear sign of arrogant self-confidence. He didn’t care who was injured by Grendel in his quest, because he placed many in danger. If he was so determined to defeat Grendel on his own, he didn’t need any of his men in the hall when they were going to battle.But still, they were all there. One very interesting thing about his character is that the men who followed Beowulf wouldn’t be remembered as the hero, yet they risked their lives for him. It is a clear example that he had a large influence on the people that surrounded him. Thanks to the movie, readers are able to get a Hollywood version of the fight with Grendel. Many would be able to see Beowulf’s true nature. His need for fame led to many more downfalls in his character.
Beowulf was also a greedy man. His greed was what led to the rest of his life being a curse, so the movie goes. One of the other things that Beowulf longed for was the dragons gold. Having the gold would indeed make him rise to even more fame. With the many different versions and translations of the poem and the numerous short stories, the accounts for what Beowulf desired have been changed many times. Upon the death of Grendel Beowulf and his men were give numerous gifts. "Then the king gave to Beowulf a magnificant gold embroidered banner, and a helmet and a battle sark and a drinking cup all curiously worked with gold, and a great heavy sword wrought by the dwarf-kind long ago in the dark caverns beneath the earth" (Sutlcliff 42). If Beowulf had gone to help the king who once helped his father, why would he accept any monetary gift? Once Beowulf became king he was once again met by a dragon, that was searchin for his lost golden horn. The most common version is that Beowulf wanted the dragons gold horn, ending in his demise. The movie version accounts that Beowulf went to kill Grendel’s mother, he ended up making love to her in order to give her the son that he had taken. He then was appointed king and given the golden horn that he thought he destroyed, and when the golden horn came back to him, his life would be over. The movie seems to signify his greed more so than the short story. The short story tells us of Beowulf’s selflessness to save his kingdom from the dragon, sentencing himself to death. However, the dragon did have large amounts of gold that Beowulf would be given if he defeated the dragon. The greed and pride that he had in the end of his life, had led to his death. His last words in the story were once he defeated the dragon. He said," A fine bright gleam of gold to light me on my way. Glad am I since the time has come for me to go" (Sutcliff 90). On his dying breath, he still focused on the gold, nothing else.
Beowulf’s pride got him in the end. Not only did his actions account for his death, but it also counted for the affliction that his people faced while he was king. Beowulf’s pride had over powered him at the end of the story. He chose to fight the dragon on his own, wanting to have the fame come back once more. Unfortunately, his battle with the dragon would be his last. Beowulf’s death was caused by his own flaws. The movies place him in a great battle, saving the queen and his mistress. He would not allow anyone else to fight for him. However, in the story it is Wiglaf who slays the dragon. Beowulf always had a large amount of pride with all of his success in his younger days. His pride also had gotten his best friend and right hand man killed. Yet he had no guilt, he only felt glory. He said to the king, " the day that we land on our own shore, before evening of that day, shall the gold and the kings words be with Hondscios kindred" (Sutcliff 43). Beowulf thought that giving treasure to his comrads kindred would take away the pain, reflecting more of his greed.
Beowulf’s character has been changed many times over. He was the courageous, smart and heroic many that many knew. However, his personal demons and desires caused his own demise. His character will most likely be remembered as the hero, but looking deeper you can see that all of his so called selfless actions held benefits for him in the end. He became a King, had more gold than could be imagined and, the biggest prize of all, his fame. He would always be remembered as the one who defeated three monsters by himself. Beowulf needed nothing because everything that he wanted was given to him, but he always seemed to want more. The story of Beowulf will always be epic with many themes and historical context. At the end, Beowulf had gotten what he wanted, his immortality.
Works Cited
Sutcliff, Rosemary. Beowulf. New Yori: E.P. Dutton, 1961. Print.
Gillespie, Sheena., Tony Pipolo., and Terezinha Fonseca. Literature Across Cultures. New York: Pearson, 2008. Print.
If you haven't seen the movie, I recommend that you do. Here is one of the trailers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdiYWi3h3h8&feature=related
"Dead Men's Path"
Michael Zacharias
“Dead Men’s Path”
In America there are thousands of different cultures living amongst us from all types of backgrounds with a variety of differences. The bible itself contains cultural differences against countries and religion. Sometimes cultures can divide individuals, not because of the color of one’s skin or where they come from but because of the beliefs they possess. Some elderly people believe in culture more than the modern generation and this is what the story “Dead Men’s Path” is about. In this essay I will summarize the character, tone, and theme of “Dead Men’s Path.”
The main character in “Dead Men’s Path” is a man named Michael Obi. Obi is a very stubborn, intelligent and hard working individual. His wife describes him very in depth in the story, “She looked at him as he sat folded up in a chair. He was stoop-shouldered and looked frail. But he sometimes surprised people with sudden burst of physical energy. In his present posture, however, all his bodily strength seemed to have retired behind his deep-set eyes, giving them an extraordinary power of penetration. He was only twenty-six, but looked thirty or more. On the whole, he was not unhandsome” (LAC 833). Obis wife gives a very detailed impression of him throughout the story. She also says about him that he gets a sudden burst of energy, from this I would think that he is a hard worker and gets excited easily. She also said he was only twenty six but looked much older; this can also be from the stress that a person can cause themselves from work. The author was trying to show the reader that Michael Obi was a modern day individual who was obsessed with work.
Tone is, “the manner, mood, or pervading attitude that writers establish for characters, situation, and readers” (LAC 928). The author depicts a lot of tone in this story. The main character possesses tone in his attitude toward the use of the villager’s walking path in the school yard.
He states, “We cannot allow people to make a highway of our school compound.”
The author uses Michael Obi’s ignorance to show how unpleased he is of the walking path because it will look bad to the Government Education Officer. There is also a tone used by the unpleased village priest who confronts our main character, because he fenced off the village’s path. As he explains the importance of the path to Michael Obi he says, “This path was here before you were born and before your father was born. The whole life of our village depends on it.” This shows that the path means a great deal to the village priest and that it is there to stay. The author depicts Michael Obi’s reaction by saying that he listened with a satisfied smile on his face.
The theme of “Dead Men’s Path was very simple to figure out, because it is old values versus new. The old ways of the village were being violated by a young new modern day headmaster. The path to the village burial site represents how old cultures are still possessed even though modern society chooses not to believe or partake in them. The new in this story is Michael Obi who is more worried about looking bad to his superiors than the importance of the path to the village. The modern method’s Michael Obi finds the path foolish and does not want the school children believing in such a myth.
This story was very interesting and I would recommend reading it to all. In the latter I summarized the character, tone and theme of the short story “Dead Men’s Path.” As you can see this story has to deal with a clash of cultures. Modern society should have a place for all people to express their individual culture. Because of the ignorance of Michael Obi the village people had to retaliate. The end has a good lesson to be learned for Michael Obi, but I will leave the suspense for you to find out.
Works Cited
Gillespie, Sheena., Tony Pipolo., and Terezinha Fonseca. Literature Across Cultures. New York: Pearson, 2008. Print.
“Dead Men’s Path”
In America there are thousands of different cultures living amongst us from all types of backgrounds with a variety of differences. The bible itself contains cultural differences against countries and religion. Sometimes cultures can divide individuals, not because of the color of one’s skin or where they come from but because of the beliefs they possess. Some elderly people believe in culture more than the modern generation and this is what the story “Dead Men’s Path” is about. In this essay I will summarize the character, tone, and theme of “Dead Men’s Path.”
The main character in “Dead Men’s Path” is a man named Michael Obi. Obi is a very stubborn, intelligent and hard working individual. His wife describes him very in depth in the story, “She looked at him as he sat folded up in a chair. He was stoop-shouldered and looked frail. But he sometimes surprised people with sudden burst of physical energy. In his present posture, however, all his bodily strength seemed to have retired behind his deep-set eyes, giving them an extraordinary power of penetration. He was only twenty-six, but looked thirty or more. On the whole, he was not unhandsome” (LAC 833). Obis wife gives a very detailed impression of him throughout the story. She also says about him that he gets a sudden burst of energy, from this I would think that he is a hard worker and gets excited easily. She also said he was only twenty six but looked much older; this can also be from the stress that a person can cause themselves from work. The author was trying to show the reader that Michael Obi was a modern day individual who was obsessed with work.
Tone is, “the manner, mood, or pervading attitude that writers establish for characters, situation, and readers” (LAC 928). The author depicts a lot of tone in this story. The main character possesses tone in his attitude toward the use of the villager’s walking path in the school yard.
He states, “We cannot allow people to make a highway of our school compound.”
The author uses Michael Obi’s ignorance to show how unpleased he is of the walking path because it will look bad to the Government Education Officer. There is also a tone used by the unpleased village priest who confronts our main character, because he fenced off the village’s path. As he explains the importance of the path to Michael Obi he says, “This path was here before you were born and before your father was born. The whole life of our village depends on it.” This shows that the path means a great deal to the village priest and that it is there to stay. The author depicts Michael Obi’s reaction by saying that he listened with a satisfied smile on his face.
The theme of “Dead Men’s Path was very simple to figure out, because it is old values versus new. The old ways of the village were being violated by a young new modern day headmaster. The path to the village burial site represents how old cultures are still possessed even though modern society chooses not to believe or partake in them. The new in this story is Michael Obi who is more worried about looking bad to his superiors than the importance of the path to the village. The modern method’s Michael Obi finds the path foolish and does not want the school children believing in such a myth.
This story was very interesting and I would recommend reading it to all. In the latter I summarized the character, tone and theme of the short story “Dead Men’s Path.” As you can see this story has to deal with a clash of cultures. Modern society should have a place for all people to express their individual culture. Because of the ignorance of Michael Obi the village people had to retaliate. The end has a good lesson to be learned for Michael Obi, but I will leave the suspense for you to find out.
Works Cited
Gillespie, Sheena., Tony Pipolo., and Terezinha Fonseca. Literature Across Cultures. New York: Pearson, 2008. Print.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Hey Everyone!
This is our blog page! We can each post our 500 word essay of a short story as a new post, and then comment on the other posts to make up the rest of the 500 words. If you have any questions you can let me know!
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