The Drunkard

"The Drunkard" by Frank O'Connor

"'My brave little man!' she said with her eyes shining. 'It was God did it you were there. You were his guardian angel'" (O'Connor, page 351).

The first piece of the story that caught my attention was the separation between Mr. Dooley and the father. Although they were from different classes of the society they lived in, both Mr. Dooley and the father were able to get to know each other personally. I was confused though when Father did not want to go to Dooley's funeral. When he got there though, a man who did not know Dooley was there yet Father did not want to come there at all even though he was friends with Dooley. Another disturbing and confusing action of the story came with Father's work. Father did not want to miss half a day of work to go to Dooley's funeral yet was fine getting drunk the night before work and not going to work. The ethics of Father perplexed me in many of the descisions but specifically his differing opinion about skipping work. Another thing I noticed with the story was the focus of the society. It was fine for Father to be drunk and skip work. When the son got drunk, all the attention shot on him when it was really his father's fault. Like in our society, things seem to go unnoticed when an adult does it but if a child does the same thing, more attention is placed on them rather the adult. Just like the attention being on the child, the title seems to display the direct attention to the child rather than the father. 

Once Upon a Time

"Once Upon a Time" by Nadine Gordiner

"Next day he pretended to be the Prince who braves terrible thicket of thorns to enter the palace and kiss the Sleeping Beauty back to life: he dragged a ladder to the wall, the shining colied tunnel was just wide enough for his little body to creep in, and with the first fixing of its razorteeth in his knees and hands and head he screamed and struggled deeper into its tangle" (Gordiner, page 236).

Shifts of emotion and atmosphere occur throughout the parts of this short story. The first emotion came in the first paragraph of the story. The emotion of a predisposed superiority came through from the narrator's diction. Following the first paragraph, the snippet before the beginning of the story of the family created an emotion with suspense. The atmosphere left me feeling that it was a nightmare of the narrator. Furthermore, as the story progressed into the story of the family, atmosphere changes began to come about more severely. The first atmosphere of the nearly perfect family in a perfect society placed a happy, perfect atmopshere. When the mention of the people trying to get in and the son finding interest in the gate speaker, I began to notice a shift of the atmosphere of an erie, futurisitc atmosphere marked by the separation of the classes that reminds me of many different sci-fi movies. As the families became more and more protected, the atmosphere became more and more dark until the boy decides to attempt to be brave and escape. The overall atmosphere of the story was that of perfection not being perfect and the flaws put in by attempts to be perfect.

Edward

"Edward" by Anonymous

"O I have killed my father dear, Alas, and woe is me, O!" (Anonymous, page 978).

The central focus of the poem sits with Edward's admittance of killing his father. Edward seems to have no connection with his family. He admits to killing his father and wanting to leave his family in order to penance for what he has done. To his mother, he tells her that he is leaving his burden behind for her. I find Edward to be reluctant to make his family his own and he seems to want to get out of his family. Edward's comparison of his father to the hawk and steed are indirect yet serve a pupose of attempting to disect what has occurred between Edward and his family. The repitition of "Edward, Edward" and "Mother, Mother" serve to create a dialogue between Edward and his mother. Each of them seem to be pleading to each other which is created by the repetition of "O" throughout the entirety of the poem. The repeated lines of the poem also serve to create suspense and intensity with emphasis on the repeated lines. The climax of the poem occurs when Edward confesses to killing his father. Before the climax, the first line of each stanze began with a statement about what Edward has perviously stated. The stanzas are full of questions made out of what Edward was doing before he spoke with his mother. After the climax, the first line of each stanze was a question about the situation Edward had at hand. The stanzas after were dealing with what Edward had planned for the future of himself and of his family. Lastly, the mystery of the poem and details of the family's life create power and suspense in the poem.

Those Winter Sundays

"Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden

"When the rooms were warm, he'd call, and slowly I would rise and dress, fearing the chronic angers of that house" (Hayden, page 781).

This poem was full of imagery and language that made me conclude the topic of this poem was an abusive father. The father is described with cracked hands, waking the the blueblack cold, and unthanked. The house is described as being cold, with fires blazing, and with chronic anger. All of the details led me to believe this along with the last line with love's austere and lonely offices. The house has an overall feeling of cold, lonely, and without love while the father seems to be cold with anger which creates the heat and anger of the home. The "what did I know, what did I know" (Hayden, page 782), implies that the child did not know any differently than the experience in the home. The various images created from the imagery also contributed to the central image of abuse or hardship for the child in the home. Words such as blueblack cold, cracked hands, ached, fires blaze, chronic angers, fearing, lonely, splinting, and breaking create the imagery and description. The descriptions of the home and father allow for further evaluation of the events and home where the child is seen deeper and more personally. Without even knowing much about the child directly, the child's character and being shines through with the general images and language put forward through description.

A Worn Path

"A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty

"She entered a door, and there she saw nailed up on the wall the document that had been stamped with the gold seal and framed in the gold fram, which matched the dream that was hung up in her head" (Welty, page 228).

As Phoenix walks her journey to town, many descriptive similies and metaphors added to the make up of the setting of the story. The comparision of the trees to black men and the tree in the pearly cloud of mistletoe added to the composition as a whole. Another aspect I noticed was that everyone Phoenix encountered called her either Grandma or Granny. Phoenix had no known relation to any of the people she encountered, yet she seemed friendly to all of them as if she was their grandmother. The society Phoenix lives in seemes to be very futurisitc with the notes of barbed-wire fence and the document in town. The society seemed Hunger Games-ish as they were hunting and seemingly contolled by some higher official. Firthermore, Phoenix seemed to dramatize everything she encountered on her walk. She spoke to a scarecrow and something she deemed a ghost. Lastly, the characterization of Phoenix at the beginning of the story led to an image of a poor, feeble woman that was attempting to earn her own living for her grandson. The grandson also seemd to be made up by Phoenix in order to attain the medicine from town. 

A New Manhood

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

"He finally come into his manhood today, didn't he? Kind of like a rainbow after the rain..." (Hansberry, page 151).

Through the progression of the play, Walter has changed a great deal. The money played a key role in his significant change through the stages of the play. Before the money came, Walter had his dream and plan for his family. He wanted to break through the limits of the blacks so he could start his liquor store. This plan in conjunction with the money allotted by Mama, led Walter to become nearly crazed with his plan to get out of the money trouble they faced. Once the money was gone, Walter seemed to slowly regain his previous personality but in a better light. He came from his dream to reality and took his current situation and used practical means to better their lives. By telling of Linder the second time, Walter took his families' situation into his own hands without taking opportunity from his sister. Mama comments on Walter's new manhood at the end of the play. She compares his selfish times to rain and his new change to the rainbow that seemed inevitable to come after the times of rain.  

Mama's plant played a role in comparing their journey to a better life. The plant was describe to be wilted and in dark light. Mama cared for the plant but wanted a home with a nice big garden instead of just her plant. At the end of the play, Mama comes back in for the plant as the final goodbye to their apartment. In doing so, Mama is taking their past experience and life with the to the new house where they can build upon their past life and create a future for themselves.

Money and Money

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

"Well - I don't understand why you people are reacting this way. What do you think you are going to gain by moving into a neighborhood where you just aren't wanted and where some elements - well - people can get awful worked up when they feel that their whole way of life and everything they've ever worked for is threatened" (Hansberry, page 118).

Many negative aspects come along with being a black person in Chicago during the time of this play. Walter has experienced different aspects throughout the play. Most importantly, Linder becomes a major negative aspect to Walter's surroundings when he comes to the apartment in Act 2, Scene 3. While Linder attempts to persuade the Youngers to not move into their new home, Walter is offended and fixes the situation by kicking Linder out of the house. Furthermore, Walter experiences similar negative aspects to being black as he is embarking on his business deal. Ruth points out that it is harder for him to get a deal because he is black so Walter seeks to prove Ruth wrong. Walter also changes his life story when he speaks to George. He finds George telling of his great journeys to expensive cities. Walter uses this to attempt to change his life story in order to fit into the situation at hand. 

When Walter reveals he loses the money in Act 2, Scene 3, he displays that he will do anything to get what he wants. By losing his sister's college money, he selfishly takes from the family in a selfish act. Walter attempted to use the money to find a new way of life but instead creates a "point of no return" for his family as he has lost vital money for himself and his sister.

Chicago Blacks

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

"Ain't it something how bad these here white folks is getting here in Chicago! Lord, getting so you think you right down in Mississippi!" (Hansberry, page 100).

The setting begins to play an important role as the play transcends into Act 2, Scene 2. As Chicago is turning into a society against blacks, the Youngers are facing their dilemma of moving. Mrs. Johnson tries to persuade them against moving to a white neighborhood where their safety is put into danger. The setting adds to the overall mood of the play as their suppressed black heritage is holding the Youngers back from achieving their dreams and potential.

Furthermore, in the same conversation with Mrs. Johnson and Mama, a contrast between Mrs. Johnson and Mama became apparent in their differing opinion on the situation of black people in Chicago. With a differing opinion on topics including Booker T. Washington and job potential, Mama and Mrs. Johnson obviously contrasted each other. Mrs. Johnson also takes a jab at the Younger's home as she called them a "proud-acting bunch of colored folks" (Hansberry, page 103). 

A "point of no return" occurred when Mama decided to allow Walter to handle the money. I was surprised when Mama decided to give Walter the money as she seemed set in her ways that she did not agree with Walter's plan. Mama's feeling that she needed to give Walter his chance to live his dream was a risk that she took in order to make her son raise his esteem. 

Assmilation

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

"It means someone who is willing to give up his own culture and submerge himself completely in the dominant, and in this case oppressive culture" (Hansberry, page 81).

From the span of two scenes, Beneatha finds herself contradicting herself in her opinions of her own heritage and culture. After Asagai comes over to the apartment, Beneatha changes her opinion of her culture to reflect his views. From such a simple conversation, Beneatha surprised me when she cut off all of her hair in order to conform to Asagai's idea on respecting their heritage. Furthermore, Asagai blames Beneatha for assimilating herself to fit the American culture. Beneatha turns that on George in return for commenting on her new hair style. 

Beneatha's change in two acts was unexpected as she seemingly would have most likely kept her American look in order to fit into the society she was in. 

A difference in generations was apparent through Mama. Mama compares Walter to Big Walter. "Once upon a time freedom used to be life - now it's money. I guess the world really do change..." (Hansberry, page 74). Mama uses this to compare that Walter is seeking money though any means while during her time with Big Walter, freedom is all they searched for in their society. Through this comparison, Mama is able to show a differential gap between her generation and the current generation.

A Raisin in the Sun

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

"This morning, I was lookin' in the mirror and thinking about it... I'm thrity-five years old; I been married eleven years and I got a boy who sleeps in the living room - and all I got to give him is stories about how rich white people live..." (Hansberry, page 34).

A clash of opinions within the Younger household is made apparent in the first scene of the play. Walter, more than anything, wants to excel by starting his own liquor shop. Although Ruth and Mama are pushing him away from his idea, he feels the need to start the shop in order to make a better way of life for his family. Walter hopes to attain a lifestyle where his son does not have to sleep in the living room or worry about money for his family. Much like Walter, Beneatha wants a better lifestyle for herself by getting an education and being able to support herself without a man. Ruth, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with Walter and Beneatha's dreams and acts as a contrast to their ideas. Each time Walter would mention his aspiration of his store, she found reasons why everything was not good enough. Furthermore, Ruth and Beneatha act as direct contrasts in appearance and attitude. While Ruth is older, a homemaker, and rougher in complexion, Beneatha is younger, educated, and handsome. 

A symbol that is seeming apparent is money. A contrast between Ruth and Beneatha put the symbol to the test. Ruth believes money is what brings the man and the love will follow. Beneatha  would much rather provide for herself and find love in a man.