... of her life. She was sitting by a creek and waiting for her husband. Ayah began to reflect on her past and her children. The short story was full of flashbacks which described the death of her son, Jimmie, who joined the United States military and died in a helicopter crash while ... action contained all of the background information about her son Jimmie's death and the visit from the white doctors who came for her children. Here, the short story reached its climax. The climax, which consisted of the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth paragraphs, occurred when Ayah's children, Danny and Ella, w...

• Word Count: 1994
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... attempt to change something without violence, with the help of something everyone can understand - poetry. And this is the way I look at the poems and short stories like Langston Hughes or Zara Neal Hurston wrote. They wanted to help, but they could not in their time. But maybe some day there will be ... was their sense of community, a feeling that they were all part of the same endeavor. And I think the creativity of writing a poem, story or musical comes exactly from this state of mind. To invent something new or just the feeling of being part of something special makes the lives ... ...

• Word Count: 4309
• Approx Pages: 17
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... racism in the post World War II South. Throughout most of O'Connor's writing there is a racism factor in each novel or short story. She touches on this in every story because she has seen first hand the racism in the South as well as when the Nazis put the German Jews in concentration ... blacks lived apart from whites. During the era of slavery, most African Americans resided in the South, mainly in rural areas" (Segregation, Freedom's Story, TeacherServe). With O'Connor living in the South it becomes evident why her writing was influenced this way. O'Connor has a number of characters w...

• Word Count: 2519
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... Toomer envisioned an American identity that would transcend race. Nonetheless, concerns with racial division inform his writing, often in a very specific manner The short story "Blood-Burning Moon", by Jean Toomer, is a story about a black man, Tom Burwell, and a white man, Bob Stone, fighting for the affection of a black women, Louisa, during ... the word. Lady Justice was so far from balance that one of he scales barely existed. These ideas, however known, were reinforced by the short story. "Blood-Burning Moon" illustrates the fact that though blacks were free under the laws of the la...

• Word Count: 930
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... pull himself toward dating white women only. His masculinity is redefined by those white women. His brother, Bagel, is another male in the story whose masculinity has been stripped down too. In comparison to Louie's other Pangs of Love short story Birthday, it also portrait the same stereotypes that Asian American man faces. According to Sarkar, Wallace Wong in "Birthday" reveals to the ... valorization show that the idea of emasculated has existed for years. The idea of the weak, effeminate Asian male still persists in today's society. Through this short story, we can see the similarit...

• Word Count: 1245
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... is the standard of beauty, which warps the lives of black women and children, through messages everywhere that whiteness is superior and beautiful. In the short story "Recitatif", Morrison removes all racial codes from the narrative, for which racial identity is crucial in order, to give out a message ... that race is not important to become friends. In the novel and the short story, Morrison is able to relate herself to the racial indiscrimination and labels that her and her friends were exposed to as young children. " ... given each one a cloak of ugliness to wear, and they had each a...

• Word Count: 1083
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

In Ralph Ellison's short story, "Battle Royal", a young man is coming to the realization of what his ailing grandfather was asking of him on his deathbed. The main character or narrator of the story goes through a dramatic ordeal that will hopefully open his eyes to ways of the world. The story has many symbols ... , and all are representative of the many hardships that blacks went through and go through now in a fight for equality. The narrator in Ellison's short story suffers much even though he is considered to be one of the brighter young men in the black community. The young man is given...

• Word Count: 1103
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... dreams sometimes making our dreams and goals to change. Jose Vargas reminds me of when I came to this country and the dreams I had in his short story "My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant" because he shows how tough situations can lead us to have different dreams and aspirations. Vargas like me, ... In "Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich we see how much a low wage worker struggles to pay rent and live a decent life. In this short story Barbara Ehrenreich decides to leave all her luxuries a side and go into being a low wage worker. Barbara experienced how hard it is for a low wage wo...

• Word Count: 2444
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... invited to speak at local men's club where he will deliver his graduation speech. As I go on, I will discuss the nature of the short story and how it affected me. In one way it is symbolic of the African Americans' struggle for equality throughout this nation's history. The various ... to deliver his speech, are representative of the many hardships that the blacks went through in their fight for equality The narrator in Ellison's short story suffers much. He is considered to be one of the brighter youths in his black community. The young man is given the opportunity to ... society , upo...

• Word Count: 1491
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... family was farmers for a hundred years until Atticus became a lawyer in Maycomb while his sister, Alexandra, ran the farm. At the start of the story, Scout is aged 6. Scout's mother had died four years previously and their cook, an old black woman called Calpurnia, helps to bring up the two ... has the chance to build a smaller one with a larger garden. Interpretation The reader feels more and more sympathy towards Boo Radley as the story develops. Although the reader clearly guesses that Boo Radley mended Jem's pants and placed the presents in the tree, Scout does not realize this ... c...

• Word Count: 10075
• Approx Pages: 40
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... modern world ha sbeen modeled after the white man's world. In this quote he describes what it means to be the village. It also relates to the short story, "shooting an elephant," because in this text thw thie man is not a stranger even though he is the only white man in the village. In ... can they be blamed for the past that has shaped their culture? This quote describes the interaction between the stranger and the village. It relates to the short story, "invisible woman," because in that text in talks about how she doesn't blame people for forgetting she's Iraqi because she knows they w...

• Word Count: 406
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... at how the author uses style, character and plot I will show how he has written a powerful tale. I will also look at the way he tells the story and the symbolism of the pearl itself. The Pearl begins in a small fishing village, the main character is Kino, his baby son Coyotito is bitten by a ... and it gives the reader an excellent picture of the pearl and its value to Kino during different points the novel. To conclude, this relatively short novel explores many different aspects of human life. Lives are saved and lost; racial boundaries are made between native and white people and Juana...

• Word Count: 1928
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... to figure out a mindset that kept you safe and yet propelled you forward beyond the slave and master mentality was in fact what was so strenuous. The Ralph Ellison short story titled Battle Royal, is a great exemplary of this everyday struggle. "Leggo, nigger! Leggo!" (Ellison 238). In the quote above one can see that even ... continues to carries the old man's secret ideals with him like a plague even through his own experiences with white men. Unlike Battle Royal, the short story Sonny's Blues takes place in the 50's but in the heart of New York city, however it does. In this ... sho...

• Word Count: 611
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... person's race matters more than who they are and what their personality is like. Letting your race define you or someone else isn't a good thing. In these three short stories, "Red-Headed Baby" by Langston Hughes, "The Man Who Was Almost A Man" by Richard Wright, and "Battle Royal" by ... Ralph Ellison, race affects how the main character sees himself and how others see him. In the short story, "Red-Headed Baby," a white man is treated better than other people. He is the main character, Mr. Clarence, and he's come from his job ... very rude to the child and the family he visited. Racial ...

• Word Count: 1099
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... each author describes a character that fits the mold of a womanist. The authors describe the womanist response to stress and especially their demeanor or temperament. In the first short story "What Manner of Woman?" the author describes how a memory of Mattie Lee Jackson, a womanist, is triggered by a " mundane stimuli- such as a sound ... diction makes the kids fall to the ground laughing. These examples show the author's depiction of the essence of a womanist. In the second short story "Remembering Miss Alberta: One of Alice's Women" the author tells of a special womanist, Miss Alberta...

• Word Count: 910
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

"The Red Convertible", A symbolic Story "The Red Convertible" is a short story by Louise Erdrich written in 1984. The story is about a Native American Culture family. The two brothers in this story are Lyman and Henry who takes a road trip all over America and Canada. They take their journey in a red Oldsmobile convertible. This symbolic story takes off on many adventurous journeys threw America, Canada, and Alaska. The ... brothers meet a woman on their journey that has symbolic meaning in this story. The red convertible symbolizes the relationship between the brothers. The author uses a lot...

• Word Count: 1471
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... the main character is the one having an abundance of pride. One of the best examples of this is A Good Man is Hard to Find. In this short story, the grandmother is the main character. As the family leaves for their vacation the grandmother remembers to dress like a lady in case something were to happen to her ... at redemption as she utters, "Why you"re one of my babies. You"re one of my own children" (O"Connor 1439). In the end of the story, the entire family is killed. Because the grandmother was too ashamed to tell her son that she was wrong about the house, her family was shot (O"Co...

• Word Count: 1220
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... black man went through in his generation. Although he wrote fictional stories, most of them were based on his own life. One of his best works was a short story entitled, Notes of a Native Son. This story may not be long in page numbers, but its power is limitless. The author goes into depth when discussing the racism that the main character had to ... go through. His work as an author and his life experiences can be considered a prequel to the Civil Rights Movement. The story revolves around Baldwin and his life before and after the death of his father. Baldwin respected his father even...

• Word Count: 1654
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... a plot because opposing forces arouse curiosity, cause doubt, create tension, and produce interest. In the story "Blue winds dancing- by Tom Whitecloud there is a dilemma or a natural conflict amongst himself. This story follows the structure of a fiction short story. It has its exposition or the laying out of the story line, the complication or the development of a major conflict and crisis where the conflict meets ... its greatest tension. Also it reaches a climax where the story is at a high point and then the resolution or denouement. The ... so caught up in our technological advan...

• Word Count: 507
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

The beginning of the short story, The Test, by Angelica Gibbs provokes the reader's attention through early descriptive lines like, "When they found the boulevard they found it crowded with ... says to Marian, "Old enough to have quite a flock of Piccaninnies, eh." This then shows us that the instructor is racist. The three main characters in this short story are Marian, Mrs Ericson and the driving instructor. Marian is a black young woman and is a wonderful worker who works very hard. This is very evident when Mrs ... Ericson which reveals their relationship. Through dialogue we find out ab...

• Word Count: 1005
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... passion and joy than any of his other childhood memories: "This one was special, Sam,"" he says, recollecting it (Fugard, 28). At first, in retelling the story, Hally focuses on the awkward appearance of the kite itself -- a parallelogram made of two sticks crossed on brown wrapping paper, with Hally's mother's nylons tied on for ... the first time steps outside his recollection to view the scene as it must have looked to others -- and he is ashamed. "Little white boy in short trousers and a black man old enough to be his father flying a kite. It's not every day you see that."" Sam leads...

• Word Count: 2048
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Stream-of-consciousness In Ernest J. Gaines' Short Story, "Just Like A Tree" "Ernest J. Gaines, in his short story, "Just Like a Tree," does an extraordinary job at familiarizing his readers with each character. By using the literary technique known as stream-of-consciousness, readers are able to relate to ... is confusing to some audiences. However, Gaines" use of this technique reveals certain insightful truths about each character; and evokes a rare and in-depth understanding about the circumstances in the story. Gaines approaches the story from many perspectives. Through monologues, he i...

• Word Count: 1382
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... writing creates a detailed setting which contributes to the atmosphere which in turn contributes to development of the relationship between Crooks and Lennie. Even in a short space of time the character of Lennie has developed by forming a relationship without George, whom he is reliant on. The simplicity of Steinbeck's style ... and language allows the reader to understand significant themes of the story that he tackles in this extract. One of the literary techniques he uses to achieve this is by chiefly composing the text of monosyllabic words ... ambition and dream of George, Lennie,...

• Word Count: 1167
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... she exhibits prejudice and racism in Louisiana during the nineteenth century. The racism in the story is not discussed openly but is prudently mixed in with Armand's appalling character and his evil soul. In this short story, there is no doubt that Armand treats Desiree wrongly as he forsakes his loving ... wife and infant son, driving them to suicide, by reason that he claims Desiree is black. This only is rebounded upon him as he discovers he is the one guilty of having African American ancestry. Nevertheless, this story ... it tolerable to leave a baby on the doorsteps of a family to...

• Word Count: 850
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... she exhibits prejudice and racism in Louisiana during the nineteenth century. The racism in the story is not discussed openly but is prudently mixed in with Armand's appalling character and his evil soul. In this short story, there is no doubt that Armand treats Desiree wrongly as he forsakes his loving ... wife and infant son, driving them to suicide, by reason that he claims Desiree is black. This only is rebounded upon him as he discovers he is the one guilty of having African American ancestry. Nevertheless, this story ... it tolerable to leave a baby on the doorsteps of a family to...

• Word Count: 824
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School