Monday, August 27, 2012
Reader Response for Wednesday--Write about two of the stories listed on the syllabus for Wed. Make sure to note information about the author, symbols, and themes. Any other information or observations you find relevant about the story should be noted in your blog. Three to four paragraphs should be sufficient. Make sure that you write before you come to class Wed. to earn full credit.
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Make sure that you get this posted by Wed. as it is part of your grade. Some of you did not post for today, so I am not even sure if you know how, are having difficulties, or just didn't do the assignment. Therefore, this post for Wed will serve as your first communication on blogger. Make sure that everything goes through correctly in order to get full credit.
ReplyDeleteShirley Jackson was a mystery and horror writer, born in 1916 San Francisco. While mystery was her biggest passion, she also wrote a children's novel named nine magic wishes. She died of heart failure in her sleep in 1965.
ReplyDeleteIn the short story "The Lottery," I believe the title is brutally Ironic, in that when one "wins" this lottery, the winner doesn't win anything, in fact they lose their life. Symbols such as the lottery it self, I think, represent how a tradition unquestioned, can lead to serious consequences, while the black box represents the same thing because the box itself is not the original box used in the first lottery, but the tradition still remains the same in everyone's minds. The main theme to me seems to be that no matter what, you can be persecuted for anything at anytime, even if you just happen to pull out the wrong slip.
Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899 Illinois to a Physician as a father, and a musician as a mother. During WWI, Hemingway tried to join the Army but could not pass the physcial to get in, but ended up serving in the Red Cross as an ambulance driver where he saw his fair share of action at the front. He was a avid hunter, and even survived two plane crashes while on Safari. Hemingway eventually killed himself in 1961, leaving several theories behind as to why he did it.
In the short story "Hills Like White Elephants," the main theme revolves around Jig wanting to see the benefits of keeping a child she bears, while the man wants the woman to have an abortion as he cannot see the benefits of keeping the baby. The title mentioning white elephants seems to be a symbol for the baby itself, as a white elephant costs a lot of money, and is completely useless, which might tell us a little about how Hemingway felt about babies. One of the symbols that sticks out at me the most are the hills which might represent the breasts and pregnant stomach of the women, or showing a hilly path up ahead, while the train station it self might represent a crossroad in their life.
Ernest Hemingway born and grew up in Oak Park, Illinios. H published his first book in 1927. He has traveled in Europe as a newspaper correspondent and writer.
ReplyDeleteThe short story "Hills Like White Elephants" symbol was white elephants. I guess, the couple did not want the baby. The themes I would suggest would be listen and communicate. They would interrupt each others conversation like bickering.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts. He had been living there since the sevententh century. One ancestor of his has been a judge for he Salem which trials; another had been a leader in the persecution of Quakers.
The short story "Young Goodman Brown" symbol is the pink ribbon. I would say that pink means she is caring and loving. The theme of the story would be faith is lacking.
Katherine Anne Porter was born in Indian Creek, Texas. She was an American novelist, short story writer, journalist, essayist, and political activist. Her family tree can be traced back to Daniel Boone.
ReplyDeleteThe theme in the short story "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" is denial. She dosen't wanna believe that she was actually jilted at the altar and the fact that she is dying. The title is significant to the story because Granny Weatherall was jilted at the altar.
Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. He took part in many sports during high shcool such as boxing, track and field, water polo, and football. Hemingway received the Nobel Prize in Literature on October 1954.
The white elephant symbolizes something that was not wanted which was the baby. The theme of the story is communication. The couple both talk to each other but neither one of them listens or understands the other. The significance of the title is the girl says the hills look like a white elephant.
Shirley Jackson is one of my favorite authors. Her style consists of mystery and even horror stories. Jackson was born in 1916 in California. She married a literary critic, and this fact probably helped contributed to her outstanding works. Shirley Jackson is best known for her short story "The Lottery."
ReplyDeleteThere is so many literary devices that can be found while reading "The Lottery." It begins with the obvious ironic title. In most lotteries I am familiar with you gain something as a prize, but in this case these characters lose the thing most dear to them, their life. The theme that I understood from this story was to not conform to the ways of the world. It mentioned that other towns quit this practice, and the townspeople mocked them for ending this pointless murdering. The townspeople viewed this as a sacrifice so that they would receive a good crop that year.
Katherine Anne Porter was born in Texas under the name of Callie Russell Porter. She changed her name in honor of her grandmother. She was raised by her father and grandmother. She got her start with writing when she moved to Denver.
"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" stood out to me. The title indicates that Granny Weatherall was jilted at her first wedding. She also feels she is jilted out of life. The theme I took from this story was denial and betrayal. Granny Weatherall denied her life was coming to an end, and she denied her being jilted at the altar. Granny Weatherall felt betrayed by those same two principles, she felt betrayed by death and her "first husband."
Shirley Jackson was born in San Fransico, California in 1916. She spent most of her life in California. After getting married, she moved to a quiet community in Vermont. She died in 1965.
ReplyDeleteThe short story "The Lottery" is very strange. The title is very misleading. Whenever I hear the word lottery I automatically think of money or a prize. The reward or prize in this story is death. A symbol in this story is the gathering of stones by the young children of the village. By gathering these stones it is clear that something awful is going to take place.
The theme of this story to me is fate awaits no matter what. It doesn't matter if one is on time or late. Fate has already been decided.
Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899. He was raised in Oak Park, Illinois. He took summer vacations up in northern Michigan. In 1961 he committed suicide in Idaho.
In the short story "Hills Like White Elephants" the symbol was the white elephants. This must symbolize a newborn baby which is pure and free of mistakes. The couple go on throughout the story arguing over the operation. The girl appears to want the baby and the man seem to not want the baby. The girl is also worried about the man still loving her and wanting her if she goes through with the abortion. The theme of this story to me is communication is important especially in relationships.
Shirley Jackson was born in 1919. This American author, best known for her short story, "The Lottery," was born in San Fracisco , CA. Where she grew up and later moved to Vermont to persue her career as an author and novelist.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Lottery," the setting and the way the author portrays the scene, is that it is in June, a light breeze, which should be describing the feel of this story, leads you up to the tradition that has been in this town and many towns for many many years; giving a light hearted feel during the entire course of the story. It gives complete details leading you up to something good only to come to the climax of something bad and immoral. In this story it is okay to stone someone to death, just because their ancestors did it. We live in a society today that is that way also. If someone else does it, then it must be okay.....
Katherine Ann Porter, author of "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall," was born in 1890. She was born in Texss and after the passing of her grandmother, lived in many different cities. Her birth given name was originally Callie Russell Porter and later changed itoon honor of her late grandmother.
The author tells this story in a bit of confusion. I don't feel as if it was the old age that made this character sound crazy. I believe it was the fact that she was slowly facing death. Granny Weatherall was going through her thoughts. I believe the "jilting" was every monumental memory that had changed her life. Her brain was scattered everywhere, even going through a mental check list of the things that needed to be done after her death. I feel as if she was not to pleased or fulfilled when she did leave this world. There was some religious symbols indicating that not every decision she had made was the "Christian way" but I think she did the best she could.
Ernest Hemingway, an American author, born in 1899 left his wife to marry a different mistress four times before his suicide in 1961. In his short story, "The Hills Like White Elephants", Hemingway describes an uncommunicative conversation between "The American" and "The Girl", or "Jig" as he nicknames her. Although the exact nature of the operation discussed between the two characters is never given, it is assumed to be an abortion. Thus, the title appropriately describes the story. A white elephant being a mythical creature symbolizing the disillusionment expressed by each character that their relationship will not be changed and they can still “have the whole world”. The title also accurately symbolizes the avoided topic of their conversation, the operation. The author's proven history of infidelity and service overseas for The Red Cross during WWI leads me to ask the question, "Could this story be based upon a conversation from his own life?”.
ReplyDeleteShirley Jackson, who is also an American author, first had her short story "The Lottery" published in 1948 by The New Yorker. Many horrified readers wrote The New Yorker letters filled with outrage and canceled their subscription’s before the story was eventually acclaimed critically. The story's title as well as the author's opening description of the "clear and sunny" June day leads the reader to believe that a positive tale is to ensue. What follows is more akin to a modern day horror movie. First foreshadowed by the young boys collecting smooth stones, hinted at by the description of the black box, and the references of no longer having a lottery the story reads on to reveal a horrifying and mindlessly followed superstitious tradition of stoning the unlucky winner of the lottery to death.
In Hemingway's "The Hills Like White Elephants" an abortion is discussed as lightly as the couple decides which type of beer to try next. The conversation stays on a selfish path focusing only on the involved character’s desires. It never broaches the subject of ending the life of the baby its self. Similarly, Shirley Jackson writes in “The Lottery”, that “the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o’clock in the morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner”. Meaning the entire village including the lottery winner’s wife, husband, children, or even parents of a child would take part in the murder of the misfortunate winner and then proceeded to eat lunch and return to the mundane tasks of a normal day. Both stories contain an underlying theme of the atrocious cruelty capable of the human race, allowed only to be committed by the lies told to oneself.
Shirley Jackson was born in San Francisco, in 1916. Also, her first novel was published in 1948. She died age forty-eight, while she was taking a nap.
ReplyDeleteThe tittle, of this story, threw me off guard, because of it being ironic. i thought the story was going to be about some lucky person hitting the lottery, not murder. The themes in "The Lottery" were; life is sometimes based on luck, life is to short, and life can be easily took for someone. Some of the symbols are the black box, lottery and Mr. Summers. The black box represents death. The lottery represents luck and despair. Mr. Summers represents the Grimm Reaper.
Katherine Anne Porter was born in Texas, in 1890. Her first published novel was in 1930. She died the age of ninety and was buried beside her mother.
The title of "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" was obvious, except the death part. The themes in this story were denial and faith. Granny Weatherall did not accept dying until that moment of losing faith. The symbols were Haspy and rosary. Haspy is her guardian angel. The rosary is Granny Weatherall's faith, when she let that go she lost her faith.
Shirley Jackson was born in California. Jackson wrote many loved stories while working odd jobs and raising four children. She died unexpectedly at the age of fourty-eight during her afternoon nap. "The Lottery" was published in 1948 and was written in numerous languages. It is a required reading in many high schools and colleges.
ReplyDelete"The Lottery" took place in a town of around 300 people on a clear, sunny day. The town gathered around to discuss their daily lives while the children played. The story leads us to believe "The Lottery" is going to be a carefree event with a satisfying climax. Mrs. Tessie Hutchinson had almost forgotten the event while she was catching up with chores. She rushed to get there only to find out she had won, which also meant to lose her life. I interpreted this theme as , "Life can be taken within a matter of seconds, and people are not as loyal as they may seem." The tradition has been changed in many ways, but the black box will forever be.
Katherine Anne Porter was born in Texas. She was raised by her grandmother after losing her mother at the age of two. Porter seemed to have a tough life. While married, she did not have any kids. She decided to become a writer after developing TB, and died at the age of ninety.
"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" was published in 1930. George jilting Granny Weatherall represents her life was a waste of time due to so much energy being spent on him. Doctor Harry tried speaking with her, but she believed he was too young, and has not even begun to experience half of her hardships. The theme being, "you do not understand a person until you have walked a mile in their shoes." She spends years thinking it is her time to die and when it finally comes, it was least expected.
Ernest Hewingway born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois. He was wounded during world war I in Italy. He traveled through Europe as a newspaper correspondent. He was married, had a son, divorced, and remarried.
ReplyDeleteIn the short story "Hills like White Elephants", I believe the couple is taking about having an abortion. The girl is very unsure of having it done. The guy thinks its no big deal, that it's a simple operation. He also thinks it will help their relationship get better again after she has it done. He does however tell her she doesn't have to do it if she doesn't want to. I believ the white elephant she talks about symbolizes the baby. I would say the theme is communication, they both talk and talk yet never listen to each other.
Shirley Jackson born in 1919 and died in 1965. She was born in San Francisco and spent most of her life on California. After she married she moved to Vermont.
The short story "The Lottery" is very opposite of what we think a lottery is now. When I think lottery I think of winning a huge amount of money. In this story to win is actually to loose. The "winner" actually looses their life. So the lottery mean death. The people think if they sacrifice someone's life as their ancestors did, it would make for good crops that year. The black box to mean symbolizes death in some way. It also symbolizes no change because the people use the same box every year to do the same thing every year as their ancestors did. To me the kids gathering stones was forshadowing of something bad. The climax to me was when the author lead up to the stoning of Mrs. Hutchinson, because everything seemed so happy and calm until she "won".
Shirley Jackson, the author of "The Lottery", was highly praised for her writings about death and the supernatural. The title of the story "The Lottery" could lead you to believe that this story has good fortune involved. The opening lines of the story even describing the day as being warm and sunny.
ReplyDeleteOne of the symbols that I noticed early in the book was when the black box was mentioned. The box was old and needed to be replaced but the villagers wouldn't do this because it would upset tradition. Once I completed the story, I went back and glanced over it and noticed that up until the names were drawn that no-one seemed shocked or scared that the whole "lottery" was going on. They just accepted this event as it was given to them, no matter how atrocious it may have been, and then continued their lives after stoning whoever happens to be unlucky. I believe that this is trying to show how people will blindly do or follow whatever is spoken, no matter the source or reason.
Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. By the time he had written "Hills Like White Elephants", he had been wounded in World War I. At the beginning of the story, both the man and the women seem to be focused on which beer they wish to consume. As their conversation progresses, they begin to talk of an operation.
When they are discussing the operation however, the two seem to have different opinions on the topic. It seems to me throughout their talk the girl even though agreeing with the man, seems to not be happy about having this "operation" done. The White Elephant to me is a symbol as that it's an unavoidable topic that may be awkward to discuss, no matter what the topic may end up being. I think an underlying message is that clear communication between any two people is needed to have a true understanding of each others' thoughts.
Shirley Jackson, author of " the Lottery", was born in San Fancisco in 1916. She wrote mostly dark or horror literary works but she has wrote a little bit of everything.Her Horror stories have inspired other authors like Stephen king.
ReplyDelete"The Lottery" is about a small town that holds a lottery every year and the winner is stoned to death. The title is a fine example of irony because when people usually think about the lottery they think its about money or something else good not getting big rock thrown at you by your neibors.THe setting is also a symbol since its in a small town it could mean that even your closest friends could betray you. I think the main themes are death because thats evident and tension because everyone is waiting to see if they will be called out.
Earnest Hemingway is one of America's most famous authors. he wrote the short story " Hills Like White Elephants" it is a story about a expectant couple arguing about abortion althogh it isnt stated in the text. the main theme i think is apathy because neither person is think about their baby just thinkin about how their lives would change. White elephants could be symbolism for the baby
Shirley Jackson was born in California. She was raised there as a child. Her short story "The Lottery" had received the most mail from people after being published in a magazine. Most of the mail was hate mail. She was also know for her style of writing. This style was Gothic.
ReplyDelete"The Lottery" had many themes. One of the main themes was death. A person could not tell that this was one of the themes till the end of the story. One major symbol was the black box. Mostly because the box was black. Shirley shows that people change in the story. People were wanting to not do the lottery any more. Old Man Warner thought that these people who did not do this anymore were crazy. These are just a few things in the story.
Katherine Anne Porter was born in Texas. She lost her mother when she was only two years old. Her grandmother raised her. Porter died at the age of Ninety years old. Her story "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" had many symbols and theme. One of the themes were not putting things off. Granny Weatherall kept saying "That is for Tomorrow". At the end of her life she wanted to fix things but she was to old. The picture that was painted of John was not John. This was a symbol because only Granny really knew John.
The author of "The Lottery", Shirley Jackson, was born in 1919 in the city of San Francisco, California. She moved to Vermont after getting married in 1940 to live a quiet life.
ReplyDeleteI found "The Lottery" to be an odd story. Instead of the winner of the drawings getting a prize, they were given the gift of death instead. The theme was about death,but you could also say hope, as each person hoped none of the names of their family was drawn. The black box itself was a symbol - a harbinger of death.
Ann Porter is the author of "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall." She first published the book in 1930. Born in Texas in 1890, she went to school in New Orleans.
The theme of "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" is faith, and how she held onto it til the very end when she passed away. The rosary was a symbol of her faith, the dropping of it signaling the passing of her faith and life together.
Shirley Jackson lived from 1916-1965. She is known for her "dark" stories and writing about supernatual. This is one of the main reason's why I found her interesting after reading about her. I like how in her stories she steers your mind into one direction, then completely changes your minds direction. This is why her stories are interesting. She uses this technique in "The Lottery". She does so by starting the story off in a positive manner, discussing the beautiful sunny day it is outside. She uses the title to also suggest positivity. A lottery usually suggests a gamble at winning something good. A lottery in the general sense would be a blessing to many. In Jackson's story "The Lottery" it is quiet the oppisite, however. "The Lottery" is about chance, but with the only outcome for the name drawn is to be stoned to death. One of the themes that I picked up on is the fact that people follow the tradition without thinking. The people of the community act as the stoning tradition is just an everyday thing. So they don't really use their own mindset to consider the negatives about the ritual. That is until one of their names are drawn. Another one is one that I think about often in our own society. It's the fact that people will persecute just about anyone on any given note, to go along with the crowd. It also happens in our society such as when a celebrity or political figure messes up. Instead of thinking about the fact that everyone messes up, we are quick to follow everyone else in metephoically speaking stone people in the spot light for messing up. The black box symbolizes the community and their old tradition. It is old and worn out. People don't know of it's origin. They only know that the present, worn out box has pieces of an old one. The tradition is similiar. It is old, and no one really knows why it started. No one takes a stand to get a new box, just like no one takes a stand to change an old tradition.
ReplyDeleteErnest Hemingway was an American writer that lived from 1899-1961.He won a nobel prize in the 1950s. He was wounded in WWI. Hemingway's short story "Hills Like Elephants" I believe is about abortion, although they never say. The story talks about an operation that many people have. The American states that it will be simple, fix all their problems, and will bring them happiness. A theme that is in this story is the fact even though they are having a conversation, they aren't really listening and taking note of what each other our saying. We also do this in our community. The American thinks his choice is right and is trying to say anything to convince his girlfriend that he is right. He tries so hard to get his point across, he's not even considering or even listening to what his girlfriend has to say. He only cares about his own selfish opinion. I think that the quote about how the hills looks like white elephants symbolizes that things aren't always what they seem. The boyfriend might seem like he is wanting what is best for him and his girlfriend, when in reality he is looking out for himself and not his girlfriend and unborn child.
"The Lottery" is a short story that takes the reader on an undestined parth and unravesl, leaving the reader in "awe". This story was written by Shirley Jackson and was first published in 1948. The story starts out as describing the day as "clear and sunny", but after the climax of the story, one can now comprehend that the ironically perfect day foreshadows a dark and what some would say, an ihumane tradition. I found this story to be rather amusing because I predicted a "happily ever after" summary.
ReplyDeleteAnother short story that I found interest in the "Jilting of Granny Witherall," written by Katherine Ann Porter. The setting may be in present day but Granny Witherall probably has a case of demensia and is unaware of her surroundings. This story is told from a stream of consciousness pov which helps envelopes the reader, placing the reader inside the mind of the person that is telling the story. One can infer as he or she reads that Granny Witherall, has been through it all. She was left at the altar by a husband and her life will never be the same because she can never forgive the man who left her. I think that in this story, Granny Witherall is the protagonist and the antagonist is death. In one part of the story she personifies death by saying it "felt clammy and unfamiliar" and in another part she personifies fog by saying she "saw it marching across the creek, swallowing the trees." From what I gathered this fog also symbolizes how death has crept up on her and is she feels as if it is swallowing her life
Ernest Hemingway was born in Illinois in 1899.He was also an ambulance driver during World War I. He was known as the "Man's Man" and was well known for many of his works as an author, and a big game hunter.
ReplyDeleteIn his short story titles "Hills like White Elephants", Ernest Hemingway leaves the reader with a question of wonder. Its upon deeper reading that the reader finds out what Hemingway is talking about. The short story is about a couple that is discussing abortion, although the story does not come out and say so. The man of the story is trying to comfort the girlfriend, and tell her that "its a simple surgical procedure". The girl is very unsure about the procedure and replies about the hills in the background by saying, "The Hills like White Elephants". The White Elephant has great symbolism and could have very different meanings behind the true purpose of what it truly represents. It could be a political point of view betwenn Republicans and Democrats at the time of the short story's release.
Shirley Jackson was born in 1916. She attended Syracuse University and later moved into New York.She was well known for writing short stories similar to "The Lottery", along with many other dark stories.
Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" takes place in a small town of 300 people, who are set in old traditions. In the story, Shirley Jackson draws the reader into the story by telling the reader about the traditional lottery held in this town. Every year, the townspeople draw slips of paper from a black wooden box. The black wooden box can symbolize many different things. Such as, The color of black being the color of death, and a wooden box representing a coffin. The community takes turns one by one drawing slips of paper. The individual with a black dot on his or her paper is selected for the tradition. It is at this time, the chosen person is stoned to death.