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About Me
- Dawn Sparks
- I am currently an adjunct professor at three different colleges: Northwest Shoals Community College, Columbia State Community College, and Itawamba Community College. This means my life consists of all things English related 24 hours a day.
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Born in December of 1916, Shirley Jackson grew up in California and it was there, in her teenage years, that she began to write short stories and poetry. It was in 1948, that Shirley's second book, "The Lottery", was published.
ReplyDelete"The Lottery" is set in modern time with a barbaric origin. At the beginning of the story, Jackson sets a peaceful background which helps hide the bleakness of the situation and that is the lottery. When we think of winning the lottery we think of the money and riches that we will gain but for this little town it represents the sacrifice, or for some, the honor of getting to be stoned so that their town can prosper. I find it ironic that the towns people all have a conversation about how ridiculous some towns are because they have gave up the lottery and yet they are the ones who all stand up once a year to see who is going to be stoned. They are all ready to do what has to be done when in reality none of them really hope that they get drawn. Mrs. Hutchinson is a fine example of this. She is full of laughter and ease when she heads up there but when she finds out their family's name and consequently her name is the one that was drawn she states how it is unfair. The story just goes to show that some traditions are worth keeping while others aren't. The only ones that are ridiculous are the ones that continue doing it.
Having grown up in rural Texas with hardly any formal education, Katherine Anne Porter became one of the most compelling literary authors of the twentieth century. "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" was published in 1930 as part of Porter's short story collection.
"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" opens up with granny on the bed being examined by a doctor, who she believes is much to young for his profession. She is arguing that the reason why he is even there is because her daughter, Cornelia, wanted him there. She is denying that she is even sick, even though she is experiencing some symptoms. She is fading in and out of her thoughts, one minute she is talking to her daughter only to finish the sentence in her mind. She is also making a mental note of things that she needs to get done but she will put off until tomorrow, not knowing there won't be a tomorrow. She lets the reader know that at one time she was preparing for death, when she was 60, but that she had put that notion to the side, she tells herself she can't be dying her dad lived to be 102. She recounts everything that she has accomplished and how all of that she did by herself. Yet, she speaks of John and how when she sees him he will be looking for someone younger, John who has passed away. There is a centralized blue flame that goes around and I believe that it represents life. Just like people, one minute they are here and the next they aren't. The flame represents the memory that she carries around of her family. Weatherall represents everything that she has accomplished and overcome. She mentions her jilting one time and how Lydia asked was she not jilted only to be interrupted by other thoughts and when she does come to it is to her daughter crying. She sees Hapsy just before she leaves and I believe it is here that she realizes that she is fixing to die and just before she does she asks that her daughter tell George that she had all her dreams without him. In the end, upon her passing, she is waiting for the good lord to come and get her but he doesn't, and once again she is jilted.
Katherine Ann Porter was born May 15,1890 in Indian Creek Texas. She was origionally Callie Russell Porter. Katherine was a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, fenomenal essayist, short story writer, and a political activist.
ReplyDeleteHer story "The Jiliting of Granny Weaterall" uses many symbols throught the reading. We see the repition of a blue light which I think may mean the light that she sees because she is dying. This short story is written from stream of consciousness, which means that it is reflecting on what Granny Weatherall is thinking. The title of the story can give you a great hint as to what it is going to be about. To be jilted means to be left at the altar. Throughout the whole story Granny is talking about how she was left at the altar by her first love and at the end right before she dies she is once agin left by God.
Ernest Hemmingway was born in 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. Hemingway started his career at the age of seventeen. He was a young writer for a newspaper. During World War One he was the ambulance driver and was decorated by the Italian Government.
In Hemingway's "Hills like White Elephants," we are first introduced to two characters. A young couple is sitting at a bar discussing something. Their topic is abortion. The girl is pregnant and the man wants her to have the procedure. Some symbols in the story are the w=hills which are said to look like white elephants. A white elephant represents something that is not wanted. A major theme in the story is selfishness. The man wants her to have an abortion because he wants them to be able to continue living their fun lives. In the end we are not exactly told if she has an abortion or not but she does end up contradicting herself and says that the hills do not look like white elephants. Maybe this means that she kept the baby.
Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway is about a man and woman discussing how having a child would impact their lives.The lady is already pregnant,all that is left to talk about is what the future holds. The couple talks but does not communicate. The use of the word "hills" could symbolize a woman's pregnant belly, or the innability for the couple to communicate.
ReplyDeleteA white elephant is something no one wants, it is burdensome. We eventually can see that the man wants her to have an abortion. He thinks a child will ruin their plans of traveling.Yet, we are not sure what the lady chooses. The decision is ultimately left up to her where to go from the train station. Some interesting facts to know about Ernest Hemingway are that he cheated on all of his wives, had houses all over the world, and he eventually killed himself.
Katherine Porter was born in Texas, her mother passed away when she was only three years old. After that she was sent to live with her grandmother. An interesting thing to know about her is that she was married four times. Her short story "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall," had a lot of symbloism. We learned from reading that when Granny Weatherall was to be married the first time she was jilted at the alter. As she is on her death bed she remembers her life.
While she lays there she begins to think of all the things she needs to get done the next day, this shows us the theme of her denial. The theme of waste is also evident when she remembers her wedding cake that was never eaten. Blowing out the light symblized her death. Reading the end of the story made me feel bad for her because she felt as if God had jilted her when she did not get a sign she was going to heaven.