Stories

The story I liked the most is " The Yellow Wallpaper." I liked it because it kept me on the edge of my seat wandering what is going to happen with the narrator and the wallpaper. I also liked the underlying message about marriages and how some women feel trapped. I think Charlotte Perkins Gilman used symbolism and irony to explain the underlying message to her audience, and I think she did a very good job of it. She vividly painted a picture of the narrator and her actions so well, that I thought I was there observing the narrator as she was.

The story I disliked the most would have to be "Girl." To me the way Jamaica Kincaid wrote this story was insignificant in relaying the underlying message. I think there are a hundred more ways to get the message across to the audience that is more indepth, and more descriptive. I think it needed more actions and more of a story line, but of course that is my opinion and that is what I like to read.

"The Conscience of the Court"

I think Laura Lee's loyalty toward Celestine is greatly appreciated. I think Celestine treats her well and I know this because Laura Lee talks about how much she feels a part of the family. If Celestine was treating her bad, I think Laura Lee would have taken one of those chances and left when she had the chance. I think as long as she feels like a part of the family and is not being treated badly, I think she should stay, if that is where she wants to be. I don't think she was pressured to stay at all, it seemed like it was all free will.

I think Laura Lee's testimony impacted the story in a big way. I don't think the story told by someone else would have been as effective. Her testimony definitely created sympathy for her character and in a sense, drew the audience/jury in. I don't think it slowed the story down at all, I think it gave much needed background on Laura and her family.

"A Worn Path"

I think in this story that Phoenix can be a little crazy at times. I think that a lot of the things she goes through and sees are just in her head and are not actually taking place. Several times throughout her journey through the woods, she talks to the animals who aren't there, thinks a scarecrow is a man, and sees a little boy (who isn't real) offering her cake. I think once she gets in to town, she starts to realize within herself that the town is reality and it confuses her. While in the office building she take a long time to realize why she is there and answer back to the nurse. I think this shows her confusion in dealing with actual reality. I believe that her grandson died a couple of years ago, and she still believes that he is alive. I think she doesn't want to accept the fact that he is dead, so she still goes through the routine of picking up his medicine and taking care of him. I think that the townspeople are just going along with it because they know she is an old lady, and they don't want to break the news to her.

"A Spinster's Tale"

Elizabeth has definitely changed from the beginning of the story to the end. At the beginning she is but a child who is afraid of everything and is trying to cope with life without a motherly influence. She is full of questions, and is at a time where she is trying to figure out herself, and life in general. She goes through several tough times, included the passing of her mother, her brothers tendency to drink alcohol, her fathers shaky emotions, and her encounters with her fears ( Mr. Speed).

Her continual watch for Mr. Speed in a way shows her slowly stepping up to her fears and growing up. The story mentions how when she was younger and her mother was alive, she would bury her head in her mother so she wouldn't have to look at the old man. As the story goes on, she slowly moves towards the window and watches a little bit at a time to where she finally has an encounter with him. After calling the police, she actually feels sorry for this man that she used to be so afraid of. At this point I seen how much she grew in her maturity. She didn't just feel sorry for him because he was going to jail, but she actually said " I saw myself as a little beast adding to the injury that what was bestial in man had already done him." She pitied him and felt sorry for him because of everything he had probably went through to make him the way he was.

"The Lady With Her Dog"

Anna's emotions change drastically from the beginning of the story to the end about the affair. At the beginning she is reluctant and afraid someone is watching them, and she is also insecure in this new relationship. I think her attitude becomes more relaxed at the end because they are now both in a situation where they are discussing how they are going to see each other more. I think the long absence between the two had a lot to do with it. I think Anna realized when she went back home how unhappy she was and how much happier she is with Dmitry. It made her long for him even more, to the extent of wanting to see him more and not caring that they are having an affair.

I think the fence surrounding Anna's house could symbolize a barrier between the two and maybe how their desired end to be together may never happen. It also may have something to do with Anna's marriage to her husband and she is trapped in her marriage and can't escape. There really isn't enough in the story about her marriage to say this, but it very well could be a possibility. Something from within her marriage could be holding her back from Dmitry.

"The Girls In the Summer Dresses"

I think the relationship problem between Michael and Frances is man vs self. I think Michael has issues with being tied down in a relationship. I think he likes women too much to be tied down by one. It has nothing to do with not loving Frances, he just has a problem within himself that is overtaking his marriage. It is obvious that his problem has been an argument ever since the couple has been married. It seems like they cover up this problem with their friends, and this is even more evident at the end of the story when they conclude their argument by agreeing to call their friends. I definitely sympathize more with Frances just because of the way Michael is treating her. He makes her feel so insecure and basically like she isn't there whenever he continually stares at these girls. She seems to be a good wife, but her low self esteem, and insecurities causes her to question her relationship with Michael, and I don't blame her.

"Desiree's Baby"

I really liked this story because of the twists in it. The ending was by far the best part and it makes one think of how they treat people. It definitely showed that one better be careful at judging, because more than likely, they do, act, or possess that same trait that they are judging. I liked Armand's character at the beginning of the story simply because he was loving and seemed to be a nice guy to Desiree. Throughout the rest of the story I did not like him because of his judgmental attitude towards Desiree, just because of her ethnicity. I feel like if he had a problem with marrying someone of a different race, then he should have found out about her origin before he married her.

I think the effect of the irony at the end of the story was simply to set up this whole idea of thinking before you judge. It turns out what he disowned his wife for was a real situation in his own family. Throughout the story he acted as if he was above the black people, when all along he was in a sense apart of them. At the end, I felt no sympathy for him, I felt like he had it coming to him for treating his wife and son the way he did.