"A&P"

At first, I thought this story was about anatomy and physiology. I was very wrong. It is about a teenage boy who works in the grocery store, A&P, as a cashier. He is mesmerized by three girls who walk in wearing bathing suites. He follows them with his eyes, describes them, and names them by the characteristics that they display in the store. He is completely distracted by them being there, typical of a teenage boy. The store manager complains and tells them that they should dress properly.
The young boy is clearly going through puberty. He cannot concentrate because three teenage girls are walking around the store. Although he does not know the girls, he gives the readers a clear description of them by naming them and adding personalities. He is a little dramatic towards the end, when he takes off his apron and quits his job. There may be a deeper meaning to this story. He is so fasinated by these girls; he creates an illusion in his head and once it is taken away, he is upset. The girls may represent some kind of guilty pleasure John Updike had. Once it was taken away, he is angry and retreats. It also can display some sort of moral; when something or someone is removed, some people resort in a childish manner.

"Everyday Use"

Hmm, so the past two stories have been about women in the South. This story is written in the first person (by the "mama") and compares all the family members; the mother, the shy daughter, and the successful daughter. Dee visits her mom and sister Maggie after an extended absence. It seems that the two daughters have opposite characteristics; Maggie is shy, not very educated, but excels in household work, while Dee is attractive, successful, educated, and selfish. Maggie inherits traditions from her culture such as quilting, while Dee somewhat rejects it in that sense. It is interesting to see that siblings raised in the same environment, display contrasting personalities. Dee seems to use her background to better herself by getting an education and exploring her heritage.

This kind of reminds me of my own siblings. My brother is shy and reserved, while my sister is loud and outgoing. Although they were raised the same, their personalities differ.

A Worn Path

Love enables people to do many things. Phoenix Jackson, an older African American woman, embarks on a journey to the hospital to get medicine for her grandson. She encounters obstacles, while on her trip to the hospital. These obstacles may symbolize the struggle and trials that African Americans went through during this time period. Phoenix Jackson is a true symbol of perseverance. Eudora Welty names the protagonist Phoenix to represent the Egyptian bird, which usually represents resurrection. In mythology, a Phoenix's tears having powerful, pure healing abilities. The struggle that Phoenix, the main character, went through was in order to provide for her grandson.

"A Good Man Is Hard To Find"

That's very true. This story is told in a third person perspective of the grandmother. In the beginning, I thought this would be a story that is similar to family, road trip movies I see on television. I was wrong. This is not a typical family road trip. The grandmother is irritating from the beginning to end; she is selfish and overbearing. She complains about going to Florida yet she packs and gets in the car with her son, his wife, and her grandchildren. She forces her family to stop by an old plantation and reminisces. She later realizes that the plantation is in Tennessee, not Georgia. They get into a car crash and are met by strangers. The Misfit, is a murder at large around that area, and he happened to be the one who saw the family along the road. He kills all of them, one by one. The grandmother, for once, has nothing to say, until he tries to kill her. She continuously begs for her life and when that does not work, she preaches to him.

Red Sammy says, "a good man is hard to find", while speaking to the grandmother during a gas and dinner break. Flannery O' Connor may have used that common phrase to state that everyone has imperfections. This might mean that no matter how much "good" is in the world, there will always be people like the Misfit around.

The story was not bad, overall. The grandmother did not seem like a typical grandmother; someone who sweet, kind, and selfless. I guess O' Connor made the story very humorous in the beginning to balance out the gruesome ending.

"Hunger Artist"

I really like Franz Kafka. I've noticed that he ends his stories sadly and they usually include a moral.
The story is about the literal meaning of the title. This anecdote is about a man who is known for fasting for long periods of time. It is interesting because when he is given a time limit, he is upset and not satisfied when he meets it. In his prime, he feels that the audience is mocking him and that he wants to continue the fast for longer than the forty day time limit.
I feel that Kafka uses some biblical references. For example, the hunger artist fasts for forty days, similarly Jesus fasted for forty days. It seems that the protagonist can never be satisfied. Although he was praised and adored, he wanted to push his limits. His need for constant praise, from his audience and himself, lead to his downfall.

"Young Goodman Brown"

Nathaniel Hawthorne uses a lot of symbolism throughout this short story. Goodman Brown is leaving his new wife, Faith, to run an errand at night time. He is met by another man, who accompanies him in his journey. It seems that he is a Christian, specifically a purtian. Goodman Brown is crushed because his thoughts on his fellow Christians (religious leaders and townsmen) are compromised; they are attending a Black Mass.
The location, time period, and people involved kind of remind me of the Salem Witch Trials. This black mass may represent the black magic that witches were supposed to have. The event also takes place in Salem, involving the puritans. Faith, Goodman's wife, seems to represent the very definition of her name. He leaves his "faith" behind, while travelling. At the end, it seems like the whole thing was just a dream.
At first, I thought this was going to be some sort of sweet, love story. He is sad to leave his wife to run an errand. The people and other things he encounters in the woods convey a different message.

"The Purloined Letter"

This story is very fascinating. There is the element of mystery, which intrigued me. The letter contains valuable, secret information that will expose a powerful individual. Dublin finds the letter, not exactly hidden, where the police failed to look (because it was along with other letters) and replaces it with a fake letter. He explains how he finds the letter after he is given the reward money, comparing it with a child playing evens or odds. He says that to find "hidden" letter, the person should think like the opponent. In this case, I feel that Dupin, though he stole the letter, has the same mind frame of the Minister. He believes that the Minister is smart enough to hide the letter in a place where no one would consider. 

Although the anecdote was long, it kept my attention. I wanted to know how he knew where the letter was hidden.