"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.

"The Use of Force": A Twisted Battle

This story was a little baffling. A doctor is making a house call because a little girl is not feeling well. Throughout the narrative, there is a struggle between the little girl and doctor and her girl's parents. He believes that she might have a diphtheria, a throat disease that usually affects children. The girl refuses to open her mouth and let the doctor check her throat despite the consistent requests.
The end was particularly odd. The doctor seemed to take pleasure in her shrieking and discomfort. He feels victorious when he finally discovers that her throat has been sore for days.
Williams does not use quotations within the dialogue, making it a bit annoying to figure out who is saying what. Also, he does not go into detail with the characters; there were no names mentioned. I feel that there might be a deeper meaning to the story itself. The struggle and annoyance that came along with trying to help the little girl may mirror situations he has been through as a doctor. He goes to the house with good intention, but his actions seem to be done with malicious thought. It is ironic because a doctor, especially a pediatrician, usually has compassion. Also, I think they would have more subtle techniques into having children open their mouth instead of prying their mouths open.

"Hills Like White Elephants": The Significance of Simplicity

At first I did not enjoy this short story. I felt that it was too simple; I barely knew the characters and the dialogue was long and repetitive. After the second reading, I realized Ernest Hemingway used specific words to give insight to the characters and their circumstances (specifically colors, objects, and animals). It takes place at a bar by a train station, which seems like an area used to kill time while waiting for the train. The American man and the woman have a long conversation over whether or not to do something over a few beers. The couple speaks vaguely about their situation, but the debate takes place during the forty minutes they are waiting for the express train to Barcelona. 

I really did not know how to interpret the story. I was actually thinking that plastic surgery (i.e. breast implants) can describe the situation because of its ambiguity. The issue at hand is whether or not the woman should have an abortion. It seems like the woman has made up her mind, but is still hesitant. The man makes it seem like an abortion is a "simple procedure" and encourages the woman to go through with it. He assures her that if she wants to keep the child, he will be there for support, which shows that he is not pressuring her.

The white elephants might represent the child inside of the woman. White usually means purity and innocence, which are the characteristics of a child. Elephants are giant animals and hardly go unnoticed, similar to a child; children are a huge responsibility. The hills can symbolize the ups and downs that they are facing right now. Hemingway mentions the beaded curtain several times in this short story, which must have some significance. I think that the beaded curtain that is used to keep the flies away may be compared to contraception. Although the beaded curtain is usually effective, sometimes flies slip through.

Hemingway uses uncomplicated words and phrases to depict the situation. The story itself is so obscure and leaves a lot of room for interpretation. For me, this technique was a little frustrating at first because I felt that I could not pin point what the characters were talking about. After skimming it over a couple of times, I realized that Hemingway purposely did not include information. He wants the readers to wonder and think into the words and their deeper meanings.

"The Yellow Wall-paper": When Hallucinations Convey A Message

This anecdote definitely puzzles me. The protagonist is writing in a journal format about her stay her temporary home.
The main character seems to suffer from schizophrenia and postpartum depression. Her husband and her brother are respected physicians and choose not to acknowledge her "sickness". John, the husband, decides to rent a house for a couple of months for his wife to get better, providing her with the rest cure. Mary, a babysitter, is taking care of her child while she is receiving treatment. Jane, John's sister, watches over her the central character while John is at work. Her husband and her brother believe that the thought and creativity that come along with writing will not help her with her condition. Despite her family's belief, in the day time she writes in secret. At first, she is disgusted by the yellow wallpaper; the pattern, color, and quality makes her question who would live in that room. She realizes that the room was once a nursery. Her husband chooses that particular room for her confinement because it is large and airy. The windows have bars to prevent children from climbing out. Each day she is more intrigued by the wallpaper; she is determined to figure it out. She begins to hallucinate and see women creeping around the room, specifically along the walls. Later, she believes she sees the women out in the garden, running away. Towards the end, she is fixed on catching a creeping woman, which leads her husband to faint.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman herself suffered from schizophrenia and postpartum depression. It seems that this narrative mirrors her life. The creeping women may symbolize women during that time. In the story, the women creep during the day and remain at a standstill at night. Similarly, the main character writes or "creeps" during the day time while her husband is away and behaves during the night time. The men in the short story seem to high standing, while the women are doing chores (i.e. taking care of the baby and watching over the protagonist).

"Story of an Hour"; a tragedy, but in what sense?

Mrs. Mallard is devastated by the news of her husband's eternal rest, but yet she finds hope within the adversity. Death, in this short story, is a theme that is seen in many different aspects. In the beginning, everyone acknowledges that Mr. Mallard has passed away; it saddens the characters. As Mrs. Mallard spends time processing the news, it seems that she has a newfound freedom. Kate Chopin uses phrases such as "monstrous joy" and "feverish triumph", which contribute to Mrs. Mallard's contentment. There is a "physical death" of Mr. Mallard, as well as the decease of confinement from Mrs. Mallard.