(A Critical Analysis of Alice Walker’s short story...

Antojos de Mis Ojos (A Critical Analysis of Alice Walker’s short story Everyday Use) Albert Camus once asserted: â€Å"Men are never convinced of your reasons, of your sincerity, of the seriousness of your sufferings, except by your death. So long as you are alive, your case is doubtful; you have a right only to their skepticism.† In Everyday Use a strong willed mother tries to protect her younger daughter, Maggie, from having a quilt passed down for generations stolen from her by her materialistic older sister Dee.The short story Everyday Use, authored by Alice Walker, is effective in its moral standpoint because of the believability of it’s characters. Alice Walker’s character â€Å"Dee† puts on a facade of sincere interest in her heritage, but†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"As mothers and daughters, we are connected with one another. My mother is the bones of my spine, keeping me straight and true. She is my blood, making sure it runs rich and strong. She is the beating of my heart. I cannot now imagine a life without her.† (Hannah). From this quotation, one can gather that the bond between mother and daughter is irreplaceable. However, this bond was only truly shared between the mother and her daughter Maggie. After seeing Dee turn into an undesirable, she tried to make sure that Maggie was brought up with the proper moral standards Dee never developed. â€Å"In real life I am a large, big boned woman with rough, man-working hands. In the winter I wear flannel nightgowns to bed and overalls during the day. I can kill and clean a hog as mercilessly as a man.† As a mother she was very disappointed t hat Dee did not have a hard working ethic that she herself held. A generation gap is difficult to bridge, especially when your own flesh and blood does not share your common interests and standpoints, therefore her mother must see through her false interest in heritage when she doesnt want to know the work that went into the items she lusts after. In Alice Walker’s short story, Maggie is a young girl whom Dee is trying to take advantage of and undermine to get what she wants from the family. Maggie is a sweet girl who is easily taken advantage of because she is the younger sister. â€Å"‘Your heritage,’Show MoreRelatedAlice Malsenior6001 Words   |  25 PagesAlice Walker: Peeling an Essence As an African- American novelist, short–story writer, essayist, poet, critic, and editor, Alice Walker’s plethora of literary works examines many aspects of African American life as well as historical issues that are further developed by Walker’s unique point of view. Writers like Alice Walker make it possible to bring words and emotions to voices and events that are often silenced. Far from the traditional image of the artist, she has sought what amounts to aRead MoreCritical Analysis Of Alice Walker s Everyday Use2414 Words   |  10 PagesTulsi Rizal Prof. Mary Huffer Eng122 24 April 2016 Critical Analysis of Alice Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use† Alice Walker, most revered African American writer of the present time was born on 9th February 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia. She started her career as a social worker/activist, followed by teaching and and being a writer. She has won many awards for her fantastic social and literary works. Everyday use† was published in 1973, when African Americans were struggling to revive their original African culture

Hide and Seek by Vernon Scannell and Half Past Two by...

Hide and Seek by Vernon Scannell and Half Past Two by U.A. Fanthorpe Task: Compare two poems of the same theme in detail. In this essay I will be looking at two poems, which are similar in theme and discussing their similarities. I will be using the poems Hide and Seek by Vernon Scannell and Half Past Two by U A Fanthorpe. These poems are similar to each other because their main theme is growing up, as the poems are set in the mind of a child. The first poem called Hide and Seek by Vernon Scannell is an unusual poem as it takes a lot of imagination to fully understand the poem. The title of the poem suggests that the story is about a childish game but this is from an adults point of view as this poem is set in†¦show more content†¦The poet then uses a technique where the poem goes to the first persons perspective of the child. The sentences say They will never find you in this salty dark. But be careful that your feet arent sticking out. These sentences put the poem through the childs eyes as he sees this game as a matter of life and death. This technique could be known as war imagery as the sentences relate to what the commander would shout in the middle of a war. This suggests that the child feels this game is as serious as that and that is what the poet is trying to do. The poet then uses a new technique, which is by using the senses (hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling and seeing). The sentence says, The floor is cold. This sentence made me feel like I was the child as reading what he felt made me feel it too. The poet uses this technique to create tension as when the floor is cold it reminds the reader of what the child is going through and which, in his mind, is scary. The sentences then get far shorter and the war imagery is increased in usage as it says things like You mustnt sneeze when they come prowling in which suggests that the childs friends (or the people he is playing this game with) are seen as predators to the child as that is how they are described. This is a tactical sentence with strategic words within it. The other sentence says and here they are, whispering at the door which also suggests that these people

Novel Family and Stella Free Essays

Practice 1 – one story you like the best amp; what lessons you have learned from the story The novel Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine which I have studied, all the stories are special in their own way but the one that strikes a chord with me is Claudia’s Stories: The Green Pyjamas. The story is about Claudia’s slow but sure acceptance of her stepmother, Stella. In the beginning, she is depicted as young girl who struggles to accept the changes in her life. We will write a custom essay sample on Novel: Family and Stella or any similar topic only for you Order Now Her parents have decided to separate ways as their marriage fails with the emergence of Stella, the new woman in her father’s life. Claudia finds it difficult to accept Stella at first but despite Stella’s effort to be friendly to her. However, one eventful incident changes their relationship. The dinner party to celebrate her father’s birthday breaks the ice between Stella and Claudia. Claudia goes out of her way to make the guests realize how rude they have been to Stella. There are many lessons I have learned from this story. First, Claudia is a mature and sensible girl. At the dinner party, she shows that she can put aside her ego and pride by making the guests treat Stella politely. She purposely shows off the green pyjamas given by Stella. The guests act like Stella is invisible and Claudia is angry because Stella is actually a very nice person. This shows her good nature despite her young age. Second, the message in the story is acceptance and tolerance. Learning to cope with her stepmother for Claudia is challenging. It takes a lot of patience and understanding from both sides. This event certainly triggers the beginning of a better relationship between Claudia and Stella. Clearly sometimes in life, we do not have a choice but to accept the circumstances. Practice 2 – one character that you admire/like/ taught you important lessons/attract your attention Important lessons: we should be responsible towards our family and friends. I choose the novel Step by Wicked Step written by Anne Fine. The character that I admire the most/attract my attention is Claudia. There are many reasons why I admire her very much. Firstly, Claudia is a very kind girl. During her father’s birthday party, Claudia wears her green pyjamas given by her stepmother, Stella. She put aside her ego and pride because she feels that the guests in the party are rude when they refuse to talk with Stella and does not compliment Stella on her cooking. They act like Stella is invisible and Claudia feels angry because Stella is actually a very nice person. Apart from that, Claudia is a very responsible daughter to her mother. She knows the fact that her mother hates the fact that her father is happy with a new women in his life so she pretends that she is unhappy when she has to go to her father’s house. Claudia also refuses to accept Stella’s kindness because she is a loyal daughter to her mother. In addition, I really admire Claudia because she is a fair and sensible person. She does not blame Stella for her parents’ break-up. At the dinner party, she thinks that the guests are rude for not appreciating Stella’s hard work. She realizes that ignoring Stella would not help solving matters between her parents. Feeling sorry for Stella who is being ignored by the guests, she decides to help her get accepted by showing off the green pyjamas which Stella gave her. In a nutshell, the character that I like the most is Claudia because she is very kind, loyal, fair and sensible person. I think I can learn a lot from her character. Practice 3 – one theme you like. Give evidences. I choose the novel Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine. One of the themes in the novel is family love. This is seen in some characters in the story. After Richard leaves home, his mother and sister never stop looking for him. They wait desperately for his return. His mother uses up the family funds to find him. In doing so, she suffers her husband’s wrath. Not surprisingly, she soon dies of heartbreak. Charlotte is a caring and loving sister to Richard. Unlike him, she makes an effort to get along with her stepfather as she wants a happy and peaceful home life. She tries to mediate between her brother and stepfather. After her mother’s death, charlotte marries at sixteen to a man she does not love in order to enable her to continue looking for her brother, Richard. As a last attempt, she leaves a sad letter in the tower room for him, telling Kim what has happened in his absence. Colin loves his stepfather, Jack, like his own as his real father has left his mother and him when he is just a baby. He and Jack do all the things a father and son would do. Jack too loves him as his own son. After his mother leaves Jack, Colin misses him very much. He spends his hours daydreaming of the times they have spent together. He goes to the skating rink not to skate but to listen to their favourite song, The Bluebird of Happiness. He never gives up hope of finding Jack and is saving money to do so once he is old enough. Practice 4 – memorable event I choose novel Step by Wicked Step written by Anne Fine, an interesting event is the death of Richard’s father. This event/ incident is memorable because it changed Richard’s life and in the end, his whole family. The first change that Richard had to face is his mother’s marriage to Reverend Coldstone. Richard hated his stepfather because he enforced strict rules and made Richard feel that his house was like a prison. He also sent Richard away to Mordanger School for four years. Another change is betrayal. Richard felt that his mother had betrayed when she allowed Reverend Coldstone to treat him badly. He also felt betrayed when Charlotte persuaded him not to hate his stepfather. Finally, Richard decided to run away and vanish. His departure caused financial ruin and heartbreak to his mother and sister. His mother spent a lot of money to search for him. Charlotte married a man she did not love to continue the search after their mother died. The death of Richard’s father brought about a lot of changes in Richard’s family. Most of them are sorrowful. From this incident, we must remember that we should be courageous in difficult times. Practice 5 – moral values I choose novel Step by Wicked Step written by Anne Fine. An important moral value that I have learnt from the novel is love and devotion. The first character who showed love and devotion is Richard’s mother. She spent a lot of money seeking for Richard although she had to suffer Reverend Coldstone’s anger and disapproval. Another character who demonstrated love and devotion is Charlotte. She continued her mother’s search for her brother, Richard. She did not have any money, she married a rich man she did not love at sixteen in order to continue the searching of Richard. Apart from that, Colin also showed love and devotion. He kept his dad’s tobacco tin and hummed their favourite song. He does three paper rounds to earn money to search for his dad when he is old enough. These characters have greatly showed their love and devotion. They proved that people will do anything for the ones they love. How to cite Novel: Family and Stella, Essays

Color Me Butterfly free essay sample

Me Butterfly Essay In Color Me Butterfly, L. Y. Marlow describes an African American family in the 20th century. Not only does she describe the family’s experiences, she also explains events common to many African-Americans during this time. The book covers Isaac’s experience in the Great Migration. It also describes the Civil Rights movement, racial tension in America, and history from the late 1980’s through 2001. In studying this novel, the reader follows the experiences of many African Americans during the 1900s. The Great Migration was the movement of large numbers of African Americans from small southern towns and rural neighborhoods to large northern cities. Many African Americans moved up north because of the economy. Because of the lack of work, Isaac wanted to move up north to have a steady income. â€Å"Isaac convinced his parents to let him move by telling them; he’d make plenty more money in the big city than the little he earned sharecropping, and he’d be able to send them something every now and then. We will write a custom essay sample on Color Me Butterfly or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This proves that because of the lack of work in Kingstree, he moved up north not only for his family but himself to have a better life. The Civil Rights movement is mentioned several times throughout Marlow’s novel. People involved in the movement worked to ensure equality among African Americans and whites. In the south, it was all about segregation, but it was also segregation up north. One night, Mattie, Roy, and their friends were on their way to visit his neighbor.