“Wild” is one of the twelve short stories of Lesley Nneka Arimah’s collection “What It Means When a Man Falls From The Sky.” This engaging short story is about rebellious Ada and how she learns the hard way that her behavior is immature and unbecoming. As readers, we learn that what children really need is unconditional love and acceptance of their raw personality by watching how the opposite plays out through this story. Looking through the lens of Reader-Response Criticism, we learn from examining the characters, theme, setting, plot, and point of view that pushing children to be perfect and obedient, can many times make them cripple under the pressure. To start off, this story is meant to discuss that just because a child goes to the ‘right’ …show more content…
We see these mother-daughter relationships often in Arimah’s stories and a main focus in ”Wild.” So much of this story is about the interactions and inflictions of the two mother and daughter relationships shown in this story, that of Ada and her mom and then that of Chinyere and her mom, Ugo. Arimah likes to mix things up and give us an un-rosy picture of the mother-daughter relationships by having the two not see eye to eye. Auntie Ugo’s frustration with Chinyere really shows through as we hear her conversation with Ada, “‘You know, we did everything for that girl, everything. The best schools, the best everything.’” (Arimah …show more content…
The beginning parts of “Wild” introduces us to the characters, we get to know Ada’s rebellious nature. As we learn more about her recklessness and carefree personality we get excited for what’s to come later in the story. The plot builds suspense when we expect Chinyere to be a perfect daughter and member to society after hearing Ada’s mockery of her mother’s praise, “Chinyere was such a sweet girl; Chinyere went to church, so why couldn’t I; Chinyere was so obedient” (Arimah 27). After reading this, we imagine Ada and Chinyere differing personalities and imagine what the rest of the story will be about. However, when we first find out that Chinyere is just as reckless as Ada after reading, “Chinyere explained that her mother didn’t allow her to have a mobile anymore and she wasn’t allowed to go anywhere or do anything” (Arimah 23), we are pleasantly
“When I fall” is a lyrical song written by Steven Page and Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies. It is about a window washer who is at a critical moment in his life. The song is structured in such a way that a progression and transformation is seen in the window washers troubles from worrisome to life threatening. The window washer is the persona of the poem, and in the first stanza he expresses a fear. He is somewhere he doesn’t want to be and is scared. This is followed by the chorus of the song in which it is made clear that he wants to make a change in his life, but is afraid of failure. At this point the window washers troubles take on the form of deep mental anguish where he resorts to prayer and laments on the physically and mentally troubling aspects of his world. In the next stanza, the window washer comments on the prestige of the boardroom he looks into as he washes the windows. Here he addresses the change he wants to make in his life and states that he would like to swap places with the business men in the room. However, he realizes that this is impossible because they would never agree to lower themselves to the stature of a window washer. When he realizes this, his thoughts become radical and he contemplates suicide. By the end of the song however, he pulls himself together and realizes that what he does and who is does have some value in the world.
Margaronis, Maria. "Where the Wild Things Are." The Nation 278.23 (14 June 2004): 24-28. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jessica Bomarito and Jelena O. Krstovic. Vol. 91. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Literature Resource Center. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
At the age of ten, most children are dependent on their parents for everything in their lives needing a great deal of attention and care. However, Ellen, the main character and protagonist of the novel Ellen Foster, exemplifies a substantial amount of independence and mature, rational thought as a ten-year-old girl. The recent death of her mother sends her on a quest for the ideal family, or anywhere her father, who had shown apathy to both she and her fragile mother, was not. Kaye Gibbons’ use of simple diction, unmarked dialogue, and a unique story structure in her first novel, Ellen Foster, allows the reader to explore the emotions and thoughts of this heroic, ten-year-old girl modeled after Gibbons’ own experiences as a young girl.
This short story written by Richard Wright is a very well written, and has a very good plot and keeps the reader entertained throughout. From the dialogue to the characters, who inhabit the world crafted by Wright its very intriguing. On the surface it appears to be just a story about childhood disobedience in general, but the overall theme is much deeper than that.
Children are common group of people who are generally mislabeled by society. In the short story “Charles’’ by Shirley Jackson and ‘’The Open Window” by Saki showed examples of the labeling of children. In “Charles” the concept of parents labeling their children as being pure and sincere was shown. As in “The Open Window” by Saki “used the notion that girls were the most truthful sex and gives her a name that suggests truthfulness to make her tale less suspect.”(Wilson 178). According to Welsh “Because the fantasy is so bizarre and inventive and totally unexpected from a fifteen-year-old girl, the reader is momentarily duped.”(03). This showed that even we as the readers were a victim of misleading labels of society.
“Everett was strange, “Sleight concedes. “kind of different. But him and McCandless, at least they tried to follow their dream. That’s what was great about them. They tried. Not many do.” (67) John Krakauer’s book, Into the Wild, briefly makes a comparison between two young boys Chris McCandless and Everett Ruess and fills the reader with different perspectives about them and their experiences. While the author wrote about McCandless he is reminded of Ruess and his book Everett Ruess: A Vagabond for Beauty written by W.L. Rusho and it sparked an interesting comparison between the two. The use of storytelling and letters about McCandless and the use of Artwork, letters,
Since the beginning of time the mother and daughter relationship has been complex. The book The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan is a great example of the mother and daughter relationship. In the book Amy Tan writes about four women who migrate to America from China. All of the women were in search of a better life since the lives they had in China were not what they wanted for themselves. Even though all of the women did not know each other until they met in America, they all share the same horrible memories of their past. The book mainly focuses on the expectations, hopes, and dreams that the women and their daughters have for themselves. Even though at the beginning the mothers and the daughters do not always see eye to eye at the end the daughters start to realize that their mothers just wanted the best for them and not the worst, "The mothers see themselves in the daughters."(Matthews).
Amy Chua is the mother in this memoir, characterizing her relationship with her daughter as frustrated and annoying, but in a caring way that is normal for them. Amy Chua’s recollection of her and her daughter’s relationship is expressed through ‘“RELAX!’ I screamed at home” … “...my very presence made her edgy and irritable,” clearly states that Chua was stern towards her daughter, enough to where she was cautious of anything she did (Chua 47-48). With Chua being so stern towards her daughter, eventually her daughter decided she was not going to walk on eggshells around her anymore. Once the daughter responded with “Stop it, Mommy. Just stop it.” … “Your brain is annoying me”’ the mother was shocked but realized how her sternness was affecting her daughter (Chua 47-48). Some may not see anything wrong with the Tiger Mom lifestyle that is enforced, which is fine, but some see how it could have negatively affected her daughter in a way which lead to the daughter speaking in a shocking tone towards her mother. The daughter continuously tries to tell her mother that she is trying to make her someone she is not by the mother being abrasive towards her. Parents cannot make their child into someone their not by being harsh and abrasive towards them because the child will retaliate back to explain they are their own person. Amy Chua uses abrasive means and her daughter retaliates with harsh and bitter ways, which cause their mother-daughter relationship to be frustrating and annoying, but the usual for
The cold, the heat, the loneliness, the pain, the fear; all faced alone. One can hardly imagine doing this solo, but Cheryl Strayed can bring it to life. Strayeds descriptive mode of discourse in the adventure story, Wild, portrayed her feelings vividly, made the audience feel more involved, and provoked emotion in the reader to make it feel more real.
Are adults overprotective of their children? To what point do we protect children? Where should the line be drawn? Along with those questions is how easily children can be influenced by these same adults. Two poets, Richard Wilbur and Billy Collins, express the ideas of how easily children can be manipulated and how sometimes adults think they are protecting their innocent children, when in reality they are not. Wilbur and Collins express these ideas in their poems through numerous literary devices. The literary devices used by Wilbur and Collins expose different meanings and two extremely different end results. Among the various literary devices used, Wilbur uses imagery, a simple rhyme scheme and meter, juxtaposition of the rational and irrational, and a humorous tone to represent the narrator’s attempt to “domesticate” irrational fears. Conversely Collins uses symbols, historical interpretations, imagery, diction and other literary devices to depict the history teacher’s effort to shield his students from reality. In the poems, “A Barred Owl,” by Richard Wilbur, and “The History Teacher,” by Billy Collins, both poets convey how adults protect and calm children from their biggest, darkest fears and curiosities.
While both “The Grasshopper and The Bell Cricket” by Yasunari Kawabata and “The Flowers” by Alice Walker include similar themes about childhood, one could contend that these stories are distinct from one another. Undeniably, both authors correlate childhood with innocence and the two authors use literary symbolism when describing their attitudes toward the imminent end of innocence. However, the stories contrast significantly by their setting, perspectives, and attitudes towards the end of innocence.
At some point in childhood, most people consider running away, most for a few days but, in some cases, forever. Many causes influence a child to run away, including fights, abuse, and unhappiness. In All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, two boys run away into the Wild West to find a life you can only read about. Though they can never find this perfect place, the journey itself is extraordinary. The reader is taken on a ride that entails danger, love, and, ultimately, self discovery. This ride has rite of passage written all over it. The novel builds and destroys a surreal adventure that describes the transition from boyhood to manhood. The novel describes the transition of John Grady from a surreal, inocuous youth to a real and painful manhood.
The influence family members can have on the development of a child is enormous; they can either mold a healthy mind or drive a child toward darkness. Jennifer Egan’s Safari is a short story that highlights the different relationships in a family with a complicated background. Rolph and Charlie come from a divorced household and join their father, Lou, and his new girlfriend, Mindy, on an African safari. As the events of the trip unfold, Lou’s children experience a coming of age in which they lose the innocence they once possessed. The significant impact of family dynamic on children’s transition into adulthood is presented in Safari. Jennifer Egan uses Mindy’s structural classifications of Charlie and Rolph to demonstrate how Lou and Mindy’s relationship hinders the maturation of the two kids.
“Into The Wild” by John Krakauer is a non-fiction biographical novel which is based on the life of a young man, Christopher McCandless. Many readers view Christopher’s journey as an escape from his family and his old life. The setting of a book often has a significant impact on the story itself. The various settings in the book contribute to the main characters’ actions and to the theme as a whole. This can be proven by examining the impact the setting has on the theme of young manhood, the theme of survival and the theme of independent happiness.
Children’s folk stories are known for their intriguing storylines and captivating imagery. The simple language of the narratives makes the stories understandable for young adults. Although children tales are fun to read, there are oftentimes morals associated to them. Authors write the narratives in a kid friendly way, but there are usually deeper meanings associated to them. The hidden morals are deep in the narratives are subliminal, but have a way of teaching children what to do in certain situations. Along with children being taught to react to certain situations through child narratives, children are also taught how to sense danger. The ability of the children sensing danger causes them to react in most all children stories. In stories