Ralph Floogie lived in a small, cerulean house atop feathergrass hill. The folks of Bluchek referred to it as such because every square inch of the hill was completely overtaken by tall, wispy feathergrass. That is, every square inch besides where the house stood, which wasn’t all that many square inches to begin with. The house was of average size, but, unlike most houses in the town, Ralph’s house was tall and thin, with at least 4 stories making it up. Of course no one really knew how many stories there were altogether, since it wouldn’t be surprising to find that he had 6 basements and a series of secret tunnels occupying the base of feathergrass hill. In fact, not a body in town would be surprised to find that Ralph was an undercover Canadian spy with forest nymphs for cousins. Ralph was a strange man and everyone knew it. …show more content…
The hill was surrounded by fir trees on all but the Eastern side, so that if one looked through this gap in the trees, facing west as the sun was setting, they would see a beautiful orange-red glow, illuminating the grasses, and the silhouettes of the fir trees that almost met with the Floogie house in height. It was quite a view to behold, but the people of Bluchek didn’t care to mention it, and rather found their satisfaction in unearthing the flaws and oddities of others. This of course made Ralph Floogie a primary victim to their jeering, but he’d endured their behavior for so long that he was quite used to it by now, and found his satisfaction in commenting on the most amiable qualities in the people that tantalized him the most. His discordant complimenting confused the lot of them, and only granted them confirmation of his strangeness (which hardly needed confirming in the first
The Jump-Off Creek introduces the reader to the unforgiving Blue Mountains and the harsh pioneer lifestyle with the tale of Lydia Sanderson, a widow who moves west from Pennsylvania to take up residence in a rundown homestead. She and other characters battle nature, finances, and even each other on occasion in a fight for survival in the harsh Oregon wilderness. Although the story is vividly expressed through the use of precise detail and 1800s slang, it failed to give me a reason to care because the characters are depicted as emotionally inhibited.
With such rigid and different identities, Jack and Ralph have very different priorities, making it challenging for them to work together. Ralph’s identity is threatened when Jack lets the fire burn out to go hunting, so he lashes out at him, accusing him, “I was chief, and you were going to do what I said. You talk. But you can’t even build huts-then you go off hunting and let out the fire-”(70, 71). By ignoring what Ralph told him to do, Jack threatens numerous aspects of Ralph’s identity. Ralph identifies with being elected Chief based on his plan to get rescued, so Jack’s insubordination threatens Ralph. Meanwhile,
Through natural goodness; both Tom Robinson and Boo Radley express strong generosity. Even though they are both perceived as being quiet, and mysterious, they still are benevolent toward others. “Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives…We never put back into the tree what we took out of it; we had given him nothing, and it made me sad” (Lee 278). This statement Scout mak...
As he slouches in bed, a description of the bare trees and an old woman gathering coal are given to convey to the reader an idea of the times and the author's situation. "All groves are bare," and "unmarried women (are) sorting slate from arthracite." This image operates to tell the reader that it is a time of poverty, or a "yellow-bearded winter of depression." No one in the town has much to live for during this time. "Cold trees" along with deadness, through the image of "graves," help illustrate the author's impression of winter. Wright seems to be hibernating from this hard time of winter, "dreaming of green butterflies searching for diamonds in coal seams." This conveys a more colorful and happy image showing what he wishes was happening; however he knows that diamonds are not in coal seams and is brought back to the reality of winter. He talks of "hills of fresh graves" while dreaming, relating back to the reality of what is "beyond the streaked trees of (his) window," a dreary, povern-strucken, and cold winter.
Connected to the somber image of the town, The house is described with harsh diction such as “streaked with rust”, depicting the years of neglect. Affected by abuse, Petry describes the house as stained with “blood” in the form of rust. Despite the harsh outer layer, Lutie is drawn to it as her figurative and literal “sign”of refuge. A town that had been nothing but cold to her is finally seen as warm from the words on the sign; describing the house as “Reasonable” and open to “respectable tenants”.
A flicker of light caught Ralph’s eye, but he ignored it. Somewhere deep in his mind, though, he sensed something familiar. A feeling of fear enveloped him and sent chills down his spine. He squeezed his eyes shut, and began rubbing the sides of his he...
One of the main characters, Ralph, was very likeable to everyone and was almost immediately elected as the leader of the tribe, with the only competition being the leader of the choir boys, Jack. Even though Ralph just wants to get home, he remains to look strong and tough to the other boys, to try and keep things as civilized as possible. So, Ralph decides that; "We've got to have rules and obey them. After all, we're not savages. We're English, and the English are best a...
Ralph had came to a realization about the aftermath of the activity that had occurred, he claimed, “Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called Piggy" (Golding,202).He sees the rest of the boys and ceased that “ this a savage whose image refused to blend with that ancient picture of a boy in shorts and shirt”( Golding,203).Ralph perceives that there isn’t any sign of a civilized boy in the savage.Golding suggests that savagery is our genuine state. He infers that society prevents our vicious urge, teaches us to be well-mannered and properly dressed individuals.With a lack of of civility, humankind will prosper with violence and
Tobias Wolff is framing his story Hunters in the Snow, in the countryside near Spokane, Washington, where three friends with three different personalities, decided to take a trip to the woods for hunting in a cold, snowy weather. The whole story follows the hunting trip of these three friends. The reader can easily observe that the cold, hostile environment is an outward expression of how the men behave towards one another. Kenny, with a heart made of ice is rather hostile to Tub, while Frank is cold and indifferent to Tub and his pleas for help.The environment is matching the characters themselves, being cold and uncaring as the author described the two from truck when they laughed at the look of Tub: “You ought to see yourself,” the driver said. “He looks just like a beach ball with a hat on, doesn’t he? Doesn’t he, Frank?”(48). Near the beginning of the story the cold and the waiting surely creates an impact in the mood of the character. Tub is restless from the wait and the cold adds on to it. He complains about being cold and Kenny and Frank, his friends tell him to stop complaining, which seems to be very unfriendly. Wolff builds up the story on the platform of cold weather and the impact of the cold on each character slowly builds up.
Ralph is the designated leader of the group of boys that crash landed. He uses the conch to call assemblies, he is elected chief, and he runs business on the island. At the beginning of the novel, Ralph is elected leader because of his appearance and possession of the conch shell. When the first assembly is called, all of the boys are all described, “but there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, his attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch” (Golding 22). Ralph won all of the boys who voted willingly and honestly, and everyone was willing to do as he asked. The most important thing to Ralph was a rescue fire, and the boys were in agreement. When the fire ran low, “life became a race with the fire and the boys scattered through the upper forest.
More often than not, Appalachia catches a bad reputation for being known as an area full of “dumb, ignorant hillbillies”, when the reality is far from that. In David Baldacci’s novel, Wish You Well, the reader is introduced to a one-of-a-kind, sweet, ginger, mountain kid named Jimmy “Diamond” Skinner. He is carefree and seemingly unafraid of anything, going so far as to cross a gorge on a log, sliding under a train that can begin to move at any minute, and has had a fair share of confrontations with a bear. While Diamond is very fun and adventurous, he has never been formally educated. This would easily make the reader believe that he fits the exact stereotype that I mentioned earlier, however, that is not the case.
Nicky’s father took his son out with the intention of having him look for a pumpkin and bringing it back home. Not at all did he suspect to encounter anything more but indeed he did. Nicky and his father went looking for a pumpkin at as place that he describes as “a piece of land so devoid of life and interest that from January to October, I’m certain, no one sees it at all”.
The Clutter family portrayed the American dream for all people in Holcomb, as they are described to be almost the perfect family, or dream family. The Clutters are a strong family of 6 with a well liked father and mother, and successful children. Their family is well known throughout the village of Holcomb and are the most idolized. Mr.Clutter represents what every man should be, as he was “the community’s most widely known citizen” and
The roar of voices has thankfully finally ceased. All that conflict and turmoil is now gone, and I am at peace. As the leaves blow in the slight breeze, all I feel is tranquility. It is not easy dealing with people who hold such contempt for each other, and that feel the need to instigate with such frequency. I see patterns cast by the obscured lowering sun are dancing about. They peak my interest and I watch them. They jump and dance with the shaking leaves’ rhythm, so carefree. This natural shelter is where I feel safe, beastie or no beastie. My body is limp and completely still; I contemplate many things during this brief period when I’m not listening to heated arguments of Ralph and Jack, and during this my eyes feel the need to close.
The morning could not come early enough for young Charles, who awoke before anyone else in the small cabin had roused from sleep. At first light, he noticed that the sky was dark and dreary when he returned from the outhouse. Bluish-black, weighty clouds hung low on the horizon and thunder rumbled in the distance. In his mind, Charles saw him and his mother walking through a storm- it was thundering and lightning; rain fell so heavily, they could barely see five feet in front of them. Crestfallen, Charles surely thought it was going to be a stormy, rain-swept day as he waited on the front porch for his mother to wake and the sun to continue rising. When it did, the dark clouds dissipated and the sky turned brilliant blue. A very mild breeze blew; with it, it carried a bouquet of honeysuckle, Ligustrum, and crepe jasmine… It was going to be a beautiful day on the mountain; Charles smiled.