Analysis Of The Short Story 'Sredni Vashtar'

The mind is a glorious element of the human body. It contains so much greatness. One of the best belongings a mind contains is imagination. Imagination sparks creativity, productivity, and possibility. Children are the world’s captains of imagination. And when a child is intellectually advanced, his imagination is even further developed and free-ranged than the average child’s mind. Children’s little minds can process something extremely simple and turn it into something intensely complex. For example, at night when the youngsters are laying down trying to sleep; their adolescent minds can wander to the point that they believe there is a monster living under their bed. Equivalent to everything else, there are superior elements and poor elements

Conradin is a protagonist in the short story “Sredni Vashtar”. He is an ill ten year old boy. According to the text,”...the boy would not live five years.”. Conradin is both a dynamic and round character. Paragraph one of the story “Sredni Vashtar” makes Conradin seem: weak, miserable, and lonely. For instance, the text in paragraph one states, “Without his imagination, which was rampant under the spur of loneliness…”. This statement proves that the poor child was very lonely; “...rampant under the spur of loneliness…” is to be so utterly lonely that the imagination flourishes. This short story also declares, “...his opinion was endorsed by Mrs. de Ropp, who counted for nearly everything.”. This phrase proves to the reader that Conradin's opinion does not matter. Only Mrs. de Ropp’s does. Conradin is miserable in his life; according to paragraph one, “...he would have succumbed long ago.”. Succumbed can be used in many different contents. Succumbed can mean to pass away from an illness or to give in to something. Furthermore, either of these meanings would fit Conradin’s

As a matter of fact, in paragraph three Conradin finds love, joy, and faith. For example, “...a ragged-plumaged Houdan hen,... which the boy lavished an affection…”. Even though he refers to the Houdan hen as “ragged” and “plumaged”, Conradin loves this chicken. In his eyes it is his companion. The hen helps him keep his spirits up. Paragraph three also says, “...large polecat-ferret...was his most treasured possession… wonderful name… from that moment grew it into a god and a religion.” As silly as it may seem, Conradin takes his own religion very serious. To him, that small ferret is a god. This gives him faith. He believes in it so much that it keeps him fighting his illness. “...a disused tool-shed of respectable proportions… Conradin found a haven… aspects of a playroom and cathedral.”. This is a quote from paragraph three of the short story Sredni Vashtar. It proves to us that he discovered joy in the tool-shed. He says that the shed has “aspects of … a playroom…”. Small children go to their play room to play and be happy. Conradin goes to the shed to have fun, and be