David Wallace's Good People

1204 Words3 Pages

What characteristics does a good individual have? Some people might respond that a good person always makes the right choices. However, everyone has their own ideas of what the right choices are. Furthermore, a good person is not perfect, human beings have their imperfections. A good person is an individual who is virtuous which include the characteristics concern for others, compassion, acknowledge their mistakes, and the desire to be honest. The short story, “Good People” by David Wallace depicts how a good individual is virtuous through the character Lane Dean. The story involves a couple named Lane Dean and Sheri who are in a dilemma concerning an abortion. Lane Dean’s girlfriend wants to keep the child, however, he is not interested …show more content…

The story, “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin is about two brothers who journey through two separate paths. The narrator of the story goes through a more successful route than his younger brother Sonny who became a drug addict. Throughout the short story the narrator demonstrates being a good person by taking on the rule of caring for his brother after their mother passed away. In the beginning the narrator fails to watch over Sonny after a big fight occur between them concerning the way Sonny was choosing to live his life. After, Sonny is arrested during a raid for using and selling heroin. It is until the narrator realizes the mistake of not responding to Sonny’s letters from jail that the narrator resumes the role of being Sonny’s protector. Being a good individual involves recognizing errors committed by oneselves rather than blaming someone else. The narrator came to the realization that ignoring his younger brother’s letters was not going to improve Sonny’s well-being. When Sonny revealed his career interest of becoming a jazz musician the narrator was not understanding. In “Sonny’s Blues” the narrator thinks to himself, “I simply couldn’t see why on earth he’d want to spent his time hanging around nightclubs, clowning around on bandstands, while people pushed each other around a dance floor” (Baldwin 86). Towards the end of the short story …show more content…

The character Lane Dean in the short story “Good People” by David Wallace is an example of a good person. Although, he wanted his girlfriend Sheri to undergo the operation he was constructing his thoughts and decisions while thinking of her feelings. Lane Dean was being a compassionate person by not wanting to leave Sheri alone to deal with the situation. Another attribute of what makes a person to be known as good is the capability to acknowledge their own errors instead of blaming everybody except themselves. The characteristic is represented through the narrator of “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin when he admits to himself that he was wrong for not supporting his brother’s choice of being a jazz musician. On the other hand, the character the American in “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway is an example of what not makes a person good. The American was not trying to reason with Jig on the abortion, but instead was manipulating her throughout the short story. A good person keeps in mind of people’s emotions and well-being. The American was driven by his own desires rather than thinking about Jigs’s desires. Being virtuous is what makes a person

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