Throughout the course of this class, there have been many assignments involving short stories, however, Hands by Sherwood Anderson is a short story that I found intriguing. Hands is a short story about a man who was an educator who loved his student and his career. Later in his career he was wrongfully accused of molesting a young boy and as a punishment he was severely beaten by the boy’s father and run out of town. Sherwood Anderson published this short story in 1919 and in my opinion wrote a story that evokes every component in which a short story should contain. According to Wikipedia a short story is generally written in narrative prose and falls under 7,500 words, making short story writing an art because it must contain so many components to create and complete story.
When composing a short story the writer will construct a theme in which may be obvious or hidden. Wig Biddlebaum, also known as Adolph Myers during his teaching years, was accused of inappropriately touching male schoolchildren in his school located in Pennsylvania. The accusations were based on his tendency to touch a student’s hair or put his hands on their shoulders while communicating with them. That was Biddlebaum’s way of displaying compassion for his students. It is unfortunate for this compassionate teacher that the innocent touching of the students placed a wrath on him by the townspeople and received a harmful beating which caused him to become physiologically devastated. The theme in Hands rests in the misinterpretation of innocent gestures and facts and the belief that something that once caused misfortune will continue to do so.
Although the theme of a story is not always concrete it is generally simple to identify the protagonist and antag...
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...idence, he walks across a large field “that had been seeded for clover but that had produced only a dense crop of yellow mustard weeds” (49). Green is a general symbol for fertility. This field was planted to be clover, but in its place only grew weeds. The weeds are a symbol for Biddlebaum’s ideas that he tried to share and also signify Biddlebaum's incapability to communicate his dreams and ideas with his hands because his hands were the reason he lost his career. His intentions were take his ideas and grow on them helping students to better themselves, but otherwise brought him hardship. In his eyes, his hands were to blame for his misfortune.
Finally, the setting and atmosphere of Hands give the reader a sense of pitty and gloom for the protagonist due to his hardships and isolation. The setting takes outside of a small town and also around Biddlebaum’s home.
The characters in this story are very sharp and delineated, in that they have clear outlines and are easy to understand. Because there are...
In “Hands”, the author Ted Kooser is rationalizing the idea that since he has been in his fifties he sees his father in him. He uses imagery and symbolism so the reader will understand his father's impact upon his life.
The narrative begins in the unassuming, yet ardent voice that carries the reader throughout his life story. He makes his plan...
Firstly, the authors use the use of protagonists to show how they can present similar ideas in different ways. The two protagonists which the authors present are Keating from Dead Poets Society and McMurphy from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest. These characters have readers intrigued and on their feet from the beginning. These characters always keep the readers guessing what they’re going to do next for example when Keating says “No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.” The Protagonists are presented as very different people but are in reality extremely similar and serve the same purpose. The authors present them as
The human need to be relatable is unquenchable. We love to be able to see parts of ourselves in others, and to be able to feel like our idols are not untouchable. The Hero’s Journey format is one that can be found in almost any story, even in real life. Overall, it is the perfect recipe for keeping readers engrossed. Another place the journey has shown up is in Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and Odyssey by Homer. These two stories—one a biography, the other, an epic poem—are so effective in their storytelling, it is easy to see how authors today continue to use the same method to make stories that grab the readers’ attention. What makes them most alike, however, is the emotions and thoughts they have the power to provoke.
Through vivid yet subtle symbols, the author weaves a complex web with which to showcase the narrator's oppressive upbringing. Two literary
In order to fully examine the narrator’s transformation journey, there are many factors that have to be looked at in the themes that are discussed in the book. They include the Grandfather’s message in chapter one, Tod Clifton’s death, when the narrator is kicked out of college and the events in the factory and the factory hospital are some of the examples (Ellison 11). All these events contributed enormously towards the narrator finding his true identity.
Usually, a short story may contain profound thoughts. Writers always convey their ideas or opinions by offering several arguments in their productions. These arguments are essential to advancing the story and defining characters. In "Aunt Mary" written by Joseph Imperiale, we might identify three arguments here.
In the story “Popular Mechanics” the author, Raymond Carver, demonstrates how the feelings and actions of the characters set the plot and the conflict. The author shows how the feelings and actions led to the conflict and tragedy at the end by positioning words in a way to demonstrate the dark and eerie plot. The author manipulates words to exhibit the feelings of the mother and the father. Carver maneuvers how each of the character’s actions also contribute to the conflict at the end. The actions and feelings of each character play an important part of the plot.
Pike, Gerald. “Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Short Fiction Writers.” Short Story Criticism. Ed. Thomas Votteler. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale Research International Limited, 1990. 90. Print.
What elements are needed to create a good short story? As John Dufrense quoted "A good story has a visionary quality, a personal voice, a signature gesture(1969). The elements used should be used so strongly that it pulls you in; forcing you to connect to the people in the story. Not every story is written well enough to be capable of doing this. This also creates a connection with the reader; leaving some type of effect or impacting the reader along with the characters’ lives. Although there are many elements in writing but one of the greatest things of writing is the ability to make the reader empathize with the characters. This goes beyond than just a connection with the characters; when the reader is able to apprehend with the characters he or she is truly relating and reaching out to them. The author has accomplished something truly special when the reader has the ability to feel the agony that a character is feeling.
Another is plan ahead on your escape. There were only two obvious themes to this story. CharacterizationThere are two characters that should be put in characterization. The first one is Milma. She is the leader of the resistance in Dorado. She is in her early thirties.
In Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, Montag’s hands play a very important role in contributing to the work as a whole. Montag portrays his hands as having a mind of their own, when in reality he is the one who controls them. He uses his hands as an escape because we ultimately know that he blames his hands on doing things that he is too afraid to admit. Montag blames his hands when he has done something bad, but when he has done something good and wants credit for it his hands suddenly become his partner instead of enemy. Throughout Fahrenheit 451, Montag’s hands foreshadow his own journey into coming to realization of what he really wants.
“Short Stories." Short Story Criticism. Ed. Jelena Krstovic. Vol. 127. Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, 2010. 125-388. Literature Criticism Online. Gale. VALE - Mercer County Community College. 28 February 2014
Determine all of the story's conflicts. Determine the major conflict and state this in terms of protagonist versus antagonist.