A perfect life can change for the worst in an instant. In The Old Bird, A Love Story by J. F. Powers, Mr. Newman is an old man who has recently lost his job, and is forced to give up his white-collar life for a strenuous labor intensive job. Throughout the story, he meets certain individuals who make a difference in his new lifestyle. Due to changes in his life, he becomes a changed man physically and mentally. The first evidence of a throwback to his old life is his first conversation with the information worker. Wanting to be employed, he resorts to applying for low level jobs. When asking for an application, he states, “Got an application there for a retired millionaire?” The information girl knew what he was after and was already on a personal basis with him due to the friendliness towards one another. This statement is not made out of spite, but rather as a sentimental anecdote about his old life. The author in the beginning of the story is being sympathetic for Mr. Newman, considering he has been unemployed. This sentimentality continues on with his interviewer later on with Mr. Shanahan. …show more content…
Shanahan was the person who was receiving and looking over the applications for the job. He was a proud and courteous individual, who wasted no time. When Mr. Newman gave him his application, J. F. Powers added in that he “surrendered his well-loved white collar.” Mr. Shanahan asked for Mr. Newman to start his job right then as a test since Mr. Newman was so old compared to his peers. Powers had sympathy while being sentimental for the poor old man, with examples that remind the reader about his office job that he retained until being unemployed. He is now turning in his white collar for a blue collar, which represents manual
An imposing character in A Bird in the House, Grandfather Timothy Connor’s power over his household is also a sign of his weakness. The house that he built is “part dwelling place and part massive monument” (Margaret Laurence 3). Grandfather Connor, a pioneer in Manawaka, is a monument himself and is often associated with his architectural feat. The title of Margaret Laurence’s novel is A Bird in the House; Grandfather Connor is the house that both shelters and entraps the people – especially the women – in his life with his actions. With a stranglehold on his household, Grandfather seems to fit into the traditional male role as the authoritarian but is plagued by guilt and loneliness. He uses his anger as a shield and a mask; he “demands strength because he is afraid of weakness” (Jon Kertzer 43). Early in his marriage, Grandfather Connor had an affair with a girl in Winnipeg but his wife Agnes “never told him she’d considered leaving him” (Laurence 85). This places Agnes in a position of higher power: she is virtuous, and Timothy knows that she may be too good for him. As Uncle Terence remarks: “Another person’s virtues could be an awful weight to tote around. We all loved her. Whoever loved him?” (86). Because his family loves Agnes and will happily obey her, Timothy attempts to reassert his power by being strict and demanding.
Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Hunting and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby explore the themes of trauma and redemption through the creators unsystematic stories. Traumatic events and it’s effects on both protagonists are the main focus of the texts. Sant’s troubled genius, Will Hunting has difficulties connecting with individuals due to a history of emotional abuse. Fitzgerald’s famous romantic comes in the form of, Jay Gatsby, a financially successful man that has difficulties moving on from his former lover, Daisy. Both Jay and Will are on the path to self actualisation. Equally notable is the negative effects of the past on their personal lives and the different methods each character takes to overcome these experiences and grow. The creators
Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, portrays the hard–done-by life of two California labours, who form an unlikely bond and cling together in the face of alienation. The Novel exhibits the idea of the thirst for companionship when cast into the abyss of loneliness, while unveiling the horrors and strife that the labours of the south endured during the 1930’s. Throughout the plot, one of the protagonist, George, continuously carries through with several decisions that define him as a character and subsequently, as a human being. For example, at the beginning of the story, Geo...
Embedded within the syntax of “The Company Man”, Ellen Goodman uses syntax to create a nostalgic tone. Between her combination of tactical dashes and specific details, the columnist manages to fabricate a tone that signals remembrance and passive aggression towards Phil. The manner that Ellen describes Phil in, with phrases including how he “worked himself to death” and putting quotes around “dearly beloved” as if he didn’t actually love his children is very passive aggressive. Ellen recalls Phil in such a descriptive tone, writing how he’s, “overweight by 20 or 25 pounds” and knowing about his “golf outings” as work for him is proving her negative nostalgia.
The Scarlet Ibis is a tragic short story written by James Hurst. This heartfelt piece of literature takes place mainly in Old Woman Swamp. A place that was surrounded by a cotton field, rubber grass and various wild flowers. The narrator who is referred to as Brother, wants to teach his invald little brother, whom he named Doodle, how to perform normal everyday tasks that started with walking. Doodle was very dependant, but loved his brother and would try anything he asked just so he would accept him. The brother, by his own admission would push Doodle beyond what he should have, knowing there was a list of don'ts because of his unhealthy condition. This was done as a selfish act for his own reasons, which included his pride. This put great stress on Doodle’s tender body and made it grow increasing weak throughout time. One day while the family was eating lunch a tropical bird from South America called a Scarlet Ibis made its way to their home during a tropical storm that had recently passed through inland. It was badly wounded very sick. As it tried to fly away, its weak wings fluttered, gave way and it fell to its death. After lunch, the boys went back out and continued to work on the regimen that Brother had prepared for Doodle. The day was very long and grueling for Doodle, as Brother made him row the oars of the boat against the tide. Suddenly a storm started to move in and they headed back as fast as they could towards home, racing against the storm. Fear of being left behind, Doodle was pushing himself hard to keep up with his brother even though he was very weak. Trying to beat the rain, Brother began to run. Doodle cried out for his brother not to leave him behind, however he ignored him and kept running even f...
A transformation took place during the story and it is evident through the narrator?s character. In the beginning he was lacking in compassion, he was narrow minded, he was detached, he was jealous, and he was bitter. Carver used carefully chosen words to illustrate the narrator?s character and the change. Throughout the story his character undergoes a transformation into a more emotionally aware human being.
Jay Gatsby, the central figure of the story, is one character who longs for the past. Surprisingly he devotes most of his adult life trying to recapture it and, finally, dies in its pursuit. In the past, Jay had a love affair with the affluent Daisy. Knowing he could not marry her because of the difference in their social status, he leaves her to amass wealth to reach her economic standards. Once he acquires this wealth, he moves near to Daisy and buys a house there across the bay, and throws extravagant parties, hoping by chance she might show up at one of them. He, himself, does not attend his parties but watches them from a distance. Gatsby's personal dream symbolizes the larger American Dream where all have the opportunity to get what they want.
“The Great Gatsby” and “The Love Song for J. Alfred Prufrock” are two pieces of writing written in the 1920’s. Both F. Scott Fitzgerald and T.S Elliot were able to express the overwhelming force of the most powerful human emotion. Although the two eponymous characters seem vastly different from each other in, it can be seen when analyzed in greater depth that the two hold more similarities than differences. Both Prufrock and Gatsby live more in their own minds than the actual world. This causes them to become isolated from other people and become captives by their own illusions. Both men will eventually allow love and fear to corrupt their lives and lead them to make decisions which will ultimately bring about their demise.
This old man and woman had been together for quite a while. They had been through thick and then. After the crash, they had been admitted to the hospital at which Mel works at, and they were given a less than likely chance of pulling through. Despite the odds, both of them pulled through, but the old man became depressed (Carver 157). The old man confides in Mel, telling him that he was depressed "because he couldn 't see [his wife] through his eye-holes." Mel continues, " '[T]he man 's heart was breaking because he couldn 't turn his goddamn head and see his goddamn wife." (Carver 158). These two old geezers have true love. They cannot live without one another, for they have true
In ‘Paul’s Case’ Paul has created a fantasy world in which he becomes entranced, even to the point of lying to classmates about the tales of grandeur and close friendships that he had made with the members of the stock company. This fantasy falls apart around him as “the principle went to Paul’s father, and Paul was taken out of school and put to work. The manager at Carnegie Hall was told to get another usher in his stead; the doorkeeper at the theater was warned not to admit him to the house” (Cather 8). The fantasy fell apart further when the stories he had told his classmates reached the ears of the women of the stock company, who unlike their lavish descriptions from Paul were actually hardworking women supporting their families. Unable to cope with the reality of working for Denny & Carson, he stole the money he was supposed to deposit in the bank to live the life of luxury in New York. Only a person who felt backed into a corner would attempt something so unsound. After his eight days in paradise, he is again backed into a corner by the reality of his middle class upbringing, and the dwindling time he has before his father reaches New York to find him. The final way out for Paul is his suicide, for which an explanation would be “In the end, he fails to find his security, for it was his grandiose “picture making mechanism” that made his life so deardful.” (Saari). With all the securities of his fantasy life finally gone, his mental instability fully comes to light as he jumps in front of the train to end his
Even when Jim is in this awful war-stricken place, one thing that he can still find comfort in, and which reminds him of his peaceful home is the birds, which are everywhere, still living their lives unaffected by mans war. This shows how nature is unaltered by mans cruel antics against other man, and how life and nature must, and will go on through all circumstances.
With the use of flowery language the Agent glorifies and propagates the factory work in order to convince the family that they should feel honored that he has decided to recruit their daughter; “We are recruiting only the most skillful and loyal mill workers, [...] not
Since its first appearance in the 1886 collection A White Heron and Other Stories, the short story A White Heron has become the most favorite and often anthologized of Sarah Orne Jewett. Like most of this regionalist writer's works, A White Heron was inspired by the people and landscapes in rural New England, where, as a little girl, she often accompanied her doctor father on his visiting patients. The story is about a nine-year-old girl who falls in love with a bird hunter but does not tell him the white heron's place because her love of nature is much greater. In this story, the author presents a conflict between femininity and masculinity by juxtaposing Sylvia, who has a peaceful life in country, to a hunter from town, which implies her discontent with the modernization?s threat to the nature. Unlike female and male, which can describe animals, femininity and masculinity are personal and human.
In order to condemn Gatsby, Fitzgerald guides the reader to discern the idea that the characters of the story are unable to find happiness from reinvention and money because the only way to find true happiness is to look to their past. By including the failure of money and reinvention in the life of Jay Gatsby, Fitzgerald is able to effectively paint a clear picture that happiness does indeed come from the past. Although the past no longer exists, it is capable of providing lessons to further peoples present and future lives.
Wright was described as a beautiful women filled with such joy and life until she married John Wright. Mrs. Peter’s and Mrs. Hale feels sorry for her because her husband treated her so bad. Due to female bonding and sympathy, the two women, becoming detectives, finds the truth and hides it from the men. The play shows you that emotions can play a part in your judgement. Mrs. Peter’s and Mrs. Hale felt sorry that Mrs. Wright had one to keep her company no kids and she was always left alone at home. “yes good; he didn’t drink, and kept his word as well as most, I guess, and paid his debt. But he was a hard man, Mrs. Peters just to pass the time of day with him. Like a raw wind that goes to the bone. I should of think she would have wanted a bird. But what you suppose went with it?” Later on in the play the women find out what happens to the bird. The bird was killed the same way Mrs. Wright husband which leads to the motive of why he was killed. Mrs. Wright was just like the bird beautiful but caged no freedom not being able to live a life of her own. Always stuck in the shadows of her husband being told what to do and