In Evan Hunter’s short story, “On the Sidewalk Bleeding,” we find a story with many layers. On the surface is a shadow that envelops the events, offering a cloak of mystery for characters which lead your mind towards a deeper meaning. The reader follows a teenage boy who’s caught up in a world bigger than he understands, as a tale unravels that bears resemblance to the Biblical parable of “The Good Samaritan.” A tragic act done in momentary hate results in a chilling twist ending that urges you to reconsider your values in life. The story features a dark and gloomy setting which is evident throughout the entire plot. Pouring rain under a late night sky hides a pool of crimson blood; the result of a cruel execution by blade. There is frequent repetition of the pain and looming despair, which is only highlighted as the reader learns that the victim is unaware of his …show more content…
It’s important to take the theme to heart and remember that what truly matters is found inside. People should learn to look deeper with people like Andy or Angela, who seem straightforward at first glance. Otherwise, they’ll be risking blindness to who someone really is. Christ’s parable of “The Good Samaritan” has a happier ending than this short story, but a similar message is involved. Both have a victim of circumstance, which automatically leads the reader to hope. It’s human nature to expect a pleasant ending to a dark, depressing story filled with people who choose to avoid someone because of what they judge them to be. We feel it’s only right for evil to be counteracted by good. In the Biblical story the reader is satisfied, and they also learn. This modern version of the tale teaches as well, but with an alternative result; a somewhat shocking and sombre surprise. It illustrates what can happen if you stay on the other side of the road. You’re already walking the path of life. Will you choose the outer side or choose to look
His outside actions of touching the wall and looking at all the names are causing him to react internally. He is remembering the past and is attempting to suppress the emotions that are rising within him. The first two lines of the poem set the mood of fear and gloom which is constant throughout the remainder of the poem. The word choice of "black" to describe the speaker's face can convey several messages (502). The most obvious meaning ... ...
The author illustrates the “dim, rundown apartment complex,” she walks in, hand and hand with her girlfriend. Using the terms “dim,” and “rundown” portrays the apartment complex as an unsafe, unclean environment; such an environment augments the violence the author anticipates. Continuing to develop a perilous backdrop for the narrative, the author describes the night sky “as the perfect glow that surrounded [them] moments before faded into dark blues and blacks, silently watching.” Descriptions of the dark, watching sky expand upon the eerie setting of the apartment complex by using personification to give the sky a looming, ominous quality. Such a foreboding sky, as well as the dingy apartment complex portrayed by the author, amplify the narrator’s fear of violence due to her sexuality and drive her terror throughout the climax of the
...fact, it is the saving grace of mankind: the hope that God will save society and establish harmony and justice. The modern story takes the opposite view; it shows what happens when hope is lost, when society has nowhere to turn: it is a more pessimistic, more complicated view of humanity’s progress.
When an author romanticizes a piece of literature, he or she has the power to convey any message he or she wishes to send to the reader. Authors can make even the most horrible actions, such as Dustan murdering ten savages in their sleep and justify it; somehow, from both the type of mood/tone set in this piece of literature, along with the powerful word choice he used, Whittier had the ability to actually turn the tables on to the victim (i.e. the ten “savages” who were murdered in their sleep). “A Mother’s Revenge” by John Greenleaf Whittier, is a prime example of how authors can romanticize any situation into how they want to convey their message.
... job with this story and I believe any reader can find some one or something in the story they can relate to and can apply the story to their every day life. The story has many lessons and morals that can be learned but adds a humorous twist to things. So I leave with this final though, in the words of Wendell Berry, “Practice Resurrection!”
In A Good Man Is Hard to Find, Flannery O’Connor utilizes foreshadowing, characters and symbolism to impart her lesson of mortality and salvation. We observe minor details within the story making the reader continue on to see how the story will end. The knowledge that evil exists in the world, and that stories like this is not unheard of, brings to mind thoughts of my own mortality and salvation. Does this accidental meeting with the grandmother and her family lead to personal and spiritual growth of The Misfit? The ability to recognizing and applying literary tools when reading stories can greatly enhance a reader’s
Due to King’s strange and frightening style of writing, the reader is left on the edge since they don't know what to expect when reading the literature of this unusual character. For example, in the text of, “Strawberry Spring”, the story begins in a normal and mellow tone until suddenly a fog hits. The next day the newspapers were drowned with the news that a woman, “had been murdered by her boyfriend”(King, “Strawberry Spring” 2). Accordingly, these actions are very frightening not only because they were unsuspected, but because they were performed by one lover to another. Also, the result of this horrifying incident is what we all dread, and that is death. As a result, this traumatising incident is “daring our nightmares”(King, “Why We Crave Horror, 1). Moreover, this story by King abides by his claim that we all view horror as a way to face our fears, and to show that we are not
Conflict is an important part of any short story. The short story, “On the Sidewalk Bleeding,” contains three major conflicts: man vs. man, man vs. nature, and man vs. himself. In this essay, I intend to explain, prove, and analyze these three struggles.
In the short story “On the Sidewalk Bleeding”, Andy suffers with the inner conflict of his self-identity
It is said that this book is considered as one of the most famous horror novels, if not the most famous one. The Gothic descriptions in the novel are very prominent at the beginning. The portrayal of the countryside of Transylvania, of the ruined Dracula Castle, etc, all provide the effect of horror in the sense of spooky and gloomy atmosphere, which you can obtain close at hand. Everything is so obvious. The originally beautiful scenes are changed by the writer¡¯s magnification of some specific details which provide certain effect on the readers. All of the above reminds how one¡¯s personal feelings can alter their attitudes towards what they see or what they experience. Sometimes when you are sad, everything look so depressing. It is like the whole world is against you. The sunset could be a fantastic scene when you are filled with joy but an extra source of sorrow when you are not in the mood. Harker is separated from her lovely fianc¨¦e to meet some foreign count in the exotic and unknown eastern world.
I will discuss the similarities by which these poems explore themes of death and violence through the language, structure and imagery used. In some of the poems I will explore the characters’ motivation for targeting their anger and need to kill towards individuals they know personally whereas others take out their frustration on innocent strangers. On the other hand, the remaining poems I will consider view death in a completely different way by exploring the raw emotions that come with losing a loved one.
very dark and ominous feel to this story, which mainly revolves around death. The story
Last but not least, O’Connor confirms that even a short story is a multi-layer compound that on the surface may deter even the most enthusiastic reader, but when handled with more care, it conveys universal truths by means of straightforward or violent situations. She herself wished her message to appeal to the readers who, if careful enough, “(…)will come to see it as something more than an account of a family murdered on the way to Florida.”
Poe loves to write about darker, morbid things that make the reader judge the protagonist’s actions, yet pity him for doing such a thi...
Through vivid yet subtle symbols, the author weaves a complex web with which to showcase the narrator's oppressive upbringing. Two literary