Analysis of the First Paragraph in Porter’s Old Mortality First, I would like to make some broad generalizations about Katherine Anne Porter’s stories. The selections of stories that I have read could be considered stories about transition, passage from an old world to a new. There is a prolific amount of life and death imagery related to changes from slavery to freedom, aristocracy to middle-class, and birth to death. Her stories contain characters from several generations and the narratives
throughout the entire story is that of sarcasm. Right from the first paragraph Swift attempts to fool his readers by the sarcasm of the dreary scene that Swift presents. For example, he mentions that it is a melancholy sight to see beggars and their children on the street. The sarcastic paradox in this statement is whether it is a melancholy object for him, having to see homeless people every day, or for the beggars lifestyle? Upon first reading this one may be led to believe that Swift is a compassionate
From the minute you read the read the first paragraph until you finish the last sentence, Charlotte Gilman captures her reader s attention as her character documents her own journey into insanity in The Yellow Wallpaper. As her character passes a seemingly indefinite amount of time, it becomes clear that her husband s treatment is affecting her. Gilman is able convey the narrator s changing mental state through language and syntax. Gilman manipulates the reader s perspective throughout her
wife's quest to save a kitty from the pouring rain becomes a more complex statement about her frustration and her isolation from human comforts. I think the portrayal of the wife captures these feelings which many women can recognize. In the first paragraph, the theme of isolation is introduced, as the author tells about the American couple on foreign soil with no friends or acquaintances. He also describes the beautiful park below the window and the many people who come to enjoy it, only to add
unproductive. He underwent many emotional changes throughout the story. He didn't appreciate what he had, and before he could even blink it was gone. Life is too short to not appreciate everything in it and enjoy it to the fullest. In the first paragraph I chose to look at, it leads right into when Rip goes off for a walk to go squirrel shooting. Although the main reason for his walk was to get away for his nagging wife. The story could be interpreted in two different ways. One being that Rip
Abner and Sarty Snopes The nature of the relationship between father and son in William Faulkner's Barn Burning is displayed in the first paragraph of the story. In general a father-son relationship would be built on genuine respect, love, loyalty, and admiration. These building blocks were absent in Abner and Sarty Snopes relationship. Sarty's loyalty to his father appeared to come from a long time fear of the consequences of not obeying his father's commands. The "nigger" that could place
beginning of The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson, creates a mood of peacefulness and tranquillity. The image portrayed by the author is that of a typical town on a normal summer day. Shirley Jackson uses this setting to foreshadow an ironic ending. First, Jackson begins by establishing the setting. She tells the reader what time of day and what time of year the story takes place. This is important to get the reader to focus on what a typical day it is in this small town. The time of day is set in
The Grapes of Wrath: Comparing Book and Movie Ford attempted to establish a sense of historical context by inserting two paragraphs of prose on the screen immediately following the opening credits: ' In the central part of the United States of America lies a limited area called 'the Dust Bowl', because of its lack of rains. Here drought and poverty combined to deprive many farmers from their land. This is the story of one farmer's family, driven from their fields by natural disasters and
railroad are mentioned in the first paragraph, so there is some idea of the time the story takes place. We are also given her married name and the full name of her husband. The fact that she is referred to only as "Mrs. Mallard", while her husband's full name is given, coupled with what we learn on the second page, gives some indication of the repression she's had to suffer through and the indignity society placed on woman in those times. We also learn in the first paragraph that she lives in a man's
very method he hoped to discredit. The first paragraph of ``On Parables'' provides Kafka's main point: ``the words of the wise are always merely parables and of no use in daily life.'' How does he arrive to this conclusion? He first first asserts that the words of the wise are always parables then explains why all parables are useless. Finally, he concludes that the words of the wise, since they are all parables, are all useless for daily life. Kafka first assumes that ``the words of the wise are
power of wealth and become spoiled, socially dominating, and overly confident with themselves. However, they both feel very comfortable in this lifestyle because of their possessions and social status. Jane Austen secures Emma in the very first paragraph of her novel. She states, "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little
he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.' Franz Kafka opens his novella Metamorphosis (also The Transformation and The Transfiguration) with the above phrase, a simple statement of fact. He startles the reader with this bold first sentence. It draws the reader directly to the question of why? Why is Gregor Samsa a monstrous vermin. The inclusion that Samsa has had 'unsettling dreams' could indicate that he was subconsciously aware of his metamorphosis taking place. It also
The Character of Dee in Alice Walker's Everyday Use Alice Walker skillfully crafts the character of Dee Johnson in the short story "Everyday Use." From the first paragraph, Walker begins to weave the portrait of Dee, who at first seems shallow in many aspects. Dee becomes a more complex character, however, as the story unfolds. Blessed with both brains and good looks, Dee emerges as someone who is still struggling with her identity and heritage. Dee's physical beauty can be defined as
At first glance, one might assume Raymond Carver’s "Cathedral" illustrates the awakening of an insensitive and insulated husband to the world of a blind man. However, this literal awakening does not account for the fact that the husband awakens also to a world of religious insight, of which he has also been blind. The title and story structure are the first indicators of the importance of the religious thesis. It is also revealed when one examines the language and actions of the characters in the
are not theirs alone, but are bound with the fortunes and destinies of their society. They become heroes by accomplishing great things for themselves and their communities, winning much fame as a result. Okonkwo fits this pattern. The first paragraph of Things Fall Apart is notable in this respect, for it describes Okonkwo as follows: Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements. As a young man of eighteen he had
socioeconomic distance between the increasing number of peasants and the aristocracy, and the effects thereof. Swift conveys his message in a brilliant essay, in which he uses satire, humor and shock value. Swift pursues his main point in the first paragraph: It is a melancholy object to those who walk through [Dublin] . . .when they see . . .beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for an alms. These mothers instead of being
between the increasing number of peasants and the aristocracy, and that this distance has powerful repercussions. Swift conveys his message in essay-form with satire, humor, and shock value as his weapons. Swift pursues his main point in the first paragraph: It is a melancholy object to those who walk through [Dublin] . . .when they see . . .beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for an alm... ... middle of
boys' isolated existence as a microcosm of the adult military world. I am plunged into Golding's imagined island world from the first sentence. He uses lush description to build a setting that will contrast and reflect the boys' primitive descent. The word "scar" describes the natural feature of the land, conjuring images of redness and blood from the first paragraph. The beautiful, yet often odd, descriptions help serve as a contrast between humans and nature. The use of words like "scar" and
through Holden Caulfield's character. One characteristic of Atwood's "thinking man" is that of being isolated and alienated. Holden is a very lonely character. An example that shows this is his direct reference to David Copperfield in the first paragraph of the novel when he says "...and all that David Copperfield kind of crap."(pg.1) When David Copperfield was a child he was alienated from his mother, and was very lonely. This points to the fact that Holden had a very lonely childhood and,
grace. Opposition is an important undertone present in The Hammon and the Beans. Throughout the entire story, Paredes integrates contradictory statements which are used for two purposes. The first usage of these argumentative ideas is to clearly depict the setting of the story for the reader. In the first paragraph, the grandfather's house is described as, "... a big frame house painted a dirty yellow," that was in, "... a quiet neighborhood at least, too far from the center of town for automobiles and