Short Story Characteristics Essay - 623 Words

Short Story Characteristics The short story is a concise form of narrative prose that is usually simpler and more direct compared to longer works of fiction such as novels. Therefore, because of their short length, short stories rely on many forms of literary devices to convey the idea of a uniform theme seen throughout the script. This theme is illustrated by using characteristics that are developed throughout the story such as, plot, setting and characters. The three main components are developed throughout the story in order to guide the reader to the underlying theme, which is necessary as a short story lacking a theme also lacks meaning or purpose. The short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† by James Baldwin uses characterization to†¦show more content†¦The combination of the protagonist’s insanity and the setting of the nursery with yellow wallpaper identify a theme of imprisonment of females in a domestic world. The anonymous wife is taken by her husband to a country mansion to recover from a state of hysteria. The narrator then takes it upon herself to actively study and decode the wallpaper, and through her downward spiral into insanity she untangles its confused pattern to reveal a woman trapped in the depths of the chaotic outlines. As time passes the narrator begins to relate to this encaged woman and believes that she too is trapped within the wallpaper. During the last few nights the narrator tears down the wallpaper in an attempt to escape from her cage. The use of the yellow wallpaper as a symbolic gesture to the entrapment of women shows how setting can directly relate to the theme of a short story. Plot can also be used as a direct representation of the theme in a short story. Plot is the combination of setting, characters, and the series of events that allow the story to progress. The idea of a unifying event that forces a child into the adult world is identified, by analysis of the plot, as the theme of Alice Munro’s â€Å"Royal Beatings†. The story progresses by a series of flashbacks through Rose, the protagonist’s, life developing theShow MoreRelatedThe Characteristics Of Annie Johnsons Short Story809 Words   |  4 Pagesare determination, diligent work, and courageousness. These attributes are shown by the characters Annie Johnson, Ernesto Galarza, and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, all through their stories. Determination, individuals like Annie Johnson have determination and never abandon their objectives, and diligently pursue them. In the short story â€Å"New Directions† it discusses about a woman named Annie Johnson, who is big-boned, and it is her goal to work to support her two infant boys. 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Through theseRead Moreshort story1018 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Short Stories:  Ã‚  Characteristics †¢Short  - Can usually be read in one sitting. †¢Concise:  Ã‚  Information offered in the story is relevant to the tale being told.  Ã‚  This is unlike a novel, where the story can diverge from the main plot †¢Usually tries to leave behind a  single impression  or effect.  Ã‚  Usually, though not always built around one character, place, idea, or act. †¢Because they are concise, writers depend on the reader bringing  personal experiences  and  prior knowledge  to the story. Four MajorRead MoreThe Connections Between Updike And His Story, A P1027 Words   |  5 Pageslearning about. Updike’s life includes much success. He took learning to a new level, and he did what he loved and did a wonderful job, earning many awards. While researching, it also came clear to me some of the connections between Updike and his story, AP. His life from beginning to end is a very remarkable life. Updike was born in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1923. Since he was born in Reading, I think it was meant to be for him to be a writer. Although John Updike was born in Reading, he grew upRead MoreAnalysis Of Sartre s The Wall870 Words   |  4 PagesSartre’s The Wall is a very intriguing, yet narrow illustration of the Spanish Civil War. The plot of the story is about the last night of 3 prisoners awaiting their death sentence. The short story does not focus on the details of the War, instead it deeply examines the most fundament element and result of the War: death. Consequently, Sartre’s critique of the nature of the universe and nature of man is viewed through the lens of one who is anticipating death. In The Wall Sartre makes an indirectRead MoreAnalysis Of Rip Van Winkle And The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow By Washington Irving1380 Words   |  6 PagesIrving all show strong relations to the traits of Romantic writing. 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Trish got lonely pretty quick and decided to create a clone of herself to accompany her lonely journey to Trion. At first itRead MoreMinimalism in Cat in the Rain Essay1030 Words   |  5 Pagesconclusions. Few noteworthy characteristics of minimalistic fiction include use of plain language, short and simple sentences, symbolism, objective viewpoint, omission of character description, and unresolved main conflict. Well-known American writer, Ernest Hemingway, in his short story â€Å"Cat in the Rain† employs this minimalistic aesthetics effectively to achieve the theme of loneliness along with the notions such as nihilism and the lack of resolution. The use of short, simple sentences, mostly

White Bed, White Walls, All Surfaces Are Padded - 1462 Words

White bed, white walls, all surfaces are padded. I am patient 133 of the Genevieve Oaks Asylum for the Insane. I sit up. I can hear the rain coming down outside. First the pitter patter of small drops hitting the ground, but soon the pouring of water from the roof splashes down, as the intensity of the rain increases. Through the dark I can see my cellmate staring at me with a blank expression. His name is Amon and I’ve known him all my life, even before I was a patient in this asylum. He’s unusually tall, thin, with black hair and very quiet. He is my only friend in this world. I can’t sleep. Every I toss and I turn and the rare moments when I can drift off, I always wake to something . I can hear it, a faint screaming coming from deep beneath the floor. But maybe it s just my imagination. Just the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. I hope. But the next night, a night the same as the others, I hear the same sound. I Turned to Amon who never seems to sleep and spoke about it. â€Å"just the wind† He reassured me, but deep down I have a feeling that s not it. Morning came, we go through the motions of the day: Mealtime, showertime, freetime. During free time we’re permitted to walk freely in an open room. The doctors often come by during this time to ask questions. Questions about how we’re doing, our mental conditions etc. They observe and analyse us as if we’re lab specimens. With plastic smiles and false friendliness, they talk at us.Show MoreRelatedWhite Bed, White Walls, All Surfaces Are Padded1462 Words   |  6 PagesWhite bed, white walls, all surfaces are padded. I am patient 133 of the Genevieve Oaks Asylum for the Insane. I sit up. I can hear the rain coming down outside. First the pitter patter of small drops hitting the ground, but soon the pouring of water from the roof splashes down, as the intensity of the rain increases. 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Of plantations Essay Example For Students

Of plantations Essay Plantations are amongst ancient, primitive, and heroical works. When the world was young, it begat more children; but now it is old, it begets fewer: for I may justly account new plantations, to be the children of former kingdoms. I like a plantation in a pure soil; that is, where people are not displanted, to the end, to plant in others. For else it is rather an extirpation, than a plantation. Planting of countries, is like planting of woods; for you must make account to leese almost twenty yearsprofit, and expect your recompense in the end. For the principal thing, that hath been the destruction of most plantations, hath been the base and hasty drawing of profit, in the first years. It is true, speedy profit is not to be neglected, as far as may stand with the good of the plantation, but no further. It is a shameful and unblessed thing, to take the scum of people, and wicked condemned men, to be the people with whom you plant; and not only so, but it spoileth the plantation; for they will ever live like rogues, and not fall to work, but be lazy, and do mischief, and spend victuals, and be quickly weary, and then certify over to their country, to the discredit of the plantation. The people wherewith you plant ought to be gardeners, ploughmen, laborers, smiths, carpenters, joiners, fishermen, fowlers, with some few apothecaries, surgeons, cooks, and bakers. In a country of plantation, first look about, what kind of victual the country yields of itself to hand; as chestnuts, walnuts, pineapples, olives, dates, plums, cherries, wild honey, and the like; and make use of them. Then consider what victual or esculent things there are, which grow speedily, and within the year; as parsnips, carrots, turnips, onions, radish, artichokes of Hierusalem, maize, and the like. For wheat, barley, and oats, they ask too much labor; but with pease and beans you may begin, both because they ask less labor, and because they serve for meat, as well as for bread. And of rice, likewise cometh a great increase, and it is a kind of meat. Above all, there ought to be brought store of biscuit, oat-meal, flour, meal, and the like, in the beginning, till bread may be had. For beasts, or birds, take chiefly such as are least subject to diseases, and multiply fastest; as swine, goats, cocks, hens, turkeys, geese, house-doves, and the like. The victual in plantations, ought to be expended almost as in a besieged town; that is, with certain allowance. And let the main part of the ground, employed to gardens or corn, be to a common stock; and to be laid in, and stored up, and then delivered out in proportion; besides some spots of ground, that any particular person will manure for his own private. Consider likewise what commodities, the soil where the plantation is, doth naturally yield, that they may some way help to defray the charge of the plantation so it be not, as was said, to the untimely prejudice of the main business, as it hath fared with tobacco in Virginia. Wood commonly aboundeth but too much; and therefore timber is fit to be one. If there be iron ore, and streams whereupon to set the mills, iron is a brave commodity where wood aboundeth. Making of bay-salt, if the climate be proper for it, would be put in experience. Growing silk likewise, if any be, is a likely commodity. Pitch and tar, where store of firs and pines are, will not fail. So drugs and sweet woods, where they are, cannot but yield great profit. .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e , .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e .postImageUrl , .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e , .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e:hover , .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e:visited , .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e:active { border:0!important; } .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e:active , .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u656d350c3059b367ed3dc81d3a29096e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Alnwick Castle EssaySoap-ashes likewise, and other things that may be thought of. But moil not too much under ground; for the hope of mines is very uncertain, and useth to make the planters lazy, in other things. For government, let it be in the hands of one, assisted with some counsel; and let them have commission to exercise martial laws, with some limitation. And above all, let men make that profit, of being in the wilderness, as they have God always, and his service, before their eyes. Let not the government of the plantation, depend upon too many counsellors, and undertakers, in the country that planteth, but upon a temperate number; and let those be rather noblemen and gentlemen, than merchants; for they look ever to the present gain. Let there be freedom from custom, till the plantation be of strength; and not only freedom from custom, but freedom to carry their commodities, where they may make their best of them, except there be some special cause of caution. Cram not in people, by sending too fast company after company; but rather harken how they waste, and send supplies proportionably; but so, as the number may live well in the plantation, and not by surcharge be in penury. It hath been a great endangering to the health of some plantations, that they have built along the sea and rivers, in marish and unwholesome grounds. Therefore, though you begin there, to avoid carriage and like discommodities, yet build still rather upwards from the streams, than along. It concerneth likewise the health of the plantation, that they have good store of salt with them, that they may use it in their victuals, when it shall be necessary. If you plant where savages are, do not only entertain them, with trifles and gingles, but use them justly and graciously, with sufficient guard nevertheless; and do not win their favor, by helping them to invade their enemies, but for their defence it is not amiss; and send oft of them, over to the country that plants, that they may see a better condition than their own, and commend it when they return. When the plantation grows to strength, then it is time to plant with women, as well as with men; that the plantation may spread into generations, and not be ever pieced from without. It is the sinfullest thing in the world, to forsake or destitute a plantation once in forwardness; for besides the dishonor, it is the guiltiness of blood of many commiserable persons.

Into the Wild by Krakauer Info free essay sample

Krakauer, Jon. â€Å"Into the Wild. We will write a custom essay sample on Into the Wild by Krakauer Info or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † February 1997. 207. New York : Villard, 1996. b) â€Å"Into the Wild† represents the entire book, Christopher McCandless’ journey all over the western United States and Alaska in escape with rebellion and anger of his parents living off the land, on foot, and completely intact in the wilderness. c) Jon Krakauer was born on April 12, 1954, in Brookline, Massachusetts, and grew up in Oregon, where he began mountain-climbing at eight years old. He was the son of a doctor and amateur mountaineer and was American. After graduating from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1976, Krakauer worked as a carpenter and a commercial fisherman in Colorado, the Pacific Northwest, and Alaska, devoting most of his free time to climbing. In 1977 he pioneered a new route up the Devils Thumb in southeast Alaska, and in 1996 he reached the top of Mt. Everest. He is portrayed much in the character he creates in â€Å"Into the Wild. † d) Genre: Travel literature,  Biography,  Speculative fiction,  Travel,  Non-fiction,  Autobiography e) Number of pages: 207 II. ) Careerism, money, and materialism only embolden the blindness of Christopher’s parents. When Chris was born his dad had another son with his wife Martia, this fact redefined Chris and his sister as bastard children. Dad’s ignorance along with the fighting and abuse of Chris’s birth mother made him conveniently obliviant to the pain he caused. The denial of the previous marriage and son, for Chris was mur der of everyday truths. His whole life turned like a river going up a mountain. These revelations struck the core of his sense of identity; they made his entire childhood seem like fiction. III. a) Chris vs. Parents; Chris vs. Nature; Chris vs. Himself. His idealistic search for independence forces Chris to separate himself from his family and the world, taking refuge in nature. He wanders into Alaska’s interior looking for compassion to fill the emptiness between him and his parents, but what he really finds is a cold, lonely place. The chain of conflicts was all set in motion because of his differences with his parents and the constant torture from their actions. When McCandless secludes himself from his parents and society, he attempts to replace them with the wilderness. But the wilderness brings him more trouble with the cold winter and small shares of food and help he is assisted with, the constant struggle to stay alive and danger he faces being out in the wilderness alone. Chris was brought to his death by his arrogance but he was fighting for his soul to be free from the pain caused by his family, expectations, stress, and childhood trauma. b) The main resolution is Chris’s attempt to live life to the fullest even if it meant meeting his destiny, even death. He left earth at peace with nature as well as with his parents. This idealistic young man even with the parental conflicts had come to peace with them in his final moments of life. Chris’s death was a tragic consequence to his rebellious spirit towards his parents and society but that is how he solved his conflicts with himself that were caused by his parents which caused his conflicts with nature. c) Jon Krakauer presents the events of Into the Wild out of chronological order, giving flash backs. He writes in third person through some of the book, he also gives McCandlesss journal and quotes creating a first person point of view as well as third person throughout the book. IV. a) Characters: 1. Christopher Johnson McCandless, an intelligent, idealistic young man who believes that life is best lived alone, in nature. The main character on the book that lets his past effect the future and his rebellious ways. He spends two years testing his theory throughout the western United States before entering the wilds of Alaska unprepared and starving to death. He calls himself â€Å"Alexander Supertramp. † 2. Walt and Wilhelmina Billie McCandless, Chriss mother and second wife of his father. Walt who works at NASA and works on various business ventures with his wife involving his radar systems. Wilhelmina is emotionally and physically abused by Walt going along with what he says to stay out of trouble. They are blinded by careerism, money, and materialism to ever see how much they’re harming their children. 3. Carine McCandless, Chriss younger sister and the only one he could turn to in his life. She was the only one who understood him even when he left and never wrote, she knew what he was doing and why, she felt the same as he did. Through the hardships they leaned on each other for support and both promised to never tell their parents what they knew about Walt’s previous son from another woman. 4. Wayne Westerberg, grain elevator operator who befriends McCandless in north-central Montana in the fall of 1990. This is the second friend he makes and the one he tells his theories to. Westerberg offers him a ride, a place to stay, and then a job also assisting him in direction to Alaska. V. Rhetorical Strategies 1. Simile- using like or as to make a direct comparison between two essentially different objects. The hospitality was as cold as the ices† (117). Chris McCandless assumed he would find truth and purpose in nature, but instead he discovered problems from within the wild. He found that the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests was at a low in the wild as well as in man. This was a part of Chris’s journal entry. 2. Logos-the logic used to support a claim. â€Å"In Ma y 1990, Chris graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, where he’d been s columnist for, and editor of, the student newspaper, The Emory Wheel, and had distinguished himself as a history and anthropology major with a 3. 2 grade-point average† (20). This presents a side of Chris that appeals to people’s logos and makes them think. The main question that people have is â€Å"how could such a smart kid make such a dumb mistake? † This intrigue keeps the reader interested in the book even though the beginning reveals what happens to Chris in the end, and therefore continues to hold their attention. 3. Metaphor- when one thing is referred to as another. â€Å"Over 25 pounds lost. But his spirit is souring† (37). The author uses this to show the spirit of Chris in the wilderness pioneering. It is free, happy, with nature as he loves and prefers. He is taken high by the beauty and is in bliss even though his weight is declining. The adventurous, free, and rebellious physic has completely taken over. VI. Theme a) The past has a great influence on a person’s future. It has the ability to drive us to destruction, complete rebellion, harm, or a new beginning if it is unfortunate; it is that potent. b) â€Å"Driving west out of Atlanta, he intended to invent an utterly new life for himself, one in which he could be free to wallow in unfiltered experience. To symbolize the complete severance from his previous life, he even adopted a new name. No longer would he answer to Chris McCandless; he was now Alexander Supertramp, master of his own destiny† (23). c) Chris McCandless shows how his emotionally abusive past reflects entirely on his future. He adopts a new name and starts a new beginning setting out to create his own destiny, and not be living by the one his parents create for him. He is proof if a person is pushed to his limits, he will rebel until destruction.