Raymond Carver A Small Good Thing

Since her son’s death, Amy had been containing her emotions as much as possible trying to come into terms with her child’s passing. She often spent her days visiting friends and seeking their comfort to keep her mind away from her son. Amy eventually broke down in rage in front of her husband during their confrontation exclaiming, “Friends make pretense of following to the grave, but before one is in it, their minds are turned and making the best of their way back to life and living people and things they understand. But the world’s evil. I won’t have grief so if I can change it.

After his transformation, she cares for his every need thinking about his welfare and grows in the sight of their parents. As an irony, she is the one who takes the initiative of getting rid of him. The father who earlier looked incapable

Isolation vs. Considering Perspectives Selfishness and isolationism can make up a recipe for indifference. In the short story “Premium Harmony” by Stephen King, the story focuses on a poor, unhappy, middle-aged married couple, Ray and Mary. Ray and Mary lived a happy marriage for almost ten years, however, in the story they constantly argue. In the beginning they argue over which place they are to buy a gift for Mary’s niece, then as it progresses they admonish each other for their addictions; Ray, his smoking, and Mary, her obsession with junk food. The couple talks much, but listens little to each other.

Reunion Craft Essay One of the hardest things in life is when a loved one becomes a stranger, and that strong bond becomes forgotten. Ever since Charlie’s parents had divorced, Charlie and his father hadn’t talked, and they were strangers until they finally got to see each other for the first time in years. However when they started spending time with each other, Charlie and his father found it difficult trying to repair their relationship. In the text ‘Reunion’, John Cheever emphasizes on symbolism, background information, to show the hardships of trying to rebuild a relationship.

Purple Hibiscus begins with reference to Chinua Achebe, "Things began to fall apart at home when my brother, Jaja, did not go to communion and Papa flung his heavy missal across the room and broke the figurines on the étagère." The novel tracks this family as the chilly, icebound order begins to break down, and something new replaces it. Visiting their aunt and her three children, Kambili and Jaja get a chance to see how a more ordinary, relaxed family functions. They come to know their "heathen" grandfather, whom Eugene will not see because he insists on practicing his traditional Igbo

for their desert” (41). It shows that they both are greedy, finally, they eat vegetables and drink tea. Moreover, they also sit and talk with each other without any fear. When the father has a wound in his leg, it is bleeding badly, then the boy does not want to go anywhere. The boy just sits in front of his father which shows that how much he is taken care of his father.

The women in the novel show and share their love with one another by gifting baskets of food. A rejection of a meal is therefore a rejection of care, love and effort into a relationship. Grant observes that “nothing could have hurt [Tante Lou] more when I said I was not going to eat her food” (24). By refusing her symbol of affection and eating instead at a restaurant in Bayonne, Grant denounces his aunt’s efforts to care and love for a family member. The day after this incident, Tante Lou sarcastically remarks, “’Food there if you want it.

In the mansion, Goi couldn’t find it in him to sleep, nervousness chewed away at his thoughts and his appetite slowly vanishing as time goes by. Morning came and as he looked outside he saw yams, enormous yams, stacked up like houses and more than enough to feed an entire village. As the yam was cooking, Goi’s thoughts filled his head. The more that he thought about yam gruel, the more miserable he became and the less his appetite grew. When the gruel is finally ready and Toshihito along with is father-in-law, Arahito encourages and forces Goi to eat his fill of gruel.

Gregor’s Family Response It is evident that Gregor’s family still considers him as part of the family in spite of his transformation into an insect. However, the sense of family integrity and community is significantly compromised since his new image prevents the family from sharing food or spending time together in the same room. It is evident that the family is stressed to the extent that they feel repulsed at the mere sight of him.

"Hi, Sunny, my sister, what about your grade at

Grant organizes the visit, and even the children themselves give Jefferson gifts. It’s important that Jefferson didn’t realize how many visitors he’d have—Jefferson doesn’t realize how many people love him and defend him. He seems to treat this knowledge as an impetus to behave with even more courage and dignity—thus, he waits to cry until everyone’s left, showing his self-control and selflessness. He is recognizing and embracing his importance to the community. In a way, Jefferson has been building up to this moment throughout A Lesson Before Dying.

In “ The Valley of Broken Hearts” Little Joe missed out on accompanying his wife to gatherings because she can not find a way to go without being sad. She needed him to cope with her sadness and the very sad history that was in town. In “ New Development Stirs Old Case” Renfroe needed his wife to see what he was willing to do to prove his innocence and that he loved his wife dearly. Lastly “ French Quarters Black Tapping Feet” Rose missed out on a lot during her childhood because all she thought about was a way to bring food to the table. Each character in the articles missed out on life given moments but those moments either made the characters stronger or it made a change in their

The mythological “A&P” by John Updike Thesis: Updike uses a number of different aspects such as setting, imagery, etc. to project the mythology in the story and Sammy’s choices and consequences that come along with it. • Saldivar, Toni. " The Art of John Updike's 'A&P.'" Studies in Short Fiction 34.2 (1997): 215-25. Saldivar’s opinion on John Updike’s A&P is that the young girls are “mythological temptresses” whom lure away young men to destruction.