Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Birthday: Fiction and Ice Cream

Good Essays
788 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Birthday: Fiction and Ice Cream
Birthday

Already in the title we know the occasion. The story starts with an introduction of the protagonist and the location. We are at a restaurant where Clara, the protagonist, is hosting a birthday party. We are now familiar with the settings. As the story continues a conflict is rising, coffee or ice cream? The exposition consists mainly of a description of the settings and the stunning things with ice cream and not that big of a descriptions of Clara. I believe the reason for that is, that this text really is focusing on the importance of the weight situation; everything in moderation, as I believe is the message in this story and not a strong character in development, but I will get to that later on in my essay. Even though I think that the story suits the plot diagram in a certain way, because the story contains a rising action which entailing the climax. However the denouement and resolution is planted in our afterthoughts and not in the story. The story contains an omniscient narrator, which speaks through thoughts of both Clara and the waiter, he even know the fact that the waiter wishes to be cool. The narrator is not participating and remains objective through the story. The author has chosen a very vivid language in his story. It fits the story well because it gives the reader a better description of Clara’s beauty and it sets the ice cream as a magnificent weakness for Clara, furthermore it describes the flirt between the waiter and Clara. We see that at line 21 “Her Beauty is warm, not cold. She is a tantalizing as the geographic at Tahiti”. Clara gets described as a girl at her Zenith, and the guests, who by the way can’t get their attention away from Clara at any time at the birthday, can’t imagine her fade away from this perfection. Which explains their frustration for Clara’s rising interest for ice cream. As Clara is getting closer to eat the ice cream, they come with suggestions how to stay thin. Julie says that she just should puke it all up again and her colleague Tanya is convinced that pills would be the solution. When Clara was 14 she was fat as a whale, and all the credits, for her being thin again, goes to Elis, her personal trainer. Back then Clara were trying to get into modeling, unfortunately she was to fat. With help from Elise, she lost weight and got into modeling. One way around Clara own Elise a lot, almost everything, the other way around Clara is the diamond in Elise’s crown in her carrier as a personal trainer. Moreover all these guests are focusing so much on Clara and her weight builds up a pressure and the fact that they in addition are coming with solutions to a weight problem that doesn’t even exist yet, have to be really disturbing for Clara and I’m absolutely sure that the author with this pressure referees to a pressure existing for young women in the real world. I think the author has put the waiter in the story to cut through his message. As mentioned in the quote earlier, the waiter clearly has a crush on Clara and he is not just fallen for her perfection “Her beauty is warm, not cold”. The author emphasizes his message when the waiter at line 41 says “The waiter’s lips move too, encouraging her as a mother encouraging her baby”, yes, it’s important to stay healthy, it’s a god thing to look beautiful and have a nice looking body, but

everything in moderation. Nobody should be attracting attention when ordering an ice cream on her or his birthday! Trough the story there are certain set-ups to a change in Clara’s life, for instance the fact that her everyday-life contains coffee, the exact opposite of ice cream, and she wants to have ice cream through the whole story and at line 25 “And all for Clara, whose fame is surely at its height, because there are no more peaks left for here to climb” and in addition it is her birthday, a year has gone, many people look back at their birthday and reflects, maybe you should change your life so it would fit your age? If I should create an extracting ending, I would say let us get Clara and the waiter married! I would consider the ending as a happy ending, because she breaks through the pressure and the created standard, and starts a life where there is space for eating ice cream and live healthy, and where she does not have to live her life like others think she should.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    The author, Deborah Rhodes, uses comparison and contrast throughout the whole article by describing women’s appearance to a certain occupation. Rhodes explains how an obese woman was rejected to become a bus driver because of her weight. This example shows how companies discriminate looks to safeguard their reputation. Another example is how a cocktail waitress went from a size 4 in her uniform to a size 6. When the company asked her to keep an “hourglass figure”, which has to refer to her height and weight.…

    • 153 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The old man quite clearly drown his despair by getting drunk every night at the small café, “He’s drunk every night,”. Also he obviously is in a lot of despair “Last week he tried to commit suicide”. This text is relevant to our society today because a lot of people live in despair for multiple different reasons. Some people will have lost a significant connection with someone in their lives of they may have a disability and therefore really struggle to make those connections needed to not be lonely. I think that the author portrayed a clear message by having the two waiters share very different opinions on the old man and his loneliness. “A wife would be no good to him…

    • 589 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    To fully understand a novel, one must recognize a precritical response to key element that amount to a written work of art. The setting of the novel is one that is familiar to many Americans. In essence, it is a modern suburbia, complete with youth, adults, and the elderly, along with the old, and the new. This directly contributes to the plot, which involves a man versus society struggle with more than one set of characters. Two main sets of characters are prevalent and neither group show purely protagonist or antagonist characteristics. Both the Lisbon girls and the neighborhood boys share the two roles throughout the duration of the novel. When reacting to the structure of the novel, one notices the straightforwardness of the piece. After a glance at the end events, the rest of the book goes through the progression of a year in chronological order while also following a typical rising action-climax-falling action format. The style of the book keeps a continuous flow throughout the piece. The words are sophisticated, as well as the general structure of the sentences and the way they flow together. The words and sentence structure contribute to the atmosphere of the work as a whole. In his review of the piece, Dery says, “Every aspect of the novel is just dark, and contributes to the overall macabre mood of the piece.” The general theme of the novel seems to be how suicide doesn’t only affect those who are directly involved, such as family, teachers, and close friends. It shows how suicide affects the entire community.…

    • 1288 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Though her outer appearance seemed content, the novel unfolds a bleak and unhappy life. All aspects of Marian’s life have fallen to the waste side and she has begun to work through the motions. Relationships, jobs, and friendships, makes Marian feel as if she is moving through thick uncontrollable mud. The lack of control that grows within Marian allows for space to develop the eating disorder that is the main focus of the entire novel. It begins with the stigma that food is something in which we examine under a fine tooth microscope.The disorder in which she portrays throughout the novel begins by cutting herself off from one food and continues to where all food repulses her. It is similar of that to pregnancy hormones. Her body rejects the smell,look and texture of certain foods, until she can eat nothing at all. Meat is the beginning of this disorder. This happens when she goes out to dinner with Peter, Ainsley, and Len. Peter orders a steak along with one for Marian. As he begins to cut into Marian visualizes the diagram of a planned cow that hangs in her office. She claims a dislike to the thought of animals being tortured and mistreated in order to be consumed and refuses to eat the cut of meat (Atwood). Next Marian cuts out vegetables during her engagement party. Finally, she cuts out sugary products by the end of the night. Marian confesses this illness to her friend, Clara, who assures her that these are just nerves for her upcoming…

    • 1051 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Birthday Fallacy

    • 403 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Birthday Fallacy can be described as the mistaken idea that the second proposition of the [What argument? Any argument? Hardly. You need to be more specific and detailed.] argument follows from the first proposition. It [what means this?] means that the way the argument is composed is not logically correct [How? What is the fallacy/}. The reason why the Birthday Fallacy is actually a fallacy is because it’s a mistaken belief based on the unsound argument. [NO! A fallacy is not a mistaken belief; it’s a type of bad argument.] And you still haven’t said what fallacy the Birthday Fallacy is!]…

    • 403 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    By looking at this advertisement, Pecola would be consumed with the idea of looking like this model, no matter how impossible it may be.Pecola longs to be accepted in society, admired for her beauty, and have boys cherish her, not make fun of her. By looking up to this advertisement, her goal to fit in will be met only if she can look like this Ralph Lauren model. Pecola comes from an unstable family, in which, her father is a violent drunk, and her mother works endlessly to make ends meet for her children. Because her parents are not always around, Pecola yearns for their attention and love. By desiring to look like this model, who seems to have it all, Pecola will believe that she can obtain the respect and affection she never…

    • 1489 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Irony: A Short Story

    • 214 Words
    • 1 Page

    She positions herself to see who enters and leaves the bakery. She's tense, anxious. With her left hand, she is constantly stirring her long, curly black hair. With her right hand, she holds a purse attached to his body. Her deep blue eyes are reddish. Maybe she was crying, maybe it's just sleep, considering it is four o'clock in the morning and she's not asleep yet. She looks back and forth without moving her head, does not want to risk losing someone's approach. There is a subtle grinding of the front teeth, which lightly move the delicate lips. The full face is tense but still very handsome, with a small nose, fine, well-made eyebrows, big, expressive eyes, fine, delicate mouth. The forehead shows two small wrinkles caused by a constant…

    • 214 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Comparative Commentary

    • 1500 Words
    • 6 Pages

    References: to the tastes the reader might know such as “vanilla” and “cinnamon” creates a very personal connection to the reader, since these references maybe remind the reader of a similar experience and therefore the reader can further understand the narrator, increasing pleasure of reading. The tone of the second extract creates a sense of trust since the reader is supplied with “extra” information such as “cocoa pods (there are around 45 beans in every pod)”, which may interest the reader and give them a sense that the company is not hiding any information from them. The process of the creation of chocolate also reminds the reader of a very traditional process, making the reader think of good quality of chocolate. This links back to its aim, since the text is supposed to be persuasive.…

    • 1500 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    This is a very good, well written, short story. At first when you read it, as the reader you aren’t exactly sure what it going to happen, which creates a lot tension in the reader. As the hunger artist sits in his cage, it seems like children are really drawn to him. They ask him questions, and he answers not seeming angry or mean, just with a smile. The adults in the town also seem to give him attention, but it’s more out of suspicion that the hunger artist is hiding food, which I think shows tension, menace, and relentless motion. He for one isn’t giving into the peoples accusations, but these rumors cause a lot of tension between the people in town and the hunger artist. The people don’t believe that he is actually fasting and have men who watch him through the night to make sure he doesn’t eat, which displays menace and tension in the story. This is when the hunger artist starts to sing, but still nobody believes him and…

    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    My Best Friend

    • 377 Words
    • 2 Pages

    I will not tell about Berlin and its beauty, I’d better tell about one splendid person. Because of her, I was in fairy tale. When I looked at her for the first time, my thought was “What a sunny, miraculous and brightly person!” Her charming smile and ringing laugh does not leave you indifferent and gives a good mood for all day. Her smile is so sincere and favorable, that you can forget about all your problems at once. In addition, you cannot but surely notice her fascinating big brown eyes. They are so attractive and delicious as the tastiest chocolate in the world. You can watch into her eyes steadily, because it bewitches you. Looking into her eyes, you see the ambitious, cheerful and sensible person. Her eyebrows underline her significant eyes and facial features. Her full sexy lips draw your attention, show you, that she is so kind, romantic, sympathetic person, that you at once can confide in her, and tell her everything you want; you will be sure, your secrets are in safety. I cannot but say about her little, exact, straight nose. As people say, if the person has high forehead, this person is clever. I am inclined to certain this statement is completely about my friend. All this tremendous shape is supplemented with her luxuriant, long, flaring, soft, silky with delicious smell dark brown hair. Her peculiarity as not only in her beauty, but also in her height. She is of small stature, compact and cute. If I were a man, I would dote on her all the time. Moreover, you will notice her Quinn carriage and all her woman's breasts. As you have already understand, she looks like a princess from fairy tale.…

    • 377 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A Birthday Gone Bad

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages

    While I was standing inside the kitchen of my home, preparing the food for my daughter’s twelfth birthday party, I heard the terrible screams of my daughter crying out for help. Without any hesitation at all, I dropped everything in my hands and ran to the back yard where all the guests of the party were at. I found my daughter sitting on the concrete floor next to our hot tub, holding her foot and sobbing in horrible pain. As soon as I sat next to her, she ripped a three prong gardening rake out of the arch in the middle of her left foot. I thought for a moment that I was going to be sick to my stomach.…

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    From the top of her counter, Mrs Champagne loved the sound of her own voice. She was asthmatic and obese, white, and swollen, overdone. In her relaxed tissue, wrinkles crossed in all directions, streaking the forehead, basking eyes, lacerating the cheeks; these wrinkles were dug on her face, in black, as if the dust of age had penetrated under the skin and impregnated with indelible lines, the dermis.…

    • 1426 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Drag birthday surprise

    • 1304 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Tiberius went into the kitchen and put his parcel on the table. He had already guessed what was in it. His dear Aunt Philamena had sent him some of his favourite cheese, Gorgonzola. That was a real treat for Tiberius because the local shopkeeper only stocked Cheddar cheese. She said that people living in the village were not keen on Gorgonzola so there was no real point in stocking it.…

    • 1304 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The hostess is terribly offended and breaks in to a sense of nostalgia. She recalls her days of poverty and painfully expresses her impoverished circumstances when she had no access to milk or yoghurt. The expectations of the guests can not be fulfilled since the hostess has been brought up in utter poverty. Her only source of luxury was chutney on coarse bread. The hostess also says that shrikhand was not part of their language. The hostess who was so happy at the arrival of the guests now sounds like a liberated women and defends her ignorance of table etiquette since it was the society which made…

    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Birthday

    • 696 Words
    • 3 Pages

    February 22nd 1992 was not only remarkable because of the birth of yours truly, but it was also memorable for the New York Times front page news stories that sparked a lot of interest worldwide, the major sporting event of the winter Olympics that changed a lot of people’s views on both figure skating and hockey, and finally the price and model of the new car of the century the SAAB 9000S. I hope to inform my audience well enough that I won’t need to tell anyone when my birthday is ever again they will already be well aware.…

    • 696 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays