In Grace Poured Out, author Valerie M. Herndon gives an honest, emotional, and redemptive account of very personal grief and a trial of faith. Herndon can scarcely imagine what’s ahead when she finds out her youngest child, fourteen-year-old Katie, is sick. However, it eventually comes to light that this isn’t only a matter of passing sickness but of life and death. Herndon then has to face what it means to trust and have faith in God when her prayers may not lead to the outcome she’s hoped they would.…
Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” and Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” is two fabulous short stories made in the 20th century. It shows how the relationship between young and adult is seen at that moment. There is the mother who mainly gives advice to help her daughter and there is the grandma who traveled a long distance to get help for her grandchild. The relationship’s quality between young and adult are oppositely inverse .The following essay will show the communication, the motivation and the perseveration.…
"A person who pulls himself up from a low environment via the boot-strap route has two choices. Having risen above his environment, he can forget it; or, he can rise above it and never forget it and keep compassion in his heart for those has left behind him in the cruel up climb." (pg 129)…
In the short story Marigolds by Eugenia Collier, the narrator, Lizabeth, has chosen to retell a story as an adult reflecting on a significant incident from her childhood. Her voice is that of confused and trying to find her place in life as a young woman. After she overheard her parents conversation, she says, “I had never seen a man cry before” (paragraph 41). This explains how the times are rough as if “depression […] griped the nation” (paragraph 3) and this cannot be easy in addition to her growing up and trying to find her place in the world as a young woman. She knows her mother is the only one providing the income for her family and she knows her father wants so badly to contribute. She witnessed first-hand what her father is going…
One of the themes of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is coming of age or a work of bildungsroman. Throughout the exposition and the rising action Francie is young, naive, and optimistic young girl. “Serene was a word you could put to Brooklyn, New York” (Smith 1). In other words, Francie thinks the world is nothing but good, she can only see the good things in places and people, resulting her to be naive and trust people she doesn’t know. In addition, “Mama had told her that this was a task reserved for teachers’ pets. To Francie, pets meant cats, dogs and birds. She vowed that when she was old enough to go to school, that she would meow, bark and chirp as best as she could so that she would be a “pet” and get to clap erasers together”(Smith128-129). In essence, Francie lacks knowledge and experience in the real world. She takes being a teacher’s pet literally; instead of comprehending it’s real meaning, showing Franice’s innocence and lack of knowledge in the world around her. However, by the falling action and resolution Francie becomes an independent, hardworking and strong young adult. “”I’ve been working less than a year and I’ve had three jobs already…I’m scared because they’re depending on me here for money”” (Smith 425) Once Jonny dies, Katie struggles to provide for her children, resulting in France and Neeley being introduced into the business world. Francie becomes the supporting and driving force for the Nolan family. She takes on a series of jobs to provide for her family and puts aside her education. ““But don’t worry, Mama. I know what the entrance examinations are now, and I’ll get the books and study and take those examinations next year. And I’ll pass next year. It can be done and I’ll do it. You'll see”” (Smith436). As a result of the Nolan’s dependence on Francie’s income and Katie’s inability to send both children to high school, Francie cannot attend high school, as she desires. In response, Francie becomes determined and plans to…
This novel by Susan Shillinglaw, explains the life of a neglected child who got abused, harassed and lied to by his own father. As the novel progresses, Charlie one day escapes the basement in which he has been kept only to be placed in a foster home. Instead of being relieved for being placed in a loving home, he continues to relive the moments of his torment. In order for Charlie to get a fresh start with this loving family, he must accept the challenge of coping with his past but also remember he can not be hurt anymore. The novel tells a depressing reality so individuals know to never let the past go, but instead embrace it since it shapes them today.…
In a way, this story is very much like the essay by Russell Banks. The both talk about innocence lost, and it…
Ellen is a young, white girl who lives in the south with her mother and father. She has no siblings and is believed to be around the age of nine or ten. Her father is an alcoholic who constantly verbally abuses Ellen and her mother. He neglects his role as a caring father and husband and rather screams and drinks all day. Ellen feels great admiration and love…
“That wolf cries every single night. It’s lost. We’re lost too, son. We ain’t cut out for this.” the one-armed father bemoans as he recollects the maternal death of his exuberant, fair-skinned wife. Her cries for helps, which slipped past the confines of her clenched teeth, cemented her legacy and her life. Cassius, a being who never meant any member of his true family, found only one source of reciprocated love and it emanated from one being- Clara, his wife. Following her death, everyday has been an opportunity to escape the confines of Charleston, South Carolina.…
In “The White circle,”by John Bell Clayton, Anvil, a poor boy who has an abusive father, is caught stealing apples from a boy named Tucker’s apple tree. Later in the story, Tucker talks about when he had befriended Anvil after he observed the hurting that lay over Anvil due to his father’s sadistic beating that he inflicted on him while he was at school. Though Tucker tries to help, Anvil shows no regrets towards Tucker and eventually pushes Tucker over the edge when Tucker tries to kill Anvil. After the near escape of Anvil with his life, Tucker felt the weight of regret settle upon his…
Joshua and his family had just arrived at Lake Tobesofkee. It was a beautiful summer day in August, and his family decided to have a picnic at the lake down the street from their home. After they unpacked everything and began to set-up their picnic area, Joshua decided to take a walk to clear his mind from all the essays his English professor had been assigning. As he walked along the lakes edge, mind wondering, he heard a girl crying out in a panic. He followed the cries for help until he came upon a young, beautiful, long haired young woman.…
memoir, her parents seek freedom from society’s rules, and cherish their unstable way of living.…
Lara Ferrari, the author of “Suitcases and Snow Globes” uses the narrator’s sad past to shape the plot of the story, like when it’s a “memory that finally guilts [the narrator] into action” (Ferrari 2). Guilt can be found in every individual, especially when someone thinks back into the past about something they regret. Readers learn to become better people by making actions that don’t make them feel bad inside, afterward. The narrator in the short story feels guilty about not sponsoring a child in need of her help but finally makes the decision to accomplish her goals, which influences readers to do anything they dream of doing. In “The Treasure of Lemon Brown”, by Walter Dean Myers, the protagonist, Greg, meets Lemon Brown, who has lost his son in the military “‘ I’ll be watching from the window so you’ll be all right’”(. Lemon Brown’s past allows him to treat Greg like a son, helping Greg to accept that his father just wants the best for him. Therefore, readers learn that a father’s greatest treasure is his child. They also learn that trying to understand something from another person’s viewpoint will, in the long run, benefit them more than having a narrow mind. As a final point, life lessons can be learned through human nature that is revealed in fictional…
Gary Soto’s autobiographical narrative “A Summer Life” recreates the feeling of guilt Sota felt after stealing an apple pie. The feeling is recreated through the use of allusions, imagery, and lively diction.…
Once upon a time their was a girl named Sarah she had a very complicated life. She went to numerous alleviator but, she was not going to communicate with another alleviator. When she was five years old she was adopted from Russia. She was always infuriated although, she did not fully comprehend why she was vexed. She went through many foster homes although, she was aggravated with all of them. Even though her parents idolized her so much they refused to give up on her. Sara could not comprehend that because, why would her parents put her in a hospital and would not let her go home? Her life has been impenetrable and she knew no one would understand what she went through. She knew that people cared about her but, she…