The Piece Of String

THE QUİKENİNG
The Quickening is a short story by Lisa Interollo. This story is about how a girl growing up been in the mistakes. The main characters are Vicky, Susan, and Mr.Donnelly. Vicky is a girl who doesn’t get any love from her family, she doesn’t have any idea about something what is true and fault. So she learns everything is through by something she saw. Susan is Vicky’s friend in the High School. She also is the partner of Vicky for shoplifters. Mr.Donnelly is a music teacher who is only one really cares about Vicky try to improve her behavior. The story takes place at drug store, school, and Vicky’s home. Drug store is the place where is Vicky learns stole and shoplifted. School is the place shows us how she get problem and change herself. Home is the place that descript why she have some wrong behavior. Vicky is live in a nuclear family, she have a sister and a brother. Vicky’s mother works at the social security office. Vicky’s father most of time don’t at home, even though he at home, they don’t have to much of time to talk. They all people are only cares about Vicky’s brother. So in that family, no one cares about Vicky and her sister Patty. Patty is the example for Vicky. When Vicky is seven, Patty and her friend Rebecca are cats by the store manager for steal. At that time, Vicky had to learn some skill from Patty. That is bad example for her. Vicky had two friends at school. Susan and Andy, when they know Vicky is a shoplifter. Susan decides to join with Vicky and become her partner. Andy refuse come with them and back to school.

Vicky and Susan are shoplifter day by days. One day, when they are stealing something from store, they get cats by saleswoman and she flowing Vicky and Susan to school. They have to go meet with principal. Meanwhile, Mr.Donnelly sees that and protects them. He talks saleswoman Vicky and Susan have good record and they aren’t out of the school illegally. He also says this school has a very good reputation and never have student will go out to steal. Alter Vicky get save, Mr.Donnelly say something to her and talks to her what she do is wrong and want to improve her.

In the end of the story, Vicky knew Mr.Donnelly still cared about her. But she needed time to thought alone. She didn’t take bus to home, she decided to walks home. At that time, she saw a men and woman in love in front of her. She bought coffee for herself and newspaper. She felt exhilaration and something changed inside her to make her growing fast. When she gone home, she became a different person and she may never steal anymore. After I read this story, I think people go to wrong ways don’s mean they are bad, the really important is pull their back and teacher they a ways to become right. And I think school and home education is really important for everyone who has not ideas something what is true and fault. And I think parents really need to spend more time with their child. For example, when I was child, my mother always taught me to do the right things, but I don’t understand what is right and what is wrong. So every time when I was doing wrong things, my mother would hold me back and taught me that is wrong. It is make me to know what is true and what is wrong. I really thank my mother cares about me, because if she doesn’t cares about me, I may go to a wrong ways to make my life all change. It is show that the home teacher is really important part for everyone.
Thank You, M'am Summary
Summary (Comprehensive Guide to Short Stories, Critical Edition) print Print document PDF list Cite link Link
It is eleven o’clock at night as a large woman carrying a large purse slung over her shoulder walks down a deserted city street. Suddenly a boy dashes behind her and with one tug jerks the purse from her. Its weight throws him off balance and he falls, legs flying up. The woman calmly kicks him.

Pulling the boy up by his shirt and shaking him, the large woman demands that he return her pocketbook. When she asks if he is ashamed, the boy finally speaks. He answers yes and also denies that he meant to snatch the purse. Not deceived, the woman tells him that he lies, discovers that he has no one at home, and drags him off. Frightened, the boy begs to be released, but the woman simply announces her name: Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. The now sweating boy struggles desperately but finds the woman’s half nelson difficult to resist.

As they enter her furnished room, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones leaves the door open. She asks the boy’s name; he replies that it is Roger. Calling him by name, she tells him to wash his face, then turns him loose—at last. Roger looks at the open door and looks at the large woman; he chooses to wash.

When the woman asks if he took her money because of hunger, the boy replies that he wanted blue suede shoes. The woman only says that she has done things that she would tell no one. Then, leaving him alone by her purse and the open door, she steps behind a screen to warm lima beans and ham on her gas plate. The boy does not run; he does not want to be mistrusted.

While they eat, the woman asks no questions but talks of her work on the late shift at a hotel beauty shop. After they share her small cake, she gives the boy ten dollars for some blue suede shoes and asks him to leave because she needs her rest.

Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones leads Roger to the barren stoop and says that she hopes he behaves himself. He barely manages to say thank you before the large woman shuts the door. He never sees her again.

Anton Chekhov, Chameleon April 30, 2010
This story is about a police inspector who is bothered by a man looking for easy money. The man is introduced quickly when he chases down a dog in front of the inspector and the shows the inspector his bleeding finger. Claiming the dog bit him for no reason, he demanded to be compensated for his pain but the crowd claimed the man had burned the dog with a cigarette and the dog had retaliated. After, the story goes on to figure out whose dog it is and it’s revieled that it’s the generals brothers. Being friends with the general, the inspector got the dog back to its owner.

2. The purpose of the author is to point out human flaws. he does this, in the beginning by making the surroundings bleak saying things such as “The open doors of small shops and taverns gaped drearily out at God’s world.” Than, later he brings out the idea that humans will exploit each other and weaker animals do benefit themselves which is shown from the man who burns a dog and than asks for compensation and the dogs death when in retaliates.

3. The author relies heavily on dialogue in his style of writing and tells the story in objective narrative. He uses the dialogue to show the reader actions in background through conversation. This is confusing at first yet if the reader is patient the story eventually comes together. An example of this comes on page one, “Phew, how hot it is! It must be going to rain.” This is an example where the author tells of the surroundings through conversation half way through the story rather than in a paragraph towards the beginning. Another example is at the end of the story: “What, has the Generals brother come,” exclaimed Ochumelov, an ecstatic smile spreading over his features.” This shows that the inspector new the general and was excited to see his brother. By coming at the end, it shows that the reader must be patient and once again is shown through dialogue.

4. I wasn’t the biggest fan of this story. I didn’t like that it made me wait for the story to come together because this lack of knowledge made the beginnning unenjoyable. Along with that, because so much of the story was in dialogue, I didn’t feel like I got a good picture of what was going on. However, this being said, the few sentences that did explain the surroundings had interesting language and set the story up well. However, I thought the plot was a little dull and not entertaining.
Ochumelov, a police inspector in this story is walking through a marketplace when “all of a sudden the sound of a voice came to his ears”. After following the voice he discovers that it is Khryukin, who has come by the lumber yard to pick up wood.

Khryukin claims to have been bitten by a stray dog and demands compensation and that the dog be shot. Ochumelov, now under the eye of an immense crowd of onlookers, immediately agrees with the complainant, pronouncing, “it’s time something be done about gentleman who are not willing to obey the regulations!”. But when someone in the crowd who has come to see what is going on suggests that the dog is the General’s, Ochumelov changes his attitude, now blaming Khryukin for the incident.

Another onlooker then tells Ochumelov that the dog is in fact not the General’s, and again he changes his attitude, claiming that “the General’s dogs are expensive…and this one- just look at it! Ugly, mangy cur!”. Ochumelov goes on to change his mind every time someone suggests something different about the incident, only in order to protect what will be good for his self. He is worried only about his image as a public figure, each time making his decision based on how he thinks the crowd will perceive him. Ochumelov is the perfect embodiment of human injustice and hypocrisy.

After, the story goes on to figure out whose dog it is and it’s revieled that it’s the generals brothers. Being friends with the general, the inspector got the dog back to its owner.

THE PIECE OF STRING
GUY DE MAUPASSANT A short story which was first established in 1883. This short story focuses on the subjects: criticism, greed, and peasantry. The point of view given by the author is in the 3rd person limited perspective. It’s tone is Busy and pessimistic. It was clearly shown by Maupassant that the conflict is on Man vs. Society.
The protagonist of the story is Maitre Mauchecorne: the one who picked up the string. He is much conscious with his reputation. Maitre Malandain portrays to be the antagonist.
The Summary of the Plot It is a market dy and everyone is busy. The square of Goderville is very crowded. Maitre
Hauchecorne saw a string and picked it up. In the meanwhile his rival, Maitre Malandain, saw him.
Hauchecornewas accused of the robbery of the wallet and was sent to the mayor’s office. He defended himself although no one believed him.The wallet was returned by another guy. The people thought of
Hauchecorne was just trying to trick them through an accomplice. Hauchecorne died in grief.

M. Hauchecome is on the road to the market one day and picks up a piece of string from the dirt. As he bends down he notices that his arch enemy M. Malandain is watching him from his shop window, so Hauchecome pretends to be looking for something valuable on the ground to cover up his shame at being seen picking up the piece of string.

When he goes to the local tavern for lunch, everyone is talking about a purse that was lost on the road with 500 francs inside. Malandain tells the authorities that he saw Hauchecome picking up something from the road at the same time, so he is accused of taking the purse. Hauchecome pleads with the authorities that he did not find the purse, and he only picked up a piece of string. No one believes him, even though he does not have the purse.

Shortly after, the purse is returned, and Hauchecome is accused by the townspeople of having had an accomplice who returned the purse to clear his name.

Hauchecome thinks that once the purse is returned that his name will be cleared, however, the townspeople still suspect that he stole the purse and no matter what he says they don't believe him. This process exhausts him and makes him ill. To his dying breath, which comes shortly after his ordeal, he utters, it was only a piece of string.

At the end of the story, Hauchecome dies a broken man, exiled by the town because of assumed guilt, even though he is innocent.