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More handpicked essays just for you.
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The short story “The White Umbrella” tells about a girl that is embarrassed about the fact that her mother works, but wants to live a more wealthy life. This girl very much wants to be like american girls. The theme of the story is, Be grateful for what you have. The author conveys the theme of the story by the characters actions , The title of the story, and the plot of the story. Characters actions is the first way the author conveys the theme of the story. In the story the girls piano teacher gives her a white umbrella that the girl really wanted. The girl was so happy that she told her that she wished she was her mother. But, in the car ride home she realized she loved he mother most and was grateful for her. This led to her
Another interesting aspect the reader might recognize in these stories is the theme of acceptance and integration to something either known or unknown to them. Most of these stories deal with having to change who they are or what they would become like Nilsa, the boy, and others, they have all had to choose what they wanted for there life and accept the fact that if they did not take serious measures they would not be integrated into society prosperously.
We can understand this theme by using character. In paragraph 3, Petry states, "The wind lifted Lutie Johnson's hair away from the back of her neck so that she felt suddenly naked and bald, for her hair had been resting softly and warmly against her skin. She shivered as the cold fingers of the wind touched the back of her neck, explored the sides of her head." This quote shows that the wind was so raw that it "ripped the people's hair off." This contributes to the theme by stating the wind is the struggle that people must get through to get to their next destination. Another way we can find the theme is through events. Petry writes in paragraph 3, "Each time she thought she had the sign in focus, the wind pushed it away from her so that she wasn't certain whether it said three rooms or two rooms. If it was three, why, she would go in and ask to see it, but if it said two - why, there wasn't any point." This quote is saying that the wind was blowing so hard that the character could not read the sign. By showing the difficulty in visualizing the sign, creating struggle, we develop a further understanding of the theme. Another way we can portray theme, is through setting. Paragraph 2 states, "Fingering its way along the curb, the wind set the bits of paper to dancing high in the air, so that a barrage of paper swirled into the faces of the people on the street. It even took time to rush into doorways and areaways and find chicken bones and pork-chop bones and pushed them along the curb. It did everything it could to discourage the people walking along the street. It found all the dirt and dust and grime on the sidewalk and lifted it up so that the dirt got into their noses, making it difficult to breathe; the dust got into their eyes and blinded them; and the grit stung their skins." This quote portrays the setting clearly by explaining what the wind did to the
The busy season for the shop she was working on came and the owner of the shop kept demanding for what we call overtime. She got fired after she said, “I only want to go home. I only want the evening to myself!.” Yezierska was regretful and bitter about what happened because she ended up in cold and hunger. After a while she became a trained worker and acquired a better shelter. An English class for foreigners began in the factory she was working for. She went to the teacher for advice in how to find what she wanted to do. The teacher advised her to join the Women’s Association, where a group of American women helps people find themselves. One of the women in the social club hit her with the reality that “America is no Utopia.” Yezierska felt so hopeless. She wondered what made Americans so far apart from her, so she began to read the American history. She learned the difference between her and the Pilgrims. When she found herself on the lonely, untrodden path, she lost heart and finally said that there’s no America. She was disappointed and depressed in the
The short story, “The White Umbrella”, illustrates the story of a Chinese family. The mom works a lot to give the kids nice things.. The theme of the story is that all good things come at a cost. The author conveys the theme in a lot of ways. These ways include repetition, imagery, and action that the main characters take.
“The White Umbrella” by Gish Jen is a very reflective realistic fiction story of a chinese american girl’s youth. When the girl was young, her mother went to work without telling anyone. Her mom didn't even tell her father. The narrator and her sister just assumed normal life when their mother started coming home late. The story picks up one day when the two sisters are at their piano lesson. The older sister becomes envious when her piano teacher (Mrs.Crossman) applauds Eugenie (the girl whose lesson was before hers) on her playing. When the Eugenie leaves, the narrator notices that Eugenie has left her umbrella. Before she can react, Eugenie gets in her car and drives away. When the
To introduce, a theme is the subject of a talk, or a piece of writing that morals the book. In the novel, Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon, the author depicts the life of an eighteen year old girl, whose name is Madeline Whittier. Madeline suffers from a disease called SCID, which means that she is allergic to the outside world. She spends her everyday life with her nurse that takes care of her, and does homeschooling with her mom, occasionally. The novel takes place at Madeline's house, located in Los Angeles. In Everything Everything, Nicola Yoon creates the character, Madeline who develops through sorrow, love and shock from living with a horrid disease, which emphasizes the theme, “Life is a gift. Don’t forget to live it.”
To hide this fact she tell Miss.Crosman many lies. She finds a umbrella and she really wants to keep it. She thinks about asking her mom for a umbrella but decides not to. “I looked at it again, toying with the idea of asking for one for Christmas. I I knew, however, how my mother would react. “Things,” she would say. “What’s the matter with a raincoat? All you want is things, just like an American.” In this way the umbrella represented all of the American pleasure. At first she did not mind this fact. When Miss Crossman gave her the umbrella she was very happy. “Thank you, Miss Crosman. Thank you very much. Thanks a zillion. It’s beautiful. It’s stupendous!” “You’re quite welcome,” she said.“Thank you,” I said again, but that didn’t seem like enough. Suddenly I knew just what she wanted to hear. “I wish you were my mother.” Right away I felt bad.” After this her mom came to pick her up. She wanted to hide the umbrella from her mom after remembering her conversation with Miss.Crossman. When her mom sees the umbrella it cause an accident. The narrator just decided to get rid of the umbrella because she doesn't want it to cause anymore trouble. “I threw the umbrella down a sewer.” This is kind of like her just getting rid of hr
Generally you would have stories that usually have a character, situation or symbol that appears so often in a work that has a deep universal meaning or a response; like how the color red represents passion or blood, three would represent trinity or mind, body, spirit; and wilderness is danger. This literary device is called an archetype. Numerous stories have the same archetype such as Trifles by Susan Glasspell and El Santo Americano by Edward Bok Lee. Both these two play writers use the victim archetype in these two works. The victim archetype is when a character is hurt by someone or lives in fear that someone will hurt him or her.
She was not a master of style, plot development or characterization, but the intensity of feeling and aspiration are evident in her narratives that overrides her imperfections. Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street, written in 1984, and Anzia Yezierska’s Bread Givers, published in 1925, are both aimed at adolescent and adult audiences that deal with deeply disturbing themes about serious social conditions and their effects on children as adults. Both books are told in the first person; both narrators are young girls living in destitute neighborhoods; and both young girls witness the harsh realities of life for those who are poor, abused, and hopeless. Although the narrators face these overwhelming obstacles, they manage to survive their tough environments with their wits and strength remaining intact. Esperanza, a Chicano with three sisters and one brother, has had a dream of having her own things since she was ten years old.
In the story Speak, the theme is to speak up for yourself. Some quotes and reasons on why that is the theme are, in the beginning of the story Melinda is an outcast, a quiet high school girl who splits everyone into factions who don't all get along very well. In the middle of the story Melinda thinks of herself as a loser, someone people shouldn't get close to and a freak. It is winter in the middle of the story, so the setting is cold and the mood is distrust for the reason Melinda doesn't think that she can trust anyone in believing her. In the end of the story, Melinda's mother thinks that Melinda can't cope with other people in the world just because of her silence. In this part of the story it's spring or as Melinda calls it, “mating season.” The mood in this section of the story is fear, and the reason for this is melinda shows fear towards Andy Evans, the fear is so strong she can't move.
The plot is based on the goals of one or more characters and the processes they go through to attain them. Characters is the people or personified animals in the story, that are often the most important element of story structure because many stories are centered on a character.” In addition, to the character aspect of story structure, the textbook discusses that there are four types of characters information that may be provided in a book. The first type is that some authors may provide a physical description of the characters when they’re introduced, it could be their facial features, body shapes, habits of dress, mannerisms, and gestures. The second types is through the character’s actions, what a character does is often the best way to know him or her. The third type is through dialogue, what characters say is important. The four type is the author provide insight into characters by revealing their thoughts through monologue. However, back to the story structure, “setting are location, weather, time period, and time. Point of view is broken down into four types, first person viewpoint, omniscient viewpoint, limited omniscient
Sometimes growing up we experience situations that can change our perspective on life. Especially, when these situations happen unexpectedly; we are in disbelief. In Toni Cade Bambara short story “The Lesson” written in first person; it delves into the struggle of a girl, Sylvia, who realizes the economic and social injustice surrounding her. However, with the help of Miss Moore Sylvia comes to grip with this issue, and opts to overcome it. In “The Lesson” Miss Moore wanted to impart on Sylvia and the other children is the value of a dollar, the importance of education, and to fathom the social and economic injustice that bounded them.
To start off, Anne Frank is a big part to the theme. In Act I, Scene 4, Anne thinks of her behavior every night, and how she can be a better person. Because of this, Anne brings herself down but always thinks of how she can get better. Also, in Act 1, Scene 5, she gives everybody thoughtful gifts. This shows she is good at heart because she made them herself because she wanted to bring cheer.
In the short story, “The Semplica Girl Diaries”, George Saunders describes a world that reflects similar aspects of the American Life, however focuses more on materialistic ideals. The narrator, a forty year old man, describes the struggles of life as a middle class family who lives among a community of wealth, especially for his pre-teen daughter among her affluent peers. A central sign of money within the community are lawns, particularly, the SG’s or Semplica Girls, young immigrant women who hang across yards on a micro-line that runs through their heads. Saunders, through conflict within the narrator and between him and his daughter about these SG’s, uses satire to comment on how the mistreatment of oppressed persons is easily ignored because
The motif of wings helps develop the theme because it helps show the character’s development in the story. One clear example of the use of motif in the story is the name, Mrs. Mallard, which is a type of duck. As Mrs. Mallard realizes the good in her husband’s death, she resembles a bird about to take flight. She feels her independence coming to her, “creeping out of the sky” (Chopin, The Story of an Hour, paragraph 9), where the birds fly. She opens and spreads her arms, her “two white slender hands”, out in welcome, resembling a bird spreading its wings (paragraph 11). “Free! Body and soul free!”, she keeps whispering (paragraph 14). As Mrs. Mallard leaves her room and