As I read both if the short stories Toni Morrison's story "Recitatif" and Sherman Alexie's "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" allows us to understand how both stories the children in the stories their parents weren’t in their lives. As I read the story of Toni Morrison the young girl Twyla in the story felt lonely and depressed how her mother was a dancer and she was living in St. Bonny's in an Orphan shelter. This when Twyla met Roberta in the shelter. While living in the shelter they met a girl named Maggie who they assumed she was deaf and mute,” Maggie couldn’t talk. The kids said she had her tongue cut out, but I think she was just born that way: mute” (Morrison). The gar girls that they would called them the older girls would …show more content…
constantly bully Maggie by calling her names because of her disability. Twyla and Roberta had got dressed up and had made their mothers a gift during arts and craft thinking they would be visiting them at the shelter, when they realized it was not their parents there. Along the years Tywla started working in a place in Newburgh, she hasn’t seen Roberta in years they both did not see each other after the shelter. Both spoke about everything they have done and remained friends. Additionally, in the short story Sherman Alexie's "This is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" the character Victor father had died and he did not have the funds to pay for his cremation nor to get to where dad lived since he left his family behind.
During his tragedy, he was in desperate to obtain more from the council to pay the for the cremation of his dad and the council was not able to provide him with the money. This is when he became friends with Thomas, which he had already knew who he was but was not friends with at the time. He decided to ask him to lend him some money for his father’s cremation. Thomas lend him the money without any problems, but Victor was embarrassed of walking around with Thomas “Victor was embarrassed, but he thought that Thomas might be able to help him. Victor felt a sudden need for tradition” (Alexies). Victor knew Thomas was known for being a Storyteller with a crazy imagination. He never thought the person that he was once embarrassed of was the one who helped him get his father cremated, Victor wanted to share with Thomas "Listen," Victor said and handed Thomas the cardboard box which contained half of his father. "I want you to have this” (Alexies). Demonstrates how Victor feels so appreciated by what Thomas did for him. This allows the readers to see how powerful a friendship could be in just short
time.
Growing up, Victor and Thomas didn’t get a long so well. Thomas was often annoying and Victor just wanted to be left alone. Thomas often talked of Arnold and Victor never wanted to talk about his deserted father. The last thing that Victor wanted to do was talk about the father that bailed on...
If no one would have stopped Victor, Thomas-build-the-fire would have died which clearly shows the readers that Victor is mentally troubled. Not only does he lose his father but, Victor also loses his best friend on that same day. In other words, Victor is mentally traumatized after the abandonment. In fact, Rothe Eugenio, a professor in the department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health at Florida Inter... ... middle of paper ... ...
Through connecting with his former best friend, Victor was able travel to Phoenix to reclaim his father’s ashes and belongings. During the trip we see Thomas and Victor reminisce about their former days as friends, and although at the end they both agreed that they could not be friends, they gained a deeper understanding of each other. Even though Victor could not say it, deep down, he knew that his best friend was in fact Thomas.
...or was not thinking of others in his actions, but only of himself. He did not consider the tumult the abnormally large creature could cause in the world, nor what the feelings of the monster would be towards him if he abandoned him. Victor also did not contemplate the safety of his friends, as he had the chance to stop the creature’s misdoings but failed to do so, risking the life of his friends. Therefore, Victor was a selfish being, who only concerned himself with his wishes and never evaluated the situation of his loved ones, ultimately causing their demise. The misfortunate events that occurred through Victor’s life could have been prevented, and also discontinued when Victor had the chance. However, Victor’s irresponsibility overcame these opportunities and he in turn, caused misfortunes for himself as well as his loved ones.
He confessed to his father, and to Robert Walton, an also far to adventurous and daring man that was on his journey to crimes of pride, about creating life and playing God, he was genuinely apologetic about his mistake. He saved Robert from making the same mistake he did. They shared the same desire in wanting fame, “ Do you share my madness? Have you drunk also of the intoxicating draught? Hear me- let me reveal my tale, and you will dash the cup from your lips.” Ultimately Victor saved himself and Robert, “ or whither does your senseless curiosity lead you? Would you also create for yourself and the world a demoniacal enemy? Peace, peace! Learn my miseries, and do not seek to increase your
He has come to believe that he had done the right thing in refusing the creatures request. The request which could of saved his friend and his wife's lives. Victor shows how selfish he can be, not taking responsibility and also believing that choosing the decision that ended his wife and friend's lives was the correct thing to choose. At this point and time, the readers are choosing who deserves the sympathy, Victor or the creature?
...ou, Clerval, my friend, my benefactor—’” (Shelley 129). Victor feels guilty for the actions of his creation but is too much of a coward to confess to anyone about what he has done. His selfishness and secrecy cause his friends to suffer and also make him a tragic hero within the novel.
After killing his younger brother, Elizabeth , and his best friend, Victor after having no family left wanted to put an end to it all so he ended up chasing his creation and dying before catching it. After bringing the creature into this world and leaving it behind to fend for itself the creature endured lots of agony and pain from society which drove its rage to Victor and his family and he ended up kill this younger brother and soon to be wife. Both were isolated from society, Victor brought isolation upon himself through locking himself up to create the creature and ignoring everything around him as stated in the article, “The summer months passed while I was thus engaged, heart and soul, in one pursuit. It was a most beautiful season; never did the fields bestow a more plentiful harvest, or the vines yield a more luxuriant vintage: but my eyes were insensible to the charms of nature. And the same feelings which made me neglect the scenes around me caused me also to forget those friends who were so many miles absent, and whom I had not seen for so long a time. I knew my silence disquieted them; and I well-remembered the words of my father: "I know that while you are pleased with yourself, you will think of us with affection, and we shall hear regularly from you. You must pardon me if I regard any interruption in your correspondence as a proof that your other duties are equally neglected.” As
This challenge which brewed deep within Victor makes him forget about his own life and leads him into isolation and a complete concentration on project. Blinded by his quest, Victor is unable to measure the consequences of what he is trying to do. Victor returns home feeling frustrated and feeling as though all his hard work had ended in the utmost failure. In addition, Victor feels guilty, realizing that his creation is the cause of his little brother’s death. During this time, he also encounters that an innocent victim, Justine, is sentenced and condemned, a person of great significance, someone like a sister, to the love of his life, Elizabeth. In analyzing the following paragraph, the reader is able to see the difficulty that Victor has in expressing his emotions.
The narrator, Twyla, begins by recalling the time she spent with her friend, Roberta, at the St. Bonaventure orphanage. From the beginning of the story, the only fact that is confirmed by the author is that Twyla and Roberta are of a different race, saying, “they looked like salt and pepper” (Morrison, 2254). They were eight-years old. In the beginning of the story, Twyla says, “My mother danced all night and Roberta’s was sick.” This line sets the tone of the story from the start. This quote begins to separate the two girls i...
He had not seen his father in a few years and had only spoken to him via telephone a handful of times. His perception of his father was sad because when he was younger his dad was an alcoholic and would rarely take care of him as it was. His mother was the one who ended up raising Victor due to the fact that his dad left them when he was only about seven years old. His father’s actions are what caused him to believe that he did not love him at all and made it clear when he left him at an early age. Not having seen his father in a couple of years and finding out that he has died would hit anyone hard. He felt obligated to go, but at the same time he feared going to Arizona because he feared his dad. He did not believe there was a point in him going to collect anything that was left other than the truck and savings account that was left for him. Victor does not find out that his father truly loved and cared for him until they got to the trailer where his body was found. Thomas was speaking about the time Victor’s dad had helped him because of the vision that he had telling him to go to a certain location. While waiting Victor’s dad picked him up, bought him a dinner, and returned him home. Victor’s dad told Thomas to take care and help Victor as he will need it. This is what triggered some memories for Victor and came to the realization that his dad did love him
Victor’s describes his father solely based on his appearance to other people, someone who holds authority and does not have any other interests besides his position in their society. Zimmerman also states that “Alphonse’s conviction that all emotions can be trumped by rational appeals to duty and instrumentality is typified in his response to Victor’s looming despair…” (2). In other words, he believes that Alphonse is so rational and logical that it caused Victor to grow up and act similarly, as he acts without desire, spontaneity, and control over his troubling emotions (Zimmerman
After finish the creation, he immediately runs away claiming that he was protecting his life which adds to his selfishness and monstrosity since his selfish proves that he is evil and cruel. However the truth is he is disgusted by the sight of his creation so he abandons it leaving it all alone in the world without any guidance throughout society. He let the creature to wonder off by itself from place to place with hatred. So not only is Victor selfish but he is shallow as well, instead of realizing that he achieved his goal of bringing life to an inanimate body he runs away because of how hideous it is. Victor is also the one to blame for Justine's death, because if he decided to help her in the first place then she could not have got executed and sense to death. Victor was selfish to Justine because of his cruel action. Victor knew that Justine is innocence when he stated “She is innocent, my Elizabeth,”(Shelly, 53) however he is really selfish enough to just stay quiet and only think about his own self. Instead of defending Justine from the accusation, Victor was only feel sorry that this inocence girl will died. When he rushed out from the courtroom also show his selfish side which happen after the decision has made that Justine is guilty. Victor stated “I could not sustain the horror of my situation, and when I perceived that the popular voice and the countenances of the judges had already condemned my unhappy victim. I rushed out of the court in agony”(Shelly, 57). Instead of saving the life of the housekeeper who has already been through so much in her life, Victor keeps his secret in order to maintain his good image. He was afraid to speak out the truth about what is right and wrong. After Justine’s death, he knew that he is the one to blame but despite to his selfishness, he doesn't care what others think and feel. He knew that he must live and try to observe new
Victor is remembering his father leading up to him leaving and the time of him leaving. “He stopped talking as much, stopped drinking as much. He didn’t do much of anything except ride that bike and listen to music… it was my father who climbed on his motorcycle, waved to me as I stood in the window, and rode away.” These quotes display that while his father starts to drink less he also talks less and is home less which eventually causes fighting between Victor's parents and victor's dad leaving. Although there is all this sadness some have overcome
Although Victor Frankenstein is a protagonist in Shelley’s novel, he does not have the capacity to be a true friend. The desire to unveil the secret of life transforms him into a lonely person. He prefers to live in isolation rather than with his family. Victor risks the lives of his companions in order to protect himself. He is selfish and filled with self-pity despite being aware of the creature’s circumstances. Unlike a true friend, Victor does not trust Clerval to share his secret. He is dishonest and puts Henry’s life in danger to overcome his own problem. Ultimately, true friends are rare to find, but they are as essential as food in our lives.