Sunny In Joyce Carol Oates Life After High School

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Recommended: Characters metamorphosis in literature

In the short story, “Life after High School” by Joyce Carol Oates the audience is introduced to a very happy version of Sunny, later known as Barbara Buhrman. She was just an all american girl until the death of Zachary Graff changed her entire personality, attitude, and outlook on life. At the beginning of this story, the audience is met with the protagonist, which is a conventional freckled face high school student. She is described as part of “the golden girls, the popular, confident, good-looking girls, club officers, prom queens, and cheerleaders” (518). This however did not phase Zachary because he appears completely in love with her. This plays a big role in the story as Sunny is considered too nice, by her friends, to deal with Zach, which the antagonist. Throughout the short story she is described as the most amazing person in Zachary’s eyes. This does not change throughout. He still tries to be with Sunny even after she denies his hand in marriage. Sunny was just as her name suggested sunny. She was in every club and participated in every event until his death …show more content…

Some may have said she seemed to be too happy, but after the death of Zachary, sunny has completely changes her attitude. Sunny has an epiphany to become Barbara and completely get rid of all of the personality traits she use to have. She no longer has a bright personality because of the guilt she feels. She is referred to paler, and more subdued when she returns to school. She does not venture out to events with her friends, nor does she participate in any event. She changes her name to “Barbara Burhman” and continues with that name. After high school, she enrolls in Cornell University and excels as an undergraduate, and she also continued her schooling at Harvard. This is important because she completely becomes a recluse and she becomes very serious. She became a typical political figure, and kept her life completely

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