In the anthology On the Edge of Survival, much can be learned from survival literature. Some of the short stories include, “Contents of a Dead Man’s Pockets”, “ Battle by the Breadfruit Tree”, and “The Man in the Water”. These series of short stories can teach us that sometimes the important things in life are right in front of you. You might have to take chances for the people who are important. In the short story “Contents of a Dead Man’s Pockets”, Tom Benecke is mostly focused on his work. A reversal took place after the incident on the ledge, then the center of attention in his life turned to his wife and family. “He simply turned to his desk, pulled up the crumpled yellow sheet from his pocket and laid it where it had been, smoothing
it out; then he absently laid a pencil across it to weigh it down. He shook his head wonderingly, and turned to walk towards the closet” (Finney,56). Although, Tom wanted to make his wife happy with his work, he was going about it too seriously. After retrieving the paper, he realized that he had to walk towards the closet, grab his jacket, and go see his wife. Tom had to put others before himself to survive the situation that he was in. “Contents of a Dead Man’s Pockets” is not even close to the amount of survival that takes place in the short story “Battle by the Breadfruit Tree”. In the wilderness, especially in Africa, it is every animal for themself. Two animals in the short story “Battle by the Breadfruit Tree” fight to stay alive by fighting against each other. The leopard in the story is trying to come across food. Then finds a baboon. The mother baboon, is only trying to protect her baby from the leopard. “She was a bloody mess. But she never even thought of quitting” (Waldeck,80). Both of the animals wanted to survive in different ways and neither one thought of giving up. The passion and commitment that the man in the water had compared to many people is unforgettable. The man in the water had the chance to save himself, but he chose to save the lives of others. That is why “The Man in the Water”, a short story, is so astounding. “‘In a mass casualty, you’ll find people like him,’ said Windsor, ‘but i’ve never seen one with that much commitment’” (Rosenblatt,86). Because of the man in the water, five people had lived. In the anthology On the Edge of Survival many people survived, but unfortunately some people lost their fight. The short stories, “Contents of a Dead Man’s Pockets”, “Battle by the Breadfruit Tree”, and “The Man in the Water” all show that no matter what the key to survival is quick and smart thinking. Taking risks for the people that are important is what survival is all about.
Nelson Johnson, author of “Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times and Corruption of Atlantic City”, is a native of Hammonton, New Jersey. Johnson graduated Villanova Law School in 1974, after receiving his Bachelor’s degree in 1970 from St John’s University in New York, majoring in political science. Johnson began his political career in 1975: being elected to Atlantic County’s Board of Chosen Freeholders, where he served until 1985. Johnson had a successful private practice culminating in appointment to be a Superior Court Judge in 2005. It is interesting to note that Gromley, who nominated Johnson to Superior Court, is featured in his book. Of further interest is that Johnson served on Atlantic City’s Planning Board at the conception of casinos.
Not many people have to face death in the cold wasteland of the Arctic or rugged mountains of California, but Pepe and "the man" do. Although the ironic destruction of Pepe and the man were caused by relentless forces of nature, their attitudes and reasons for going on their journeys differed.
Breathless is in many ways the antithesis of the classical Hollywood cinema; the changes have a direct effect on the relationship the film has with the viewer. Classical Hollywood cinema includes standards such as continuity editing, highly motivated, character-driven stories and a coherent narrative structure. Breathless defies these elements of traditional filmmaking, instead defining what we know as French New Wave.
Conflict is an important part of any short story. The short story, “On the Sidewalk Bleeding,” contains three major conflicts: man vs. man, man vs. nature, and man vs. himself. In this essay, I intend to explain, prove, and analyze these three struggles.
Do you have your priorities straight? In “Contents of a Dead Man’s Pocket” by Jack Finney, the main character, Tom didn’t. He worked all the time and never spent time with his wife. His wife Claire wanted to her husband to go to the movies with her. Instead of going to the movies, he stayed behind and worked on the yellow paper, which could get him a promotion. The paper blows out the window of his tall apartment and he goes and retrieves it on the ledge of the building. He gets the paper and goes to get back inside but he panics and the window closes, meaning he is locked outside. He tries to scream for help, but is no use, he then realizes his job isn’t worth his life, so he punches the window and causes it to break and he changes from a workaholic, to being a family man. Both setting and conflict are the main to “The Contents in a Dead Man’s Pocket.”
Life does not always work out the way it should. Sometimes good loses, and the better man is the one begging. The Water is Wide is the story of injustice abounding. While the story may have been more appealing if Pat were able to stay on at Yamacraw Island, and I would certainly have enjoyed it more if the superintendent had been beaten, that story would have been a false picture of reality, worthy only of a children's bedtime collection. I...
In “The Hunters in the Snow” by Tobias Wolff, three men go hunting, and as all three men are going through their own personal troubles, the reader’s emotions are drug around, making this story the perfect example of literary fiction. In this story, Tub is the protagonist, and deals with many weight problems throughout the story and Kenny is the antagonist, instigating problems between himself and Tub, and ends up getting shot in the stomach. This story displays much suspense, making the story an interesting literary fiction short
Octavia Butler’s novel Kindred is categorized as science fiction because of the existence of time travel. However, the novel does not center on the schematics of this type of journey. Instead, the novel deals with the relationships forged between a Los Angeles woman from the 20th century, and slaves from the 19th century. Therefore, the mechanism of time travel allows the author a sort of freedom when writing this "slavery narrative" apart from her counterparts. Butler is able to judge the slavery from the point of view of a truly "free" black woman, as opposed to an enslaved one describing memories.
The story “Contents of a Dead Man’s Pocket” was about a guy named tom and he has an important work paper on his desk. All of a sudden the wind picked up and blew the paper out his 11th story window. Tom climbed out his window he reached his paper and crawled back to his window but it somehow closed, he almost fell to his death a few times. He ends up punching through the window to break through it, he crawled in and put the paper back on his desk. The wind picked up again and the paper was gone. He decided the paper was not worth his life and he lets it go. Jack Finney uses plot, setting, and characters to engage his readers.
Brockmeier, Kevin. “A Fable With Slips of White Paper Spilling From The Pockets.” The View From The Seventh Layer. New York. Pantheon. 2008. 260-267. Print.
Sherwood Anderson often wrote of other people's misery in his short stories and used it in ironic ways when writing his endings. After reading several of his these stories and reading several biographies of his life, I have come to the conclusion that Anderson's life experiences greatly influence the method in which he wrote them. Also, when comparing some of his stories to his life, you will see that many of them can be closely compared to difficult times in which he went through while growing up and as a grown man.
Kerschen, Lois. “Critical Essay on ‘Life’.” Exploring Short Stories for Students 13 (2001): Web Luis Literature Resource Center Coleman library, 14 April 2004.
Some of the most well known authors have been the creators of short stories. In only a few pages these authors provide the reader with a look into life's most passionate experiences; love, loss, death, and sacrifice. Throughout time their words have touched hearts and inspired many. Characters are remembered not merely as a fictional person in a story but are brought to life in the reader's mind, soul, and memory. These stories have survived the test of time and boundaries because of their connection to real life and the readers who share it with them.
The Old Man and the Sea is a heroic tale of man’s strength pitted against forces he cannot control. It is a tale about an old Cuban fisherman and his three-day battle with a giant Marlin. Through the use of three prominent themes; friendship, bravery, and Christianity; the “Old Man and the Sea” strives to teach important life lessons to the reader.
A story of three guys during World War II, a pilot, a bombardier and a radioman who ditched their plane during a scouting mission. They find themselves adrift a lifeboat with no food nor water. This turns out to be what we say, a survival for the fittest and only the strong survives.