A Strained Relationship

In Robert Hayden's Those Winter Sundays, the author describes a scene that is mildly familiar.  From his initial description, it appears he lives alone with his father.  His father seems to be a hard-working provider, but not the most approachable of guys.  He seems like a good man, heating the house early on Sunday and even cleaning the good shoes of his son, but there does not seem to be a lot of communication or actual interaction between the two.  The author basically states they don't speak often, saying, "No one ever thanked him," (Hayden).  This lack of an actual relationship between the two likely resulted in loneliness from both of them.  The final line suggests that they both love each other and are lonely, but don't quite know how to properly express it.  This is a familiar circumstance, as many sons have trouble communicating and sharing their thoughts and feelings with their dads.  Though usually a relationship can exist, it would usually be a shallow one that involves little deep thought.  The circumstance of this story is an extreme, but still a common example of father-son relationships.

What a Meal

In Elaine Magarrell's The Joy of Cooking, the author seems to be a very disturbed individual.  The story is a simple manual on how to properly prepare the author's sister's tongue and her brother's heart for consumption.  Her tone throughout the entire piece is surprisingly calm and indifferent.  She acts as if she is simply preparing a meal like any other, instead of on involving her siblings' body parts.  These weird images could be symbols for the personalities of the siblings however.  The brother's heart could represent a caring and kind personality, which is used by the author.  On the same token, the sister's tongue could mean her social activities and gossip, which the author could also manipulate.  It is suggested that the sister has possibly gotten hurt before, in the line "Best with horseradish and economical- it probably will grow back," (Magarrell).  This could mean the sister is willing to come back and get used again.  Following this symbolism, another aspect of the author's personality is revealed.  The author seems to be a cold and mechanical person who is willing to use her siblings for her own personal gain.  In a very disgusting way, she has revealed herself to be a bad person.

An Interesting Family

In Frank O'Connor's The Drunkard, the plot focuses on the actions of a dysfunctional father toward his family.  The father seems to have struggled with alcoholism for a very long time, and after the death of a friend, spirals down the path again.  His face is quickly associated around down with being drunk and poor.  As the narrator's mother tried to prevent her husband from drinking by using her son as a brake, the narrator was forced to eventually wind up in a bar with his father.  In an act of boredom and curiosity, before his father was able to take his first drink, the narrator swipes it from the father and drinks it to the point of drunkenness.   After the child becomes apparently sick from the drink, throwing up all over the place, his father obviously is extremely embarrassed and is forced to take the child home.  Upon their arrival, the immaturity of the father is shown by his complaining about how he should be pitied because his night was ruined.  The irony of the story is delivered the next morning.  The narrator is awakened by his mother, who then says, "'My brave little man!...  It was God did it you were there.  You were his guardian angel.'" (O'Conner).  This is counter intuitive, as many parents would scold their children for such an act.  Yet this child's drinking has forced his father to evaluate the hazards of drinking.

What a Creepy Fairy Tale

Nadine Gordimer uses many elements in Once upon a Time to make it seem as though it is a fairy tale.  The initial set up is very much like a fairy tale, with the characters introduced seem to be living a stereotypical perfect life.  The phrasing of the first line seems to obviously reference fairy tales, beginning, "In a house, in a suburb, in a city, there were a man and his wife who loved each other very much and were living happily ever after," (Gordimer).  They have a secure gated community, a big house with a security system, and trusted people as their cleaning crew.  But under the urging of the husband's mother, who is always referred to as the wise old witch,  and the pressure of the rest of the neighborhood, the family began to fear the horror of the rioters on the outskirts of town and the homeless people that lived around the area.  As the family eventually buys the best security system they have observed in their neighborhood, the comparison of the story to a fairy tale becomes immense.  Many fairy tales have involved witches convincing good people to lock themselves in a tower and separate themselves from the world.  The security system was even named "Dragons Teeth", which is also usually part of the witch's tower story line.  The story ultimately ends in a sad and shocking irony.  Though they built their walls high and installed the best system to keep the rioters out and protect their family, these things actually brought about the death of their son.  This represents the cruelest of dark irony, as the family's fear of their son getting hurt bring their son to death.

A Very Curious Path

In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path, the plot follows the interesting journey of a quirky old woman.  It starts out almost humorously, presenting the image a woman with a cane wandering through a mysterious forest.  This woman frequently speaks to herself as she progresses, making jokes about various things and recounting events that had happened in a certain spot.  The mental stability of this woman is called into question various times, the first of which is when she first stops to take a rest.  She observes a "little boy [bringing] her a plate with a slice of marble-cake on it... "That would be acceptable," she said.  But when she went to take it there was just her own hand in the air," (Welty).  She goes onto to have another interaction like this, where she falls and sticks her hand in the air, expecting somebody to help her to her feet.  As she arrives into town and moves toward her destination, a new question is introduced.  She goes to a hospital or doctor's office to get medicine for her grandson, whose throat is not well.  Some of her comments, along with the disturbing fact that he swallowed lye as a child, lead the reader to think the grandson may have died, and the grandma is not over it yet.  But the focus of the story is not if the grandson is deceased, it is the amount of hardship Phoenix is willing to take in order to take care of him.  She never once hesitates or thinks about no completing her task, because to her its just something that comes with loving her grandson.

Point of No Return (not by Kansas)

In Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, there is an ominous moment where everyone seems to have reached a point of no return. It becomes obvious that Beneatha and George are not compatible. Beneatha is frustrated with George's riches, and feels more drawn to Asagai's exoticness. The entire family feels they are forced into a potentially bad situation in their new house. The neighborhood offered to buy them out of the house, and they were warned by a man that things may get violent if they decide to stay. The most notable point of no return that was passed was the one by Walter. He gives the large amount of insurance money to a shady man in order to start a liquor store. Walter realizes that all his money is gone when another associate tells him, saying "Gone,what you mean Willy is gone? Gone where? You mean he went by himself. You mean he went off to Springfield by himself- to take care of getting the license..." (Hansberry, 126). He is in disbelief, but he realizes deep down that he his made a dire mistake. Eventually, all the problems work themselves out, and the characters find pride in their being themselves. They find there was never a point of no return, and they were always able to change things and save themselves.

The Sunny Slums of South Chicago

The setting in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun is one of the most influential aspects of the story.  Many parts of the setting affect the plot in different ways.  The time period plays a large impact in the later developments of the story.  African Americans were still being treated harshly, even in the northern part of America, which likely led to their low social status.  They do menial jobs for rich white people who oppress them from social advance meant.  Another large factor in the setting in the location of the entire play.  The characters often are at odds with each other, and this can partially be attributed to the small space they all live in.  The room is a beaten up old living room, described as, "Weariness has, in factm won in this room. Everything has been polished, washed, sat on, used, scrubbed toooften.  All pretenses but living itself have long since vanished from the very atmosphere of this room," (Hansberry, 23-24).  This opening description shows that the room is tired, which could suggest everyone in it is also tired.  They are ready for the glamorous world of riches that they believe will come with their money.  The frustration of the characters at their current residence is exemplified by their excitement to abandon it and move to a place they believe will bring them happiness.  In the end, they ultimately find that their happiness comes from their pride, not their residence or social status.

Under Pressure

In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, many characters are easily influenced into conforming to the desires of the outside world.  Some things are small things, like when Beneatha cuts her hair in order to satisfy her boyfriend.  She initially believed this was a good idea, but upon ridicule from her family and her other boyfriend, she conformed again to their ways.  Another example is Walter's sheer willingness to conform to the romantic image of being rich.   He was willing to risk all the money they had, including the money designated for Beneatha's medical schooling, in a business deal with people that seemed like they were shady.  Under the pressure of society, he gave in and decided to chase the dream of improving his life in a quick and exorbitant manner.  The most notable case of pressure is not when someone conforms, but when someone must make a move to try to save her family.  Mama believes that by buying this new, nicer house,  she will unite the family, and ultimately save them from breaking up.  She reveals her motives when she says, "I-I just seen my family falling apart today... just falling to pieces in front of my eyes... we couldn't of gone on like we was today.  We was going backwards 'stead of forwards- talking 'bout killing babies and wishing each other was dead... When it gets like that in life- you just got to do something different, push on out and do something bigger... (She waits) I wish you say something, son... I wish you'd say how deep inside you you think I don't the right thing-" (Hansberry, 94).  Mama would likely used the money for something else, but due to the fighting she believes will tear the family apart, she is forced to buy the new house.  Mama likely believes that by lifting the family out of the house that is practically falling apart around them, she will raise their state of minds above what they were then.

The Great Generational Gap

In Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, the views of Mama on many issues vary greatly from the views of her children, the new generation.  Mama seems to be content with where she is, never asking for too much of anything.  She would definitely take advantage of an opportunity when it presented itself, like buying the nicer house, but not willing to go out and try to make her own luck.  Her children are an entirely different case, especially Walter.  Walter, and to a certain degree Beneatha too,see happiness as lots of money and a high social status.  Walter eventually becomes consumed with a deal that seemed too good to be true, and as it turns out, he lost all the money in the investment.  But in the interim when he feels he has found his fortune, he becomes a new man, filled with happiness and friskiness.  Beneatha dreams of being a doctor, which pays considerably well and is an extremely prestigious job, especially for an African American woman.  Mama speaks out against these delusions about happiness multiple times throughout the story, saying, "So now it's life.  Money is life.  Once upon a time freedom used to be life- now it's money.  I guess the world really do change..." (Hansberry, 74).  This statement reveals that Mama's view of the problems and worries of her children is that they are nominal.  At the age Mama was fighting for freedom and decent social standing, her children fight for money that will not ultimately bring them happiness.

Walter vs. Beneatha

In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, two of the main characters seem to clearly contrast each other.  These siblings, Walter and Beneatha, having conflicting views on many issues and chose to view situations in a very different manner.  Beneatha is extremely motivated by the new roles she believes African Americans and women are going to play in society.  She is also rather social status conscience, yet down-to-earth in a respectable manner.  Beneatha openly admits she will not marry a man that does not make her happy, even if he is rich, which was a very odd idea for the time.  Her brother, Walter, views the world differently.  He sees it foolish to waste such an opportunity for money, which in his mind would lead to happiness.  Walter is also rather resistant to change in society overall, as he asks Beneatha, "Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor?  If you so crazy 'bout messing 'round with sick people- then go be a nurse like other women- or just get married and be quiet..." (Hansberry, 38).  Walter seems bitter about not being anything important at the beginning of the story, and thus finds comfort in making other people stay in their designated stereotype.  It is a wonder how Beneatha can be such a activist and into new ideas while Walter is stubborn and set in the ways of the world, and they be siblings raised in the same home.  This contrast continues throughout the story, and seems to ebb and flow as the plot progresses.