The Country of the Pointed Firs - Sarah Orne Jewett

“I could not help wondering what errand had brought him out in search of me” (Jewett 9).

Sarah Orne Jewett’s The Country of the Pointed Firs explores an aging town. Aging seems to be an appropriate word as the majority of the people in Dunnet Landing are older, a juxtaposition to the narrator who seems to be a great deal younger than any of the people she encounters. Upon reading chapter 5, entitled “Captain Littlepage”, I immediately connected it back to Mark Twain’s “The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”. In Twain’s story, he is subject to a tale about Jim Smiley told to him by an older gentleman who, by the end of his story, does not help the protagonist with his original plight. However, the protagonist in Twain’s story was polite enough to sit and listen to a story from a man of another generation, similar to the protagonist in Jewett’s story whose work is disrupted by Captain Littlepage. Although this disruption serves as a minor annoyance at first, the protagonist listens to Littlepage’s story and by the end, begins to realize its importance. The story serves as a glimpse into what life used to be like in Dunnet Landing, before the population began aging and life started to change. Everyone in Dunnet Landing seems to have a story, and although some of them may be dull, each one contributes to the history of the town. There are times when we may look at older generations and think about how they were once young. We may think about how they got to that point in their lives and what their story is, but we often don’t take the time to ask. Although the protagonist in “The Country of the Pointed Firs” did not ask Captain Littlepage to tell his story, their ability to listen to it made all the difference as it proves that the only way to get a sense of a whole place is to take each individual story into account.

The Use of Force - William Carlos Williams

“The child was fairly eating me up with her cold, steady eyes, and no expression to her face whatever. She did not move and seemed, inwardly, quiet; an unusually attractive little thing, and as strong as a heifer in appearance.” (Williams 1170).

William Carlos Williams “The Use of Force” is disturbing because of its ability to make the reader look beneath the surface to realize the alarming nature of the Doctor. The character of the Doctor seems to find some kind of sexual attraction to his patient, who is simply an innocent, young girl. The reader finds themselves questioning the validity of this possibility; could the Doctor truly have feelings for this girl, and if so, could this seemingly routine medical examination be a violation of this girl? The answer to these questions may make the reader feel uneasy as they realize that the Doctor is in a position of power over the girl. The girl did not consent to being examined by the Doctor – it was her parents who allowed him to do so forcefully because they wanted to help her. However, her parents knew nothing about the Doctor or his background before allowing him to intrude upon the rights their daughter would have had if she had been of age. As a result, the Doctor finds enjoyment in making the girl suffer and in forcing her to expose the illness she had been hiding from her family. Ultimately, William Carlos Williams serves to disturb his reader through the realization that we must be cautious of everyone for even those who pledge to help can have the darkest intentions.

The Cask of Amontillado - Edgar Allan Poe

“I must not only punish but punish with impunity. A wrong is redressed when retribution overtakes its redresser” (Poe 935).

Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” is one of literature’s greatest stories of revenge. Poe succeeds in terrifying his audience through the use of basic human emotions. Feelings of anger, resentment and a need to right a wrong are feelings that every person has had at one time or another. No one can deny the fact that revenge is sweet - however, it is also not without consequence. The difference between a sane and insane person is that one recognizes these consequences and does not act while the other disregards morality and makes rash decisions. The character of Montresor is clearly insane as he commits a horrific crime to “avenge” (Poe 945) an issue with Fortunato. However, what is truly frightening is that Poe characterizes Montresor as a man who shows no remorse for his actions, leaving him without an ounce of humanity. Montresor can not recognize that there are ways to go about revenge that are clever and even humorous and come with no dire consequence. Although we can consider Montresor the protagonist of this story, he is by no means a righteous man; by the end of “The Cask of Amontillado”, Montresor has proved that he is a man with no dignity and nothing more than a murderer.

The Rocking Horse Winner - D.H. Lawrence

“If your lucky you have money. That’s why it’s better to be born lucky than rich. If you’re rich, you may lose your money. But if you’re lucky, you will always get more money” (710).

D.H. Lawrence’s “The Rocking Horse Winner” is reminiscent of Mark Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” as it explores the canonical “get rich quick” theme. The character of the mother informs her son, Paul, that having luck is the equivalent to always having money. Unfortunately, this statement only proves to have a damaging effect on her son who seems to feel as though he has a duty towards his mother and that is to use his luck to her advantage. Lawrence explores the idea of money and happiness; as the family gains money through Paul they are always left wanting more, proving that money does not equate happiness. Sadly, Paul is a boy that feels no love from his mother and is truly forgotten about by his father and in turn uses his winnings to win her affection. Paul is simply a lost soul – he has no ulterior motives behind winning this money. He does not need to worry about paying bills or living an extravagant lifestyle – Paul only wants to make his family happy. It is the people around Paul, such as his mother and uncle, which use his “luck” for personal gain without realizing the consequences. Lawrence makes a strong statement in “The Rocking Horse Winner” and that is the idea that money can not buy happiness and it most certainly can not buy love and acceptance.

A Good Man is Hard to Find - Flannery O'Connor

“That’s perfectly all right,” the grandmother said. “Maybe Bailey has an extra shirt in his suitcase.” (O’Connor 911).
Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” uses humour to sway the audience into cheering for the antagonist. Throughout the piece, the character of the grandmother always has something to say. Whether it be a derragatory comment or mere suggestions, the grandmother cannot seem to simply keep her mouth shut. During the middle of the piece, she offers The Misfit a change of clothes, a move that showcases her sheer stupidity The grandmother tries to bargain with and change the mind of The Misfit but only succeeds in angering him. O’Connor uses the grandmother’s relentless comments in such a way that the audience turns on the protagonist. Essentially, by the end of the piece, the audience is certain of and even hoping that the grandmother will meet her untimely end at the hands of The Misfit simply because of her idiotic behavior. I equate this type of audience reaction to the kind in a horror movie where the audience often finds themselves rooting for the villain because of the victim’s ridiculous mistakes that could have been avoided has common sense been applied. When the grandmother is murdered by The Misfit it is almost humorous to the audience because her ignorance seems to have gotten her what she deserved. Through this, O’Connor brings about an ironic end to a both humorous and morbid tale.

The Lottery - Shirley Jackson

“Tessie Hutchinson was in the center of a cleared space by now, and she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her. “It isn’t fair,” she said. A stone hit her on the side of the head” (Jackson 567).

I found my mind wandering through the majority of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”. However, upon reading the ending I went back and reread the story, fully understanding the reason for its construction. Jackson spends a good part of the story exploring tradition and what it means to the old and new generations. Tradition is something that everyone can identify with in one way or another and is, in many ways, a comforting and safe entity. The lottery seems like a tradition that most of the townspeople are willing to take part in and are excited about. The description of the old box gives the audience a sense of how much pride the town takes in conducting the yearly lottery and how important it is that the tradition stays intact. However, the final paragraphs completely remove the audience from the previously harmless atmosphere as Jackson redefines the idea of tradition. The stoning tradition present in “The Lottery” quickly becomes a morality debate; this morbid act made me think about how Americans view other countries and what they consider to be tradition. Are we to judge and condemn other’s traditions because they do not reflect the ideals and morals of our culture? Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” explores this idea and makes us think about how far we would allow “tradition” to go before deeming it cruel and inhumane.

Hills Like White Elephants - Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” is an abstract piece of literature that explores the extremely controversial topic of abortion. During my Sophomore year of high school, my class studied this piece and I remember being stuck by Hemingway’s ability to so cleverly disguise his theme. Abortion is under intense debate today and for Hemingway to have discussed this in the latter part of the 1920’s was quite remarkable. Hemingway also explores gender roles in this story, as the woman is consistently being told that her decision to have an abortion will make her happy and that everything will go back to the way it was before. The female protagonist is, essentially, being pressured into having an abortion because it is the choice that was right for her significant other. The men in Hemingway’s story try to simplify the severity of abortion by insisting “it really is an awfully simple operation” (Hemingway 553) and “not really an operation at all” (Hemingway 553). However, it is common knowledge that abortion is indeed a very serious procedure that leaves lasting emotional distress on a woman which is why she must make that difficult decision for herself. “Hills Like White Elephants” is not ahead of its time but a work that transcends it. Although this piece was written over eighty years ago, the issue of abortion is a huge moral and political issue that continues to be debated.