Some_Short-Stories_Analyzing

The Destructors Little Cloud I’m a Fool Just Lather, That’s All. A Special Occasion Defender of the Faith Paul's Case The Catbird Seat The Lottery The Enchanted Doll Thus I Refute Beelzy The Rocking Horse Winner Miss Brill A Clean, Well-lighted Place . Parts to this review: . Setting Characters Conflict Point of View Climax Irony Theme I. Setting . The Destructors: around 1948 - 1950 England - London Little Cloud: 20th century 1920s or maybe 30s Ireland - Dublin I’m a Fool: 20th century, after WWII USA - southern state Just Lather, that’s all: early 1900s, during revolution Mexico A special occasion: modern day - 1960s USA, children’s hospital Defender of the Faith: May, 1945 Camp Crowder, Missouri, USA Paul's Case: 1900 - 1920 time frame Boston & New York, USA The Catbird Seat: 1950s maybe later USA, city, corporate office The Lottery: circa 20th century, or modern times unknown - Europe or North America The Enchanted Doll: Thus I Refute Beelzy: 20th century Western culture The Rocking-horse Winner 20th century USA Miss Brill: Sunday (modern times - 1960s') Park A Clean, Well-lighted Place: Late at night, city in Europe or North America II. Characters Protagonist: Usually the main character, and the one whom the reader sympathizes or in some way identifies with. This character is commonly “the good guy”. Antagonist: Usually the opponent of the main character, who in some way prevents or obstructs the protagonists goal in the story. This is often “the bad guy”. Types of characters: Flat: Not much is known about the character. Reader doesn’t usually see this characters thoughts or feelings. Character can be summed up in one or two sentences. Stereotype: a type of flat character that is commonly found in fiction. Round: A more complex character. The reader usually sees this characters thoughts and feelings. This type of character usually faces some dilemma. Dynamic: Any character that changes during the course of the story. Round characters are usually dynamic. The Destructors Protagonist: Trevor. Round, dynamic character. He has many parts to his personality, and the reader sees his thoughts and feelings as he tries to complete his plan to destroy the house. he changes in the story from a timid new member of the gang, to a motivated, driven leader. Antagonists: Blackie Flat: we see his actions, but not this thoughts and feelings. Mr. Thomas/Old Misery Flat, but we do see some of his qualities of kindness. Little Cloud Protagonist: Little Chandler Round, dynamic: we see his thoughts and actions. He is tired of Dublin, and wants to succeed as a writer. He is also too scared to act on his desires. He faces a dilemma of leaving vs. staying. He changes in the end when he sees the break down of his life, but resigns himself to it. Antagonists: Gallaher Flat: He is the world traveller, and is arrogant, but shallow. Not a complex character. Serves as the catalyst to force Chandler to think about his own life. Annie the wife Flat: she is cranky and unreasonable. She doesn’t like Chandler in some ways, and is abusive to him at the end of the story. Her purpose in the story is to make Chandler upset about his life. I’m a Fool Protagonist: Swipe (but not in the regular way - he is not a liked protagonist) Round, but not dynamic: Reader sees much of what the swipe thinks and feels. he is not too smart, he envies people who have succeeded, and he is a lower class person. He is not dynamic because he does not learn abything from his experience. he blames his poor outcome on factors other than himself. Antagonists: Man in Windsor tie Flat: reader only gets quick picture of him. he represents “snobbery” on the part of the upper class, and that which the Swipe resents in society. Is not a true antagonist, but is only perceived as one by the swipe, who displaces his anger at the world of affluent people, and anger at his own failures, upon this stereotypically rich and affluent man. Himself - The swipe is the cause of his own misfortune Just lather, that’s all: Protagonist: Barber Round and dynamic: The entire story centers around the barber’s thoughts, so the barber is very developed. He is proud of his work, and his profession. He decides he is not a murderer, which tells us about his character. He changes in the story because at first, he cannot decide whether or not to kill the Captain, but changes at the end, deciding not to be a killer of anyone. Antagonist: Captain Torres Flat and a little stereotypical: The captain does not show his thoughts or feelings. he is a standard, cruel, brutal army officer bad guy, killing the good revolutionaries. However, he shows a little change is telling the barber that “Killing isn’t easy, is it' You can take my word for that.” A special occasion Protagonist: Tommy Round but static. A young boy in a children’s ward at a hospital. We see the social issues that surround him, but he is at the end the way he is at the beginning. He is best left as he is, a child, happy with company, but doing his own thing. Antagonist: Nurse Flat and Static. She represents the nameless masse of adults that are guilty of what she does - tries to force maturity, adulthood, and social practices upon children too young to understand the significance of these practices. She also belittles the child when he doesn’t comply. Little Girl - Flat and static. Is only antagonist briefly, as she incurs the anger of Tommy when he is humiliated. Defender of the Faith Protagonist: Sgt. Nathaniel Marx Quite round and dynamic. The reader sees his feelings about the war and his role in it, his plans for the future, his reasoning behind feeling sorry for Grossbart. He changes by the end as he gets revenge, learns hard truth about human nature, and realizes that he has actually sent someone to war. Antagonist: Private Sheldon Grossbart Round and dynamic. He begins as an antagonist, but he can claim to justify his actions. However, by the end of the story, he reveals himself to be very self-centered and cruel with others’ feelings. At the end, he changes, as he finds that his scheming has actually caused him to be in a situation where he might be killed. Paul's case Protagonist: Paul, an anti-hero Very round and tragically dynamic. The reader sympathizes with him from the start, although painfully. He is filled with unhappiness and desperation, and lack of understanding by the rest of the world. he undergoes constant change, retreating deeper into his fantasy world, then, only at the end, does he understand the true folly of his ways. He truly regrets his past, only to enjoy this revelation for a brief moment before his death. Antagonist: Father Flat and static. Fails to display any emotion, the stereotypical, stolid, reserved father with high expectations and little encouragement. Also fails to have any understanding for his troubled son. Teachers Slightly round, flat. They do show some emotion as they somehow can’t stick to their resolve to be angry with the charming Paul, and are bewildered at how Paul’s manner helps him evade punishment. Actors and theatre people flat and static. They serve to be the crowd that Paul’s identifies with in some way, but they turn their back on him easily. Rich boy in New York flat and static. Represents the kind of rich, spoiled young man that Paul dreamed of being, but found he was not as similar to as he thought. Serves as a model to compare Paul to. The Catbird Seat Protagonist Mr. Round and dynamic. He begins the story as a very boring man, then reveals himself as having much variety behind that reserved facade, as he plans to kill Ms. Barrows. He quickly adapts and carries out a sophisticated scheme, while fooling all those who have “known” him for 22 years. Antagonist Mrs. Ulgine Barrows Flat and static. She is a stereotypical loudmouth, pushing her way through things. No real personal qualities, just lots of show. In her moment of crisis, she can only yell and scream than to be clever like her opponent. The Lottery Protagonist Mrs. Hutchinson Initially flat, but finally round and dynamic. She starts like any of the townspeople, with the same regard to the lottery and to life in general. However, at the end, and only after it is too late, much like in Paul’s Case, she sees the error of her thinking, and understands the brutality of the lottery. Antagonist The townspeople flat and static. The static nature of the townspeople is the crux of this story, as they fail to see how horrible the lottery is even when it is their friend (and mother) they are killing. The enchanted doll Thus I refute Beelzy Protagonist Little Simon Mostly Flat and static. He begins and remains a small boy with an active imagination, and a little help from Hell. Most of the information we learn about little Simon’s troubles we get from observing his father’s treatment. of him. Antagonist Big Simon Flat and static. He simply rejects little Simon’s claims, and for his ignorance and intolerance, pays with his life. The Rocking-horse Winner Protagonist Paul Round and dynamic. Paul is nearly obsessed with his mother’s endless need for money and “luck”. He makes his change early on, as he adopts the plan to become lucky, and stays with it to the end, as his mother refuses to acknowledge his accomplishments. Antagonist Hester, Paul’s mother Flat and static. Greedy, obsessed with always having more money, always acting poor. Lacks true compassion for her kids, even though she tries to be the model mother. She reveals her ambivalence at the end when she tells Paul that he didn’t tell her that he was lucky, when it was her acceptance of his success that was so important to him. Miss Brill Protagonist Miss Brill Quite round and dynamic. Begins as a happy person, denying her age, but feeling secure in the fantasy she has created. She intellectualizes the world around her to fit her impression of her own youth and beauty, but changes when she gains some very unsavory insight into the way others regard her. Antagonist Young couple on bench flat and static. They make a short appearance, but carry their effect, as they decimate Miss Brill’s self- confidence with a few comments, as they feel uncomfortable kissing in public. A Clean, Well-lighted Place Protagonist Older waiter Round and dynamic. He is the older and wiser of the two waiters, showing compassion for the old man, and pride in his work. However, the reader learns that he too is a very lonely man, who is happy to stay at the bar so that he might be able to provide a place of refuge for lonely like himself. Antagonist Younger waiter Flat and static. He is intolerant and self-centered, though not too much. He has his own social life, and does not need the bar as refuge like the older waiter does. Home is his refuge, and in this way, these two waiters are character foils. III Conflict: Internal and External: Internal conflict happens when the character faces a dilemma about what to do. external is when the character faxes some challenge other than him/herself. Internal Man vs. himself: character faces a dilemma about what to do External Man vs. Man: character must confront another character Man vs. Nature, environment, society: character confronts some condition in his /her surroundings. Man vs. Supernatural: character must face something spiritual, usually a god from a religion, or has trouble with the explanation a religion gives about life. The Destructors: Man vs. himself: Trevor must overcome his fear and timidity to take control of the situation Man vs. Man: Trevor must overcome Blackie as leader Trevor must get Mr. Thomas out of the way to destroy his house Man vs. society: Trevor is angry at the society he lives in, where destruction is mixed in with life. He is also angry at his father for losing his position as an architect, plunging Trevor’s family into a lower economic position Little Cloud: Man vs. himself: Little Chandler is a frightened man. He struggles to overcome his fear of the unknown and the future. Man vs. Man: Little Chandler is faced by Gallaher’s arrogance, and by Annie’s scorn and anger Man vs. society: Little Chandler lives in Dublin, where he think no one can “get ahead”. He feels he must leave in order to find an opportunity for success. I’m a Fool: Man vs. himself: Swipe is crippled by his own impression of wealth and education. He hates them, yet he wants them. he changes his mind as time as does on. He is insecure about how others might see him. Man vs. Man: Swipe vs. Man in the Windsor tie. Swipe sees this man as a symbol of what he hates about the wealthy: arrogance and snobbery. he acts out violently against this. Man vs. society: Swipe hates society for giving so much to others, yet he has little. He feels cheated. Just lather, that’s all: Man vs. himself: Barber must decide whether or not to kill the Captain Barber must also decide whether or not to warn the rebels at the school meeting. If he doesn’t, the Captain will kill them. If he does, the captain will catch him as a revolutionary. Man vs. Man: Barber vs. Captain Torres. The rebel against the army officer who defends a corrupt government. Man vs. society: Barber is a revolutionary, which means that he is against society in its present form. He wants to change something. A special occasion Man vs. Man Tommy vs. the nurse, who tries to make act like an adult when he isn’t one Man vs. Society Tommy vs. Society, where that society notices that Tommy is a black boy who wishes to play with a white girl, and expects him to treat her as something other than another kid. Defender of the Faith Man vs. himself Sgt. Marx vs. himself, as he debates how much he should get involved with Grossbart and his friends. He also debates with himself how religious he is, and what he wants to do after the army. Man vs. Man Sgt. Marx vs. Private Grossbart. Marx wants to do the right thing, while Grossbart always wants something more than the others get. Sgt. Marx vs. Capt. Barrett. Barrett is not very understanding about the “Jewish” issue, and Marx is forced to walk the thin line between his army duties and his religious duties. Man. vs. Environment Marx is thought of as a hero in the eyes of others, but he doesn’t relish the experiences he had in war, and only wants to leave it behind him. Grossbart wants to find a way to escape duty in the Pacific War against Japan, but must overcome the army and its strict rules. The others soldiers in the story all want to know their fate, because they know that fate could easily include death. Man vs. God Religion is a central idea in the conflict of this story. Marx, Grossbart, and Barrett must all find their own (Religion) ways of regarding the importance of Religion against the backdrop of World War II. Paul's case Man vs. himself Paul is totally unhappy with the life he has, and tries desperately, too much so, to escape it. Man vs. Man Paul vs. Father, who wants Paul to do what everyone else is doing, go to school and get a career. Man vs. Society Paul is trapped in a society that doesn’t provide him with the life he feels he deserves, and gives him no realistic way to achieve that lifestyle. The catbird seat Man vs. Woman Protagonist vs. Ms. Barrows. It is a contest of style, will, and brains. Woman vs. Society Ms. Barrows must be extra aggressive in order to occupy a position of such authority. However, her methods of dealing with a challenge are her downfall, not society. Woman vs. herself The reader can infer that Tessie realizes at the end how wrong she has been. The Lottery Woman vs. Society Tessie had credibility all through life, but cannot convince the others not to kill her. The Enchanted doll Thus I refute Beelzy Man vs. Man Little Simon vs. his Dad, who not only doesn’t believe little Simon, but tries to beat him to make the boy agree. Man vs. Society Little Simon must deal with a society that disdains imagination and values “realism” Man vs. God Big Simon vs. Beelzebub, a servant demon of Satan. Pretty bad odds, as Big Simon is “judged” for his ruthless treatment of his son ahead of time, consumed by the unwilling agent of God’s punishment, Satan. Little Simon vs. God or Satan: How did he get Beelzebub to help him' What will it cost little Simon' The rocking horse winner Man vs. himself Paul decides to sacrifice himself for the goal of succeeding for his mother where his father failed. Man vs. Man Paul’s desire to be lucky vs. his mother’s insatiable desire for riches. Paul’s desire vs. the warnings and concern of Uncle Oscar Man vs. Society Paul’s mother has been trained that happiness comes from luxury instead of from family love Paul must overcome the society’s definition of success that money = success and luck. Man vs. God Paul gains this power of prediction from somewhere, and it costs him his “life force”. Miss Brill Woman vs. herself Miss Brill does not wish to accept that she is not young and beautiful anymore, so she does things to convince herself that indeed, she is NOT old. Man vs. Man Miss Brill is confronted by the young couple as they degrade her for being old. Miss Brill fails to recover from this insult, and her last hope to avoid old-age is shattered. Woman vs. Society Miss Brill lives in a society where the young do not value the elderly, and the young do not appreciate the fragility and brief life of beauty. A clean, well-lighted place Man vs. himself The older waiter must keep his own fears of loneliness and solitude inside him when he argues with the younger waiter about keeping the bar open. Inside he is desperately lonely and wants relief from it. Man vs. Man Older waiter vs. younger waiter. Older one wants to stay at the bar to keep it open for people, younger man wants to get home. Younger waiter vs. Old man. Young waiter sees old man as a nuisance, keeping him from his home. Man vs. Society Older waiter lives in a society where people are convinced that one can only be happy with a wife or girlfriend, even when they are hard to find. IV Point of View Omniscient: where the reader knows the thoughts and feelings of many or all the characters. Not used often because it reveals the story too quickly. Limited Omniscient: The reader knows the thoughts and feelings of the main character, but only sees and hears the other characters, Objective: The reader only sees the actions and hears the dialogue of the other characters. First-person narrative: Similar to Limited Omniscient in that the reader knows the thoughts and feelings of one character, usually the main character, but this is told by that character, not a separate narrator. The Destructors Omniscient We see some of the feelings of characters Little Cloud Limited Omniscient We see Chandler’s feelings I’m a Fool First Person narrative From Swipe’s perspective Just Lather, that’s all Limited Omniscient We see barber’s feelings, not Torres’ A special occasion Objective Defender of the Faith Limited Omniscient Paul's case Omniscient The catbird seat Objective The lottery Objective The enchanted doll Thus I refute Beelzy Objective The rocking-horse winner Limited Omniscient Miss Brill Limited Omniscient A clean, well-lighted place Limited Omniscient V Climax The breaking point in the plot where the action stops rising and starts to go down. The suspense and tension in the story are relieved. The Destructors: when the house is pulled down by the lorry truck, ending the suspense over what will happen to the house. Little Cloud: when Little Chandler loses his temper and yells at the baby to stop crying, showing that he had lost his cool, and was losing control. I’m a Fool: Hard to say, but probably when Lucy kissed him on the cheek before saying a sad goodbye, and saying that she will write to him. This breaks the tension for the reader showing what will happen to this little relationship the swipe has started with this woman. Just lather, that’s all At the point where the barber is thinking about how easy it would be to just slice the captain’s throat, then, at the height of tension, decides, “But no, I’m no murderer.” A special occasion: when the little girl comes back into the room and we see that everything will be resolved. Defender of the Faith: when the new duty roster comes out to reveal that Marx had won against Grossbart Paul's case: when Paul jumps without the chance to go back The catbird seat: when old Fitweiler doesn’t believe Barrow’s tirade and orders her removed The lottery: when Tessie is discovered to be the winner of the lottery The enchanted doll Thus I refute Beelzy: when Betty and Mrs. Carter look upon the piece of Big Simon’s foot. The rocking horse winner: After Paul asks his mom if she remembers how he told her that he would be lucky, she only says, “No, you didn’t...) Miss Brill: When the young man says, “Why' Because of that stupid old thing at the end there'” A clean, well-lighted place: Either in the bar when he sees the difference between the dark, loud bar and his own, or when he begins to recite The Lord’s Prayer saying only nada y nada ... VI Irony What is it' It is when something happens that is the opposite of what you expect. Verbal: character says something that has a double meaning, and both meanings are intended in one way or other. Dramatic: where a character is surprised to learn some truth in the story. The reader usually already knows it. Situational: where the actual situation is surprising and unexpected, to the characters and the reader. The Destructors: Verbal: T says the house is “beautiful:, then suggests, “we pull it down”. This is not what most people want to do with a beautiful house. Dramatic: Mr. Thomas is surprised to find that the boys had destroyed his house after he had been nice to them and gave them chocolates. Situational: It is generally ironic that this house, which is very old and delicately designed, has survived the bombing war while other, newer houses all around it have been leveled. It is also ironic to the reader that Trevor wishes to destroy it. Little Cloud: Verbal: where Little Chandler says that he must leave Dublin to become a write, yet contradicts himself by saying that perhaps only kindred spirits would like his work. Dramatic: Chandler finds it hard to accept that Gallaher came from a lower background, and had less education and opportunities, yet seems to have a better life. Situational: It is ironic that Chandler must leave his city to become any kind of success, yet his own fear and need for stability keep him there in spite of his boring, unpleasant life and unloving wife. I’m a Fool: Verbal: He says that education is not worthwhile, that educated people lack experience. Yet, when he talks about Lucy’s brother, he says that he seems like a nice guy who might go to college to be a lawyer or something. He contradicts himself. Dramatic: The swipe tells the lie because he thinks that is he doesn’t, Lucy, her brother, and Elinor, will not like him. He finds out that his lie is the reason that he will lose his chances with Lucy. It turns out that he will not be rejected for his financial status, but for his dishonesty. Situational: It is ironic that Lucy’s good-natured, devoted promise to write to the swipe is the cause for his undoing. It is her honest, caring letter that will accidentally reveal his dishonesty. It is also ironic that the swipe manages to blame everyone and everything for his own problems other than the true culprit - himself. Just lather, that’s all: Verbal: “Very Good” said the barber to the captain when he told of how he was going to kill the rebels. The barber says this for the Captain’s sake, but really means the opposite. he also really means that he will be able to warn the rebels about the Captains’ plans. Dramatic: The barber is most surprised to learn the captain knew he is a revolutionary and might kill the captain. Yet, the Captain shows him the human side of his character, saying that killing is not easy for him as the rebels and people think. Situational: Knowing after the fact that the Captain knew the barber might kill him, it is very ironic that the Captain was quite calm during his “shave”, while the barber, who had the power to kill the captain at any moment, was very nervous. A Special Occasion Verbal: Tommy says he hates her (little girl) and didn’t want her, when he really means that he doesn’t want to be made fun of for wanting to play with her, and not to be persecuted just because she’s white. Dramatic: When Tommy attacked the girl as an expression of his anger toward the nurse, lashing out at his privilege. Situational: When the little girl came back into the room, and the two children simply begin normal play again Defender of the Faith Verbal: When Grossbart accuses of Marx of persecuting “one of his own”, when in fact, Grossbart was taking advantage of one of his own, as Sgt. Marx was also a Jew like Grossbart. Dramatic: That Halpern and Fishbein will be better off having a schemer like Grossbart with them when they are deployed to be in the fighting in the Pacific. Situational: That all of this conflict over going to war is really of no concern because the soldiers won’t reach the fighting in the pacific until after the Japanese have surrendered. Grossbart’s lying and cheating weren’t necessary to preserve him from death in the war. Paul's Case Verbal: “Picture-making mechanism” referring to Paul’s brain, is described as machine-like at a time when the extent of Paul’s tragedy is being felt by the reader. Dramatic: That the rich boy Paul met in New York did not like Paul by the end of their night out together, which showed Paul that he really isn’t a rich person, not even when he has stolen money to pretend with. Situational: That only after it was too late to change the outcome, after he was already falling, did Paul realize that he shouldn’t have done what he did. Up to that point, Paul, could have turned himself over to his father and he could have changed his life around. The Catbird Seat Verbal: “Are you in the Catbird Seat” asked Ms. Barrows, when the reader sees that, in fact, the protagonist is in the catbird seat! Dramatic: where the protagonist acts so much different than usual. It is ironic for Ms. barrows because it is so unexpected. Situational: It is ironic that the protagonist’s revenge was more complete when he found he couldn’t kill Ms. Barrows. The Lottery Verbal: When the old man says that, “all I know is that there’s always been a lottery...” The reader is actually being told that this is the problem, that the traditional aspect of it is the problem, not the justification. Dramatic: It is ironic that it is Tessie’s own friends and family that kill her, which terrifies her, and she cannot stop them. Situational: It is ironic that Tessie almost forgot about the lottery, and only made it barely on time. Not only was there only a small chance she would be picked, but an even smaller chance she would die because she almost didn’t make it there on time. The Enchanted Doll Verbal: Dramatic: Situational: Thus I Refute Beelzy Verbal: The name “Beelzy” is ironic because it implies the demon “Beelzebub”, who would make an odd imaginary friend for a small boy. Dramatic: That Big Simon thinks that beating little Simon is the way to teach him to accept reality at such a young age. Situational: That Beelzy really exists, and manifests himself in the manner of the Christian “Beast”, devouring Big Simon and taking him to Hell, as would happen on Judgment Day in The Bible. The Rocking Horse Winner Verbal: Where Paul claims to his mother that he is lucky even as he is dying Dramatic: That Hester decided to try to get all $5000 of Paul’s birthday gift at once, instead of being happy at her “luck”. Situational: That when the moment came that Paul needed his mother’s recognition for his achievement, she forgot how he had promised her in the beginning of the story that he would be lucky. Miss Brill Verbal: That Miss Brill refers to the old couple as “old” in a way that implies that Miss Brill is much younger. Dramatic: Miss Brill was surprised that her beautiful fox fur was considered old and silly. Situational: That Miss Brill thought she heard the fox cry when the reader then can infer that the fox’s cry is really from Miss Brill. It is also ironic that the beautiful young woman throws away her precious violets instead of keeping them, as if beautiful things are easy to come by, when both Miss Brill and the reader can see that they are not. A Clean, Well-lighted Place Verbal: where the older waiter says that a woman “might help the old man’, when the reader finds later that the older waiter himself desperately believes that a woman is really the best a lonely person could hope for. Dramatic: The older waiter doesn’t see how dark, loud bars can being so appealing to people, when the waiter likes the safety and reassurance of a clean, well-lighted place. Situational: That the older waiter, depressed and demoralized, reduces his impression of the importance of life to nada, or nothing, when before he placed such faith in the clean, well-lighted place. VII Theme This is the “lesson” or “moral” we learn from the story. It usually involves learning something important about human nature or of the universe, or other important insight. The Destructors: This story is about the effects violence and war have on the minds of young children who grow up in it. They become desensitized to it and think little of doing it themselves. It also talks about human pride - the boys are worried that the gift of chocolate to them from Mr. Thomas threatens their image of independence. 1. Violence and war have lasting effects on everyone, especially children. When people are forced to endure war for a lengthy period of time, they often become callused, desensitized, and accustomed to the violent environment, so much that they even may inadvertently support it. In The Destructors, the boys in the gang live in a war-torn, bombed-out city. It is the environment they are used to. When something, such as the old house, stands out against the impression they have of their environment, they react against it, going along with T.’s desire to knock it down. The beauty and delicacy of the house are foreign and therefore unwanted in this community they live in. Even the lorry driver finds the final demolition funny, indicating that this sense of destruction and violence has become quite universal in the community. 2. Pride often causes people to place their own image of independence and strength above anything else, causing misunderstandings and conflicts. Individuals can feel threatened by acts of kindness or charity, blocking harmony and progress. In The Destructors, Blackie and the gang are proud of their position, and of their independence from adults and Old Misery. They play ball against his house, perhaps expecting him to protest and somehow challenge their sense of strength. However, Old Misery (Mr. Thomas) offers them chocolate in a time when chocolate was rare and treasured. He even tried to make it seem that he didn’t want it. However, the gang rejected his offering, fearing that he was bribing them. Instead of breeding harmony between the gang and Mr. Thomas, pride caused the gang to remain antagonistic toward him, and continue in their destructive patterns of behaviour. Little Cloud: Life is balanced between stability and risk, and a person must decide where to strike that balance, in order to achieve goals and have a good quality of life, without losing everything on a long shot. Stability is appealing because it is predictable and reliable, even when it may be boring or banal. Achievement requires risk-taking, which can hold great rewards for the winner, but dismal failure for the loser. Finding the perfect compromise between the two is a good recipe for contentment. In Little Cloud, Gallaher takes risks, and loses sometimes, but seems to be generally ahead. Chandler is always too careful and insecure, and he pays for it with a mediocre life at best. Gallaher and Chandler are opposites of each other, both showing how one extreme or other can be harmful and unfulfilling. Chandler is bored and restless, but stricken with fear, so he clings to the stability of his life, even though he is painfully dissatisfied. Gallaher is the big risk-taker, and wanders constantly, without any stability at all, and sometimes hard financial times. However, he clings to the thrill of adventure. Most readers would want neither of these men’s lives, but a happy medium between both. It is in this way that Little Cloud demonstrates the need for a compromise between risk and stability in life, and the cost of not keeping them in balance. I’m a Fool Honesty is the best policy. The reason for the swipe’s failure is that he could not accept who he was, then try to work up to something better. Instead, he despised others for their wealth, then lied about having his own riches and wealth when he thought that wealth was what mattered. This was the cause of his downfall. More specifically, one must learn to accept the truth of one’s own situation, and be honest about it, which is what brings the long term reward of ultimate and honest acceptance. People are generally concerned with other’s opinions about them, and find it difficult to gain acceptance for their true selves. Many are tempted by the opportunity to lie about one’s position in life to gain immediate acceptance, but usually find that the truth catches up, and the false acceptance disintegrates. In I’m a Fool, the swipe is insecure, unhappy, and ashamed of his position in life. He resents those in better circumstances than him, yet feels that he is painfully inferior to the same people. Desperate for acceptance by Lucy, and fearful that she and her company would reject him as a swipe, he lied about his background. This gained the acceptance and favor that he desired, but it proved to be only temporary and short term. At the end of the day, Lucy’s honest and truthful attempt to stay in touch with him was the incident that forced him into a situation where his lie had forced him to let her go, the swipe learned that his lie had been the ultimate reason for his failure. She would reject him when she found that he had totally deceived her. The swipe does not learn it, but the reader sees the message that honesty is tough, but that it brings final rewards that are lasting, rather than the cheap, short-lived rewards bought with lies and deceit. Just Lather, That’s All A person should do what he/she thinks is right, based on your one’s own morals. One must decide what one is willing to do to solve a problem, and stick with that decision, even when it is painful or difficult. Staying within one’s own rules is a difficult when facing a moral dilemma, especially one in which the stakes are so high. But, after fighting a moral battle with one’s self, one must do what was right, even though it may cost in the future. In Just lather, that’s all, the barber found himself facing a moral dilemma, where both alternatives had merit. The issue was whether or not to kill the notorious captain. The captain was surely a ruthless and brutal man, and promised to kill again that night at the school. The barber could surely have killed him, and possibly saved many lives by killing the one captain. This argument has merit, but the barber fears becoming as bad as the captain. On the other side of this issue, the barber realizes that planned murder is the same no matter who commits it. he can at least be an honorable person. A Special Occasion Children cannot be forced to become adults, and are best left to be themselves. In this case, the nurse tried to force Tommy to act like an adult, full of ritual, instead of like a kid. Clearly, the nurse should have left the kids alone as they were fine playing apart, while together at the same time. Defender of the Faith Sgt. Marx learned that religion, like any association, can be used improperly, and self-serving people will take advantage of it, as did Private Grossbart in this story. While Marx tried to be a “good Jew”, Grossbart used it to serve his own purposes of shirking responsibility and escaping his duties. Paul's Case Society in this story failed to tolerate and accommodate a person who did not fit into the regular mold. As a result, that person was driven to death, however foolishly. In modern society, society tends to crush those who cannot fit into the program, and this story is telling the reader to be more perceptive and understanding, that Paul’s death cold have been prevented by more open-minded teachers and a more encouraging father. The Catbird Seat In this case, quality, cleverness, and tenacity eventually prove to be much superior to the bullish, aggressive qualities that many business people use. In this story, the protagonist’s personal qualities finally proved to be better than Mrs. Barrows’, even if they aren’t so overt. Also, as a secondary theme, the reader sees that even the calmest, most reliable and harmless-looking people can hide even deadly tendencies, such as the protagonist. The Lottery Many ancient, antiquated, and obsolete traditions are still practiced even when the reasons for those traditions being started have long since been disproven. In this story, the lottery continued even though the people had no idea why they do it, how it got started, or what might really be the consequence if they simply stopped, even when other towns are stopping. It relates to the real world where all sorts of ritual abuses still go on simply because the people doing them have always done so, and are just afraid of change! The enchanted doll Thus I Refute Beelzy Similar to the theme of A Special Occasion, this one tells us that imagination is not a bad thing, and we must not let adulthood crush our ability to imagine. We also see in this story that the cost of getting rid of imagination may be our own destruction, as Big Simon found out. Violence and restriction are not ways for adults to control children’s imaginations. The Rocking Horse Winner Present day society often places too much emphasis upon the importance of money, where success is measured by how much luxury a person lives in. Because people are driven by money, it saps their energies and leads them to early deaths. Perhaps worst of all is that society does not even recognize the victims of this problem, like Paul, but continues to drive people to more money. The role of luck here is that really good luck costs more than one might suspect, and that Paul’s supposed “good luck” with money led to his untimely death. It suggests that society’s reliance on good luck is misleading, and should be changed. Miss Brill Beauty is often wasted by those who posses it, as with many valuable things in life, such as youth and riches. Indeed, people often do not appreciate something until they have lost it, and must watch as others foolishly waste. This is true as the young couple is so cruel to Miss Brill, so confident that they themselves will never become old, or suffer the same ridicule that Miss Brill suffers. It is also true as the beautiful woman throws away her violets, while Miss Brill realizes how foolish it is to take beauty for granted, when it is so fleeting. A Clean, Well-lighted Place The clean, well-lighted place is a refuge for the lonely and the depressed. However, only the older waiter, who is himself depressed and lonely, can understand and sympathize with the old man, and anyone who has this problem. There are a number of messages here. First, society teaches us that one cannot be happy without a boyfriend or girlfriend. For those that cannot get spouses, they have been taught to be unhappy. Secondly, and this is what the young waiter doesn’t realize - one must look at others not from your own perspective, but from theirs. Only looking through their eyes can one see the hardships they face. The younger waiter only viewed the old man from his own point of view. However, the elder waiter was able to see what the old man’s feelings were, because he experienced them himself. Therefore, this story delivers message about the role of companionship in happiness, and the need