My thoughts on " The Lesson"

Miss Moore takes the children on a trip to F.A.O Shwartz to teach them a lesson. Miss Moore is a "femenist" in a"pre-femenist" world. She is an educated woman, which is not populat at the time. The narrator describes her as a woman with " nappy hair and proper speech with no make up". She also tells us that all the parents talk about her behind her back. This tells us that the woman of that time were expected to be dolled up and uneducated, Miss Moore is breaking the mold. Miss Moore feels that since she is an educated woman it is her responsibility to educate the young children of the neighborhood. She takes them to F. A. O Schwartz to show the kids the inequality in the country. Some of the kids get the message and some of them don't, I think the narrator completely understood what Miss Moore was trying to show them. While she may not want to thank Miss Moore now, as she gets older and mature she will be grateful for Miss Moore's work.

My thoughts on "A&P"

I found this story to be rather enjoyable. It is a story about a younger generation rebelling against the social norms. Sammy describes the customers as " sheep". I think he is pointing to their routine and normal lives that are held in check by societal "norms". The girls attire represents a break for the norm. It is obviously frowned upon by the older generation, as they are embarrassed in front of the entire store. Sammy quitting at the end of the story seems to represent him breaking away from the normal and also foreshadows the radical new way of thinking that characterizes his generation.

My thoughts on "Everyday Use"

I feel that the major theme in this story is heritage. Dee tries to validate her African heritage by changing her name and her appearance. Maggie and her Mrs. Johnson seem confused by this image she tries to portray. Dee's attempt to put out this image seems to be materialistic. She tries finding things in the house to put in her own home to display her African heritage. Maggie and Mrs. Johnson contrasting view is evident when she sees the same items, but she sees them as a way of remembering her loved ones.

My thoughts on "A Worn Path"

The first thing I noticed after reading " A Worn Path" is Pheonix's strong determination. She is the only person her grandson can rely, she tells the nurse that“We is the only two left in the world,”. She goes on this journey into town in order to get her grandson medicine. The nurse says that the doctor told her to keep giving her the medicine as long as she comes for it. This tells me that the doctor feels bad for but also admires the old woman. The title may be symbolic of Pheonix's life, a constant struggle and battle to get by.

My thoughs on " A Good Man is Hard to Find"

This story has some irony to it, the grandmother did not want to go to Florida because there was a Misfit killer on the loose, meanwhile she was killed by the Misfit killer while taking the family on a detour to somewhere she wanted to go. The grandmother character of this story. Throughout the story the grandmother seems to be a selfish women who is interested in only money and material things. She is also a god-fearing women, she says that she would give all of her money to Jesus in exchange for salvation. Just before she is killed we see a change in her attitude. Rather then pleading for her own life she is grieving the loss of her son Bailey.

My thoughts on "The Hunger Artist"

"The Hunger Artist" is a short story about an artist who's art is fasting. His manager does not let him fast for longer the 40 days, as a result he feels "unsatisfied" because he believes he can fast for longer. He was popular at one point but eventually his popularity fades so he works for a circus where he realizes that people are not interested in him, only the animals. One part of the story I found interesting was when the butcher's would come and watch him overnight. There job was to ensure the public that the hunger artist would not eat. When there shift was over they would eat there breakfast in front of him almost poking fun at him. The artist says this is one of the great joys of his art. He feels a superiority to the butcher's as if they are weak willed and that they do no understand his art. The artist seems to need this feeling of superiority.

My thoughts on "Young Goodman Brown"

When Goodman Brown leaves his wife to go on a walk in the woods, it is somewhat foreshadowing. He is leaving his wife,Faith, and when he returns he is no longer youthful and happy, but rather bitter. He goes to grave like this as Hawthorne writes,"besides neighbors not a few, they carved no hopeful verse upon his tombstone, for his dying hour was gloom." Hawthorne uses symbolism in the names of the characters. Goodman Brown, his first name can represent his life before his experience in the woods he was a happy and Goodman, but after he realized that he was surrounded by sinners and became a bitter man. Brown is a dark and just gloomy color. His wife ironically has the name Faith. In the beginning of the story he leaves his wife and this is symbolic of him leaving his faith later on.