Where are you going, Where have you been?

The story “Where are you going, Where have you been?” Is a about a young girl named Connie. Connie was a beautiful girl, and the she had a sister named June, mom, and dad. Later on in the story, she goes to the mall with her friends and they decide to leave and go to a restaurant across the street where the high schoolers hang out. Than she meets a guy named Arnold. At frist she began to flirt with him a little bit, but than he said say things that were a little over the top in a scary sort of way. Such as, I know so much about you Connie. Than she went home, and decide not to go to her parents to a BBQ. Much to her surprise while she was home alone Arnold shows up to her house in a stockerish way and yells for her to let her in and she tells him to go away or she’d call the cops. Arnold just threatened to hurt her family. And some how got in her house ands he picked up the phone and he stabs her.

This is about the world in the eyes of a 15 year old. Most teenagers do not get that nothing bad is going to happen until it does. Connie made the decision to talk to Arnold because she thought she would be ok, even though she was talking to a stranger. Later on she starts to see him as a treat and panics. And he’s going to do anything he can to get to her.

The Fat Girl

Summary

This story is about a girl who has been over weight for a good majority of her life, even when she was a little girl her mom would pressure her to loose weight and eat healthier. Eating was a comforting place for the girl to go. However it was more a of secret that she kept from everyone just how bad her eating habits were. Even through high schools, she didn’t have many friends. The girl had two friends that were close, but they did not have a clue about this eating problem. The girl than grow up into a woman and lost about 70 pounds and graduated. Subsequently the woman meant a man who became her husband. The woman got pregnant and thought it would be ok to eat like she did before but even after she had her baby she kept eating. Her husband never mention anything about her wait be she could definitely tell he was distancing himself from here. However, she did not seem to care, one morning she woke up, and much to her surprise he was still there.

Reflection
I think this story is about a girl’s lifelong addiction, and it was eating. The food was her comforting place she could go to just escape. Who knows why she picks food over other things to numb her plain. I just think that she is just depressed and wants to be loved as herself.

The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas

Summary
In the story, “ The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” written by Ursula Le Guin. Guin’s story begins with a clear vivid picture of what the community called Omelas. The story begins with a parade with happy people all around just enjoying themselves. Much to our surprise the people of Omelas are able to have this happy luxurious community because of something that the entire town knows about but does nothing about. An extremely unfortunate situation with a young boy, who is kept in a tiny closet space with no window and a locked door most of the time. Sadly, this boy is so malnourish and has very interaction with society that he has given up hope. People come to see him for a much different reason. Additionally, he is the reason their lives are so fabulous, however they hate to see anybody go through this. Nevertheless, they just continue with their day-to-day lives as if it never happened.

reflection
I found this story to be extremely upsetting, and I got a cold feeling when I read it. Furthermore, this community just walks by this poor boy and lets him be abused. I could not allow that to happen in my community just for my happiness. I have to wonder why Guin choose to write a story like this. Perhaps she had something going on in her life that she left trapped yet everybody kept moving on as if she did not exist

Doctor Jack'O Lantern

Summery

Doctor Jack’O Lantern is a story about an unhappy orphan. Other children seem to judge very quickly. The orphan has been placed in different places and has issues with the other kids. Vinny, the orphan is living with a foster family. Nevertheless, the setting is mostly at school where he really does not seem to fit in. His teacher tries to help in out by making him her teacher’s pet, however that just makes the other kids more disrespectful.

Reaction

Kids are very cruel they do not care who they hurt sometimes. In addition, I think this story does a good job of showing that. I think this kid just wanted attention and somebody to love him.

Good country People

Summery~
This story is mainly about two women who friends and try to be good Christian women. Their names are Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman, and have daughters and try very hard to bring them up right. Mrs. Hopewell and Mrs. Freeman also enjoy dinner together, along with Joy, Mrs. Hopewell’s daughter. One particular night a man by the name of Manley Pointer stopped by Mrs. Hopewell’s door to sell them bibles. He asked her if she would meet him to go for a walk. So, Joy did. He lead her to a hay loft and told her that he loved her and kissed her and force her to say that she loved him back. . Without asking, he took Joy’s glass off her face and put them in his pocket. Joy was shot in the leg and had a wooden leg and he asked her to remove it and took it. Now, Joy was trapped in the loft alone. All Pointers said was I am not a Christian and left her there without any help to get down.

Reflection~
I think the women in the story were so good and Christian to think that anything bad could happen and did not teach Joy to not be so gullible and maybe she would not of been left in a hay loft.

Barn Burning

The story begins during a court hearing, where Snopes, a character in the story, is on trail for burn a barn. Snopes Burned down the barn because he needs to pay Mr. Harris back for is hog. Meanwhile, Snopes’s is trying to teach is son, sarty about being loyal to his family. During the hearing, his son practices this loyalty to his father, and stands up for him. Even though his father was guilty and Sarty knew better, there is not enough evidence so he his told to leave the county before dark. Then when he gets settled in their new home, and he gets in to trouble again and ruin his wife’s rug with his soiled shoes, and she wants him to replace, but he says its took much and takes it to court.

Reflection
This story was a little strange to me, it didn’t make a lot of since. It sounds like we have another case of a man who thinks he is God’s gift to the world. In addition, I think he put his son in a place that he didn’t deserve, and his son new better and new it was wrong to say its father was in the right; when he was so wrong.

Sweat

Summary
The story sweat is a story about a African American couple who have been married for 15 years. The couple’s names are Delia and Sykes, and their marriage is less than perfect. Actually, it is mostly Sykes ruining their marriage, he was abusive to his wife, cheats on her, and scares her with snakes. Not long after they were married, he beat up Delia and he didn’t think twice about it. In the story, Sykes left for the weekend to see his girlfriend, while Delia works at her laundry service, and does laundry for a local white family. Delia has a fear of snakes, and Skye brings home a snake and puts it in a basket in the kitchen, so Delia won’t go in there and would eventually starve. Somehow, the gets out and bites Sykes, and kills him.


Comments
Have you ever heard of the saying what goes around comes around, additionally; it was only fate that Sykes ends up dying at the end. He had an honest and hardworking wife and he abused her and took advantage of a good thing. And Sykes got what he had coming.

Paul's Case

Summery

Paul’s case is about a boy who is in high school, and appears to be having troubles in school and had several misdemeanors. The facilities of the school discuss Paul’s behavior who were very curious about his actions. Paul just left the principals office with a smile and a red carnation on his shirt. After that Paul went to the theatre and seemed to feel the happiest when he was there watching the show and in the atmosphere of the theater, however he did not have a desire to get a part of the show, but he was star-stricken with the theater itself. After the show, he left for home, yet it was almost as if he was afraid to go there. It says in the story his mom died from a long illness, and lives with his father. When he gets home, he goes around to the back and climbs in through the window in fear of waken up his father. In Paul’s past, I believe his father molested him. The next morning after the night of being terrified of being, awaken by his father standing above him; Paul went to church and Sabbath-school, and would sit with the people. He would begin to think this life was not for him. Therefore, he gets on a train and goes to New York to watch the show. When we got there, he was exactly the kind of boy he had always wanted to be.

Reflection
I found this story hard to follow. I think this boy is very trouble, and that would explain his misbehavior at school. His mom is no longer a live and his dad abuses him. In addition, the theater is an escape for him to get away. I really, like the part of the story were he goes to New York, and he leaves his sad Sabbath-school life.


Theater
Miserable
Journey
Alone

The Yellow Wallpaper

Summery

The Yellow wall paper is about a woman who is ill, and is on bed rest, and her husband John who is very loving and caring, and is a doctor as well. The woman who is ill is narrating this story, and writes everyday. However, her husband clearly does not want her to write he just wants her to rest and get better. The woman’s bedroom is on the top floor of the house, her husband thought it was the best place for her to be, and there is yellow wall paper that she continues to focus on. The wallpaper is torn and has several different out of place designs. As she goes on in her writing, she becomes more and more infatuated with the wall paper. While her husband was out of town she sees a woman’s face, and it appears she is stuck behind the wallpaper. Therefore, she looks the door and begins to peal the wall paper to get the woman out of there. At the end of the story, John comes home and sees his wife behind the wall paper.


Yellow
Illness
Fantasy
Trapped

Comments
I feel this story is about a woman’s battle with an illness and illusions in her head. I think if I were alone all the time and only had a wall to look at, I would probably go crazy too. In the story, the wallpaper seems to come alive to this woman and she becomes very fascinated with the yellow wallpaper, and has negative things to say about the wallpaper and it is all very real to her.

Young Goodman Brown

The story Young Goodman Brown begins with Brown leaving his wife to set out on and adventure into the woods. His wife, Faith, was obviously sad and hoped that he would not leave her. However, Goodman Brown believed he needed to go. While on his journey he meets up with somebody deep in the gloomy woods, this person is at first called traveler, whom we later find out is the devil. Brown continues on with the walk through the woods. While they walk, the winds howled and he heard voices. A devil worshiping ceremony took place deep in the woods. Goodman Brown saw people he knew, he even his wife, Faith. Who was taking part in this devilish ceremony. Brown wants Faith to reject him, but it appears she cannot hear him. In the closely, its almost like he wakes up, and it is suggested that he was dreaming the whole thing.

Reflection

I believe this story is about faith and how strong faith can be. Goodman Brown walks and is tempted by the devil and knows what he is doing is wrong. It is possible that is faith was not has strong as he thought it was.

Shades

Shades” is a story about a man who lights the darkness of night through out the streets of Warsaw Poland. He is the town’s lamplighter. However, he is not very well known. Mysteriously, the lamplighter vanishes into the dark corners of the streets after he has quickly, yet affectively lit the street lamp. the author of the story decides he wants to go talk to, and get to know him. He went one particular night and he was not home. The next time the author stops by his house, much to his surprise, the authors finds out that the Lamplighter had died and he had been buried the day before.
reflection
This short story is very detailed and has a significant point. I believe the story is suggesting to us that we need to get to know our neighbors and try not to leave people out. The beginning of the story sets the stage and the mood; however, it is definitely not a heavenly mood. In fact, I think it is the exact opposite it reminds me of a very dark and cold place. I feel this is an example of what the lamplighter is feeling and maybe the rest of the community.

The Facts Concerning a Recent Carnival of Crime in Connecticut

Summary
This story is about a man who is anything but pleasant; who also happens to be the narrator. He was not nice to many, if not all,of his family and friends. In the beginning of the story, the narrator gets a letter that is from his Aunt Mary reporting that she was on her way to see him. The thought of his Aunt coming makes him very happy. Not soon after that, a dwarf shows up claiming to be his Conscience; a shorter version of himself. The narrator was less than happy to see is conscience, and got very irritated. In addition, his conscience gone on to remind him of all the bad things he did though out his life. In the story he eventually kills is conscience and his aunt, and proceeds to commit more killings.

Reflection
This story shows what is in the mind of a very unhappy man. He commits crimes and does not think anything of it, and when he confronts his conscious; he is reminded of all the bad things he did. The point of the story to me is that we need to listen to our conscience. This story reminded me of those cartoons where somebody has a good decision, or a bad decision to make. Then all the sudden pops up the floating devil and angel and they whisper in the person’s ear what they should do. Well, in the narrator’s case he went along with the devils whispers. This man would have been a lot happier if he would have thought things through a little more. That is a good lesson for everybody to remember.