Lessons Learned in Eudora Weltys The Little Store Essay

Lessons Learned in Eudora Weltys â€Å"The Little Store† Eudora Welty in her short story â€Å"The Little Store,† is attempting to portray the simplicity and innocence of her youth prior to her realization that there was a world beyond her own. Welty foreshadows her realization and loss of innocence even before her transition to an adult. Welty reveals her childhood innocence in her description of her trips to the little store. As a child, innocence can be shown by believing everything. Along with being gullible they lack understanding. An example of Welty’s naivety is shown where she passes by her principal’s house and all she can think about is how she would make her spell â€Å"oblige, the word that she of course knew had†¦show more content†¦He went to heaven with the influinzy† (80). Inside the store all Welty can see is the candy. The most important idea she thinks about is how much candy she can get with the extra nickel. In everything that Welty does, she only thinks about herself. The transition of Welty from an innocent child is foreshadowed by her reflection comments. In the middle of telling a story about people she remembers as a child, Welty says how much they mean to her now. Eudora realizes now that everyday life as a child does not mean so much at the time but it stands for a lot later. She says, â€Å"Setting out in this world, a child feels so indelible. He only comes to find out later that it’s all the others along his way who are making themselves indelible to him† (80). Welty intimates at how innocent and unaware she is as a child by not noticing everyday details. She describes the top of the little store as having shades and she then states, â€Å"But I did not catch on to those† (80). It is not until the transition into her adulthood when Welty confronts her realization of the outside world around her. In the transition of Welty to an adult, she realizes that there is another world other than her own. Welty sta rts to see things differently. She begins to see things in different places like â€Å"the Monkey Man† and even see beyond the four walls of the store. As a child Welty only thinks of herself and does not think about any other life outside ofShow MoreRelatedEssay on Eudora Weltys The Little Store852 Words   |  4 PagesEudora Weltys The Little Store Eudora Welty, the author of The Little Store, is also the narrator in her story. Upon looking back at her childhood, Eudora realized she was a creative little girl who liked to read and to write. She had the naivety of a child. The town where I was born is only 150 miles from where Eudora was raised in Jackson, Mississippi. Therefore, I really enjoyed this story because I really felt like I could relate to it. West Point, where I was born, resembles Jackson

Gay Marriage - 1711 Words

RWS 305 T 4PM Professor Voth October 13, 2009 Gay Marriage Begins With Separation Our country was built on the foundation of separation between church and state. But has the concrete wall of separation begun to deteriorate? Or was it ever really there at all? As we continuously battle over the rights to same sex marriage, the question of church or state surfaces. It is due time that we examine this matter and decide once and for all if the church should have any opinion in the matter when this country is supposed to be based on a separation of the two. Howard Moody, a Baptist minister, addresses the issue of state versus church in the matter of gay marriage in his article published in 2004 in the Nation. Moody’s†¦show more content†¦The author uses description in order to show his audience that from any standpoint marriage is more than paperwork or blessings; it is about two people being together. The author describes the church’s perspective on marriage, â€Å"In certain religious branches, the church doesn’t recognize the l icensed legality of marriage but requires that persons meet certain religious qualifications before the marriage is recognized by the church† (Moody 146). This is the problem that same sex couples face. Moody tells his audience that he is willing to perform marriages in which some couples are considered â€Å"ecclesiastical outlaws† in the eyes of the church. While same sex couples may be able to find a minister that will marry them, in the eyes of the church that marriage is nonexistent because it does not meet the old world standard of religious matrimony. Again, Moody describes the union of a same sex couple when he says, â€Å"It would be an occasion that symbolized, between two people of the same gender, a covenant of intimacy of two people to journey together, breaking new ground in human relationships† (Moody 147). While the idea of same sex marriage is still not legal, the author describes that regardless of gender, the relationship between a man and a w oman can be the same between any couple of the same gender. The classic description of marriage involves two peoples’ love for each other. Love does not change regardless of state or evenShow MoreRelatedGay Marriage Should Be Legal Essay1850 Words   |  8 Pageswhat it means to be a gay man – even if that is not the language that always would be used to describe homosexual behavior in a given place and time. In the United States, gay marriage has been legalized in all 50 states by a federal court ruling, but many Americans do not realize that there is still a long way to go in terms of embracing gay citizens (and the rest of the LGBT community) into the â€Å" societal norm.† Despite the strides that have been taken to legalize marriage for same sex couples,Read MoreGay Marriage Should Be Legal1848 Words   |  8 Pageswholly ashamed of. Gay marriage is legal in all 50 United States, something that has been fought for since the conception of the LGBT movemen t. In fact, gay couples are routinely being featured on popular television and other forms of media. Some might say that in 2016, the dreams of the rioters in Stonewall have been realized. Marriage rights and the spotlight on nighttime television; equality seems to truly be right on the horizon. If one is a white, cis, gay man, that is. Gay women are featuresRead MoreThe Supreme Court Ruling On Gay Marriages893 Words   |  4 PagesIts time for me to share my opinion and perspective regarding the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriages. Forewarning, this post will be long because I have more than just an opinion to express, but rather a story to tell which will enlighten anyone who chooses to read this as to what my true perspective and opinion regarding gay marriages. (and gay people in general as a Christian) A few months ago I faced a difficult time in my life. I was homeless and I had nowhere to stay with my newborn babyRead MoreGay Marriage Should Be Accepted And Respected932 Words   |  4 Pagesopen-minded. The rise in the LGTB movement has allowed people to openly express their sexuality without being discriminated against. Although homosexuality has become more socially acceptable, some states still have anti-gay laws and there are numerous individuals who believe that gay marriage is harmful and unnatural. Hozier’s â€Å"Take Me to Church,† Demi Lovato’s â€Å"Really Don’t Care† and Macklemore’s â€Å"Same Love† demonstrate society’s discrimination of homosexuals and why homosexuality should be accepted andRead MoreThe Tragedy of Gay Marriage1757 Words   |  8 PagesWorst Thing About Gay Marriage† presents an interesting argument against gay marriage that hinges upon maintaining a traditional form of marriage. He act ually claims that gay marriage is â€Å"unnecessary†(381). According to Schulman, there are 4 primary effects of marriage within his definition he calls the kinship system. First, marriage protects and controls a woman’s sexuality. Second, the possible pairings are limited by the kinship system to avoid incest or other taboos. Third, marriage creates a situationRead MoreThe Issue Of Gay Marriage1464 Words   |  6 Pages Marriage is one of the oldest, passed down traditions since the beginning of time. As humanity evolves through generations, traditions change, but the act of choosing your partner stays the same. For an example, not until President Barack Obama was in office, gay marriage was unacceptable. When President Obama announced that gay marriage was legal, that was a moment in history that will never be forgotten. The process of marriage continues to be the same, but each generation has been going outRead MoreGay Marriage And Gay Rights2550 Words   |  11 PagesComp II 8 May, 2015 Gay Marriage and Gay Rights For years there has been a debate on gay marriage and gay rights in America. Often government keeps pushing the issue back, or refuses to partake in the debates and discussions on whether or not this type of union is â€Å"legal† in the United States. My hope with this paper is to prove that gay marriage is not in fact unconstitutional, but that there is a right to freedom for everyone, no exclusions. When it comes to gay marriage, there seem to be a numberRead MoreThe Issue Of Gay Marriage Essay3392 Words   |  14 PagesWell it is 2007, and we are still dealing with the issue of gay marriage being good, and not good for America. Now maybe in 20 years gay marriage will be legal in each state, and this issue will be over. However, I deal in reality. And reality tells me the idea of two men frotting inside a home with children, frankly makes people sick to their stomachs. I prefer women, but I think what two grown people do in their bedrooms is their private moral, and legal business. Just like a straight couple thatRead MoreGay Marriage1280 Words   |  6 Pagesburrows, but flamboyantly celebrate their identities. The gays are now a people willing and ready to be heard. It has come to all of our attentions that in the light of marriage they have been depraved and deceived. Homosexuals cannot allow this persecution to continue, as they are constantly forfeited equal rights. The arguments are of lifestyle differences and the legalized discrimination of these people. It encompasses same-sex marriage as a cause worth fighting and defending so that we all mayRead MoreGay Marriage1041 Words   |  5 PagesCompare-Contrast Synthesis 10/11/2013 English 111x Gay Marriage Gay marriage is a topic that is heavily debated in this day and age. Whether or not it should be legal for homosexuals to get married is a theme that authors Andrew Sullivan, who wrote â€Å"For Gay Marriage† and William J. Bennett, who wrote â€Å"Against Gay Marriage† use in there articles. The main points the authors both discus is the meaning of marriage itself, the social impact same sex marriage will have on society, and the influence on children

Adrienne Rich on Power in Society Free Essays

Adrienne Rich on power in society Introduction The theme that interested me most in the poems by Adrienne Rich was the inadequacy of language as a means of communication. Rich shows that the reason for this lies in the way language expresses power relationships in society. Often this means the unequal relationship between women and men, but also between the powerful and the powerless. We will write a custom essay sample on Adrienne Rich on Power in Society or any similar topic only for you Order Now This theme is touched upon in almost every poem we studied, from Rich’s early poems to those written later. To illustrate how Rich explores this theme I will look in detail at â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers†, â€Å"The Uncle Speaks in the Drawing Room†, â€Å"Our Whole Life†. Paragraph 1 In â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers†, Rich creates a fantastic image of the aunt’s nonverbal communication through her tapestry. The poem opens with a vivid picture of the colourful, energetic alive world depicted on the tapestry. The aunt infuses the world of the tigers with many of the attributes she misses in her own life: a sense of being truly alive and in tune with the environment, and a state of fearlessness: â€Å"They do not fear the men beneath the tree/ They pace in sleek chivalric certainty. The ee- sound in these lines introduces a note of terror that heralds what is to come. Indeed the phrasing suggests a reason for fear from men. The feelings that the aunt is projecting into her artwork, her own fears and desires are developed in the middle stanza. Her shaking, fearful hands â€Å"fingers fluttering† are very vivid and the fact that they find the â€Å"needle hard to pull† suggests physical weakness and contrasts very much wi th the tigers. Paragraph 2 The reason for this weakness is â€Å"Uncle’s wedding band/ Sits heavily† on her â€Å"hand†. The possessive â€Å"Uncle’s† suggests that this is a one-way marriage that drains all life out of the aunt. Her hands come to represent her person in this poem and it is the hands that do the ‘talking’. The Uncle’s power over her seems to continue in death â€Å"When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie/ Still ringed with the ordeals she was mastered by. † However, her unspoken, yet very articulate legacy remains: â€Å"The tigers in the panel that she made/ Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid. The tigers represent happiness, confidence and thereby beauty. Interestingly, this image of self-determination and sense of entitlement to the world is projected into the jungle, i. e. outside of society. This is where freedom exists and Aunt’s art gives expression to this. Paragraph 3 In contrast to Aunt Jennifer’s indirect communication, â€Å"The Uncle Speaks in the Drawing Room† is the dramatic monologue of a wealthy , powerful man. He speaks as a representative of the ruling class looking out at a group of discontent working people. These people have neither wealth nor power. They have gathered outside his big house to express their anger at this inequality. The uncle’s attempt to convey confidence and reassurance to his family is undermined by the images of anger outside. The poem’s sound expresses this threat. O- sounds and S-sounds dominate: â€Å"Standing sullen in the square [†¦] Some have held and fingered stones. † As the poem develops, the Uncle’s own fear becomes clear. The image of â€Å"glass† echoes and comes to symbolise â€Å"class†. He admits that the â€Å"frailties of glass [†¦] Lead in times like these to fear/ For crystal vase and chandelier. † Even his reassurance â€Å"None as yet dare lift an arm† achieves the opposite – the suggestion of an uncertain future, â€Å"arm† in fact has two meanings in this context! Paragraph 4 In fact the two most vivid images in the poem are the angry crowd outdoors on the one hand and the terrified forefather (indoors – like this family) on the other: â€Å"When our grandsire stood aghast/ To see his antique ruby bowl/ Shivered in a thunder-roll. Despite his attempts to reassure, the Uncle admits to deep unease at the end of the poem regarding the precarious position of his class as â€Å"We stand between the dead glass-blowers/ And murmurings of missile-throwers. † In terms of the theme of language, the Uncle uses it to express his position as a powerful wealthy man. Although his fears still become clear, it is still a useful tool for him. The workers outside do not have a voice, their language is not verbal: â€Å"sullen stares†, â€Å"bitter tones† and holding â€Å"stones†. There is no common language between the powerful and the powerless. Paragraph 5 â€Å"Our Whole Life† was written later. There is a stark change in terms of form to the previous two poems. It is written in free verse and uses no punctuation whatever. This in itself indicates Rich’s thinking about language and the ability to express truth. Here, she strips it of its traditional appearance. In terms of theme, â€Å"Our Whole Life† explores the shocking gulf between the powerful and the powerless at a new level. Language has failed the powerless completely. Language is used to manipulate people’s thoughts about the world, â€Å"rendered into the oppressor’s language†. In an incredibly vivid image Rich depicts language as a violent and self-destructive wild animal: â€Å"and now a knot of lies/ eating at itself to get undone/ Words bitten thru words†. The biting and eating is enacted in the abbreviated spelling â€Å"thru†. People’s actual lives and experience cannot be told: â€Å"meanings burnt-off like paint/ under the blowtorch/ All those dead letters/ rendered into the oppressor’s language†. Paragraph 6 This poem places one shocking image after the other and language has become an instrument in a very violent world. The vision goes much further than in â€Å"The Uncle Speaks†, it encompasses the whole world and is in essence apocalyptic. The image of the burning Algerian walking away from his village to a doctor with no words to describe is pain is haunting: â€Å"his whole body a cloud of pain/ and there are no words for this/ except himself†. The absence of punctuation and in particular of a concluding full stop suggests the ongoing nature of the problem. Language has completely and disastrously failed its purpose as a means of communication between humans. In conclusion, Rich has opened up for me a way of looking at language that in some ways coincides with my own thinking and experience. However, she takes it unflinchingly and with amazing honesty and courage to a final analysis. She creates in her poetry unforgettable images for how women and all the powerless have been deprived of a means of expressing themselves. Language is an instrument of the powerful. Although Rich’s poetry is a reflection of radical feminism and political struggle in the USA during the 6os and 70s I feel that what if conveys is as true now as it was then. How to cite Adrienne Rich on Power in Society, Papers Adrienne Rich on Power in Society Free Essays Adrienne Rich on power in society Introduction The theme that interested me most in the poems by Adrienne Rich was the inadequacy of language as a means of communication. Rich shows that the reason for this lies in the way language expresses power relationships in society. Often this means the unequal relationship between women and men, but also between the powerful and the powerless. We will write a custom essay sample on Adrienne Rich on Power in Society or any similar topic only for you Order Now This theme is touched upon in almost every poem we studied, from Rich’s early poems to those written later. To illustrate how Rich explores this theme I will look in detail at â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers†, â€Å"The Uncle Speaks in the Drawing Room†, â€Å"Our Whole Life†. Paragraph 1 In â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers†, Rich creates a fantastic image of the aunt’s nonverbal communication through her tapestry. The poem opens with a vivid picture of the colourful, energetic alive world depicted on the tapestry. The aunt infuses the world of the tigers with many of the attributes she misses in her own life: a sense of being truly alive and in tune with the environment, and a state of fearlessness: â€Å"They do not fear the men beneath the tree/ They pace in sleek chivalric certainty. The ee- sound in these lines introduces a note of terror that heralds what is to come. Indeed the phrasing suggests a reason for fear from men. The feelings that the aunt is projecting into her artwork, her own fears and desires are developed in the middle stanza. Her shaking, fearful hands â€Å"fingers fluttering† are very vivid and the fact that they find the â€Å"needle hard to pull† suggests physical weakness and contrasts very much wi th the tigers. Paragraph 2 The reason for this weakness is â€Å"Uncle’s wedding band/ Sits heavily† on her â€Å"hand†. The possessive â€Å"Uncle’s† suggests that this is a one-way marriage that drains all life out of the aunt. Her hands come to represent her person in this poem and it is the hands that do the ‘talking’. The Uncle’s power over her seems to continue in death â€Å"When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie/ Still ringed with the ordeals she was mastered by. † However, her unspoken, yet very articulate legacy remains: â€Å"The tigers in the panel that she made/ Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid. The tigers represent happiness, confidence and thereby beauty. Interestingly, this image of self-determination and sense of entitlement to the world is projected into the jungle, i. e. outside of society. This is where freedom exists and Aunt’s art gives expression to this. Paragraph 3 In contrast to Aunt Jennifer’s indirect communication, â€Å"The Uncle Speaks in the Drawing Room† is the dramatic monologue of a wealthy , powerful man. He speaks as a representative of the ruling class looking out at a group of discontent working people. These people have neither wealth nor power. They have gathered outside his big house to express their anger at this inequality. The uncle’s attempt to convey confidence and reassurance to his family is undermined by the images of anger outside. The poem’s sound expresses this threat. O- sounds and S-sounds dominate: â€Å"Standing sullen in the square [†¦] Some have held and fingered stones. † As the poem develops, the Uncle’s own fear becomes clear. The image of â€Å"glass† echoes and comes to symbolise â€Å"class†. He admits that the â€Å"frailties of glass [†¦] Lead in times like these to fear/ For crystal vase and chandelier. † Even his reassurance â€Å"None as yet dare lift an arm† achieves the opposite – the suggestion of an uncertain future, â€Å"arm† in fact has two meanings in this context! Paragraph 4 In fact the two most vivid images in the poem are the angry crowd outdoors on the one hand and the terrified forefather (indoors – like this family) on the other: â€Å"When our grandsire stood aghast/ To see his antique ruby bowl/ Shivered in a thunder-roll. Despite his attempts to reassure, the Uncle admits to deep unease at the end of the poem regarding the precarious position of his class as â€Å"We stand between the dead glass-blowers/ And murmurings of missile-throwers. † In terms of the theme of language, the Uncle uses it to express his position as a powerful wealthy man. Although his fears still become clear, it is still a useful tool for him. The workers outside do not have a voice, their language is not verbal: â€Å"sullen stares†, â€Å"bitter tones† and holding â€Å"stones†. There is no common language between the powerful and the powerless. Paragraph 5 â€Å"Our Whole Life† was written later. There is a stark change in terms of form to the previous two poems. It is written in free verse and uses no punctuation whatever. This in itself indicates Rich’s thinking about language and the ability to express truth. Here, she strips it of its traditional appearance. In terms of theme, â€Å"Our Whole Life† explores the shocking gulf between the powerful and the powerless at a new level. Language has failed the powerless completely. Language is used to manipulate people’s thoughts about the world, â€Å"rendered into the oppressor’s language†. In an incredibly vivid image Rich depicts language as a violent and self-destructive wild animal: â€Å"and now a knot of lies/ eating at itself to get undone/ Words bitten thru words†. The biting and eating is enacted in the abbreviated spelling â€Å"thru†. People’s actual lives and experience cannot be told: â€Å"meanings burnt-off like paint/ under the blowtorch/ All those dead letters/ rendered into the oppressor’s language†. Paragraph 6 This poem places one shocking image after the other and language has become an instrument in a very violent world. The vision goes much further than in â€Å"The Uncle Speaks†, it encompasses the whole world and is in essence apocalyptic. The image of the burning Algerian walking away from his village to a doctor with no words to describe is pain is haunting: â€Å"his whole body a cloud of pain/ and there are no words for this/ except himself†. The absence of punctuation and in particular of a concluding full stop suggests the ongoing nature of the problem. Language has completely and disastrously failed its purpose as a means of communication between humans. In conclusion, Rich has opened up for me a way of looking at language that in some ways coincides with my own thinking and experience. However, she takes it unflinchingly and with amazing honesty and courage to a final analysis. She creates in her poetry unforgettable images for how women and all the powerless have been deprived of a means of expressing themselves. Language is an instrument of the powerful. Although Rich’s poetry is a reflection of radical feminism and political struggle in the USA during the 6os and 70s I feel that what if conveys is as true now as it was then. How to cite Adrienne Rich on Power in Society, Papers