"A & P" by John Updike

https://scottengnote.blogspot.com/2007/10/p-john-updike.html

https://scottengnote.blogspot.com/2007/10/p-john-updike.html

"A & P" (1961)

by John Updike

elements of fiction
              -character
              -setting of time,place
                   season or month: like summer or July
                   location: A&P supermarket
              -plot
              -narration
                   tone: serious, humorous, ironic, sincere

1st person point of view :provide the narrowest point of view
This story is all Sammy's observation and assumption(guesses).
He also judged.

the narrator: Sammy
                  -the observant
                  -imaginative
                  -prejudiced
                  -sense of beauty
                  -sense of justice
                  -guts

exposition:
expose: to explore
            to provide details of background
            characters

gap between cultural or social classes


characters(characteristics)
-Sammy
       Age: 19
       job: cashier
       personality: passionate, thoughtless,
       action he took:
-Lengel
       Age: maybe fourty something
       job: manager
       personality: stubborn,religious,pious,propriety, conservative,meticulous,serious
       action he took: humiliated the three girls
-Stokesie
       Age: 22 and married
       job: cashier
       personality:
       prospect: One day he would be a manager.
-3 ladys
-other customers
       'sheep',housewives,
       house-slaves:narrow-minded


symbols
"Sammy" name on the apron<-----------------------> identity


"A&P" is an initiation story, a story of growth(gaining maturity)
We look at the whole thing through Sammy's eyes.
(first person narration, by first person narrator)
If this story were written by 3rd person point of view,it will be more objective

Differences from Different Point of View
1st :what, how
3rd:what, how, why

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The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

https://scottengnote.blogspot.com/2007/10/lottery-shirley-jackson.html

https://scottengnote.blogspot.com/2007/10/lottery-shirley-jackson.html

"The Lottery"
by Shirley Jackson(1919-1965)

Structure:    I  . Preparation
                 II . the Lottery
                 III. the Result

What does the word "Lottery" mean?
        Origonal    : a money game

        In this story:    'Lottery in June, Corn be heavy soon.'  indicates this tradition is
                for a rich harvest.
                A tradition, uncivil, cruel,
                Individual right is going to be sacrificed for collective good?!
                A chosen one will become the scapegoat, the victim.
                A woman, a villager, a neighbor, a friend of other villager was
                stoned to death.

                    ironic,sarcastic
        The writer was using a harsh tone to question human nature. Why people keep
        foolish tradition without thinking.

Setting
    time    : modern time, the villagers were already using tractors. summer June 27th
    place    : some anonymous small village. Most people make a living by agriculture.
    It's a universal story: it could happen at any time ,any place

    Try to describe how Shirley Jackson pave the story.

    People prey to the goddess Demeter to earn her blessing.

I .Preparation of the lottery

    atmosphere: tension, anxiety

    gathering:     children: boys, girls
            adults   : men, women

    some names    distinguished (these names are quite symbolic)
            Bobby     Martin
            Harry   Jones
            Dickie    Delacroix: of the cross, pious, religious
            Mr.    Summers: host ->who conducts the ceremory
            Mr.    Graves
            Old man Warner: gives warnings, reminder
            the     Hutchinsons: a martyr
            the     Adams: first sinner

square is a place for social activities

Black wooden box------>tradition
color symbolism
shape: shabby
it suggested a coffin

details of the further preparation

count heads ------------->households
            families

incident: Mrs. Hutchinson came late hurriedly.
dramatic irony

"You're in time." is a dramatic ironic line of this story.
Mrs. Hutchinson is in time for death, sacrifice.

And It count the villagers from A to Z in sequence. No one was  excepted.
Can we call this lottery democratic ?

Listen to
NBC Short Story, NBC radio, 1951

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Everyday Use by Alice Walker

https://scottengnote.blogspot.com/2007/10/everyday-use-by-alice-walker.html

https://scottengnote.blogspot.com/2007/10/everyday-use-by-alice-walker.html

Structure
1.Preparation for Dee's homecoming
2.Dee's visit
3.Dee left; after Dee Departed

Setting: at first the atmosphere was pleasant
the surroundings were friendly,peaceful,harmonious

structure
-beginning
-middle development
-end

waiting -prepartion
living room: to welcome guests, receiving
separation for a long time

a foil: a minor character, similar to the protagonist in age, ...and in many aspects of background.

character
Mother: Nameless,sacrifice,protect,unconditioned love,raise the daughters, patience
labor class, colored, blur collar
Dee: confident,aggressive,have no contribution to the family

Maggie:


Waiting for Dee's homecoming
Maggie :nurvous
The Mother: recalling the TV show she'd saw
make believe
TV shows: reunion, endearing (she tried to make believe, )
illusion <-----------------------------> reality

one foot raise in flight: ready to run
enveloped: wraped
lame: cripple

grade - for elementary school
year - high school
college- freshman, sophomore, junior, senior

/---- Dee: to force word
/ to torture
reading to show off
\
\---- Maggie:pleasant

1st house was burned down 10-12 years ago. It's shabby, tacky

Dee wanted to cut off the connection with her family.

people's name: identity, background

change one's name: denial to the old name
want a new identity

Dee -----> Hakim Abarber: a long name suggests Dee wanted to be important
Dee was a family name. continuity

trip over: walking through many obstacles
a blue streak: a lot of praises

Civil War(1861-1865)

churn-------->everyday use
quilt---------->protection also for everyday use

Dee ---> rich ---> decoration
selfish,self-centered

Climax: Mother felt like hit by the thunder and realized how nice maggie was.
true awareness, enlightenment, illumination

Ending:
Mother and Maggie enjoyed their yard and restored harmony.

How "Everyday Use" functions as an initialion story: a process, how a person grow up

---->awareness---------------------------------->more mature recognition

through Dee's home-coming and the event occured,
mother and Maggie had a groth, an inspiration.

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"No One's a Mystery"

https://scottengnote.blogspot.com/2007/09/no-ones-mystery.html

https://scottengnote.blogspot.com/2007/09/no-ones-mystery.html

"No One's a Mystery"
by Elizabeth Tallent

narrator: the girl , first person point of view
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
characters:
Jack: middle-aged, occupation?
        drove a truck
        smoked
        wore jeans
        talked ill of his wife

18-year-old nameless girl
        who was under age when she met Jack

Jack's wife: middle-aged,by the car and the way she drive
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Situation:birthday celebration and a 5-year diary as a gift

Setting of time: the girl's 18th birthday
autumn: the wheat was fawn and yellow

Place : in Jack's truck
2003年人口普查,懷俄明州(Wyoming)有501,242人,是全美國人口最少的一州,也是在全美國中印第安人比例最高的州.

Every details adds up to the meaning and is suggestive.

Vocabulary

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Plot:
The girl was pushed down --> Her position was low.
Her posture suggests her position of their relationship.

diary ------------> a private record of life
keeps secrets/mysteries

Girl: innocent, naive, unrealistic
Jack: sly, disgusting, selfish, insincere

	Jack	girl
tonight	she loves Jack	agrees
in a year	she parts with Jack	get married
in 2 years	she forgets about Jack	They have a son little Jack
in 3 years	he laughed at the name Rosamund	They have daughter named Eliza Rosamund

middlename: sometimes mother's last name

Story's title is from lyrics of the song  "It Hasn't Happened Yet"
No One's a Mystery

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Questions:
1.How does Jack's present to the narrator, the "five-year diary with a latch and a little key," function symbolically in the story?

2.What do we learn about Jack's marriage? Through what details are these insights communicated?

3.What does each character's version of their future tell us about him or her?

4.The story ends with Jack's words,"if you want to know the truth." Do you think that the narrator does want to know the truth? Explain.

5.A quoted phrase can often take on new meanings in a new context. Consider the story's title:Is its application to the story literal or ironic?

How is the title related to Elizabeth Tallent's story?

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