"The Body" by Stephen King

1. Plot
       This story is about four young boys who go on the hunt for a dead body. It is told at a quick, action-packed pace with interruptions for the narrator's reminiscences. These interruptions take a look at the boys' adventure through a older, much more mature eye. These analyses of the narrator's younger days help the reader to realize that this is a rite of passage story. "There's a high ritual to all fundamental events, the rites of passage, the magic corridor where the change happens", and the narrator only realizes this after the events have long been past. As the young boy Gordie, he only sees it as a trip that he and his buddies are going to make during the last stretch of their summer. This plot of finding a dead body seems to symbolize the boy's finding themselves, and at the same time finding the "dead innocence" within themselves. Over the course of two days, they engross themselves in deep conversation and childlike rough-housing all at the same time. The plot is an element of this story which is hardest to explain, because it is complex, just as the feelings that Gordie was experiencing were.

2. Point of View
       "The Body" is told in first person point of view. This is important to the emotion of the story. If someone who had not experienced all that Gordie had, they would not be able to display it with such conviction as to make the reader feel it themselves. Also, Gordie is older, and tells the story of his younger days, which are twenty years past. This gives him a new perspective on what happened during the two days he went on a trip to find a dead body. This point of view reveals less about the inner workings of Chris, Vern, and Teddy as would an omnicient point of view, but it also gives it the feel of being told a story by someone real. Obviously, Stephen King is not Gordie, but the story feels like something that really could have happened. It is impossible to look back on memories, as the narrator does, and not see how you've changed. And so the reader is discovering all of these long lost memories and new angles on them at the same time as the author.

3. Characterization
     Most of the characters are revealed through Gordie's understanding of them. Gordie himself seems like a pretty typical boy, although the reader knows that he has a very interesting mind by the way he is able to make up intricate stories. Gordie describes Chris as the tough guy of the group, but his true character is also revealed through his interactions with other characters. He is the first to comfort Teddy, he tried to return the lunch money he had stolen, and he doesn't want to hold Gordie down with their friendship. These elements of his character show him to be sensitive. Teddy reacts poorly to Milo Pressman when he calls his father crazy, he defends his father and is proud of his service on the beaches at Normandy, and he always dreams of joining the armed forces. This shows that he is not spiteful of his father, even though he burned him badly, and feels that others should be as appreciative as he is. Vern is an odd character, and there doesn't seem to be a deepness about him as there is with Chris and Teddy. He is an odd kid, always digging for pennies, and he is a scaredy-cat, always running from danger when they are faced with it. All of the characterization is done through either Gordie's opinions of his friends, or his viewing of how they react to others and how others reacts to them.

4. Setting
       The setting of this story is Labor Day weekend of 1960. It is summer time, and the weather is on an incredibly long hot streak. The story is set in small town Maine, where not everything is developed and stretches of raw nature can still be found. All of these elements are important to the story. The fact that it is Labor Day means that the school year is coming soon. These characters do not have much time left to make adventures such as this one, and so they want to get it done while they can. 1960 was also a much calmer time. Neigborhoods were less scary and parents where more likely to not worry when they didn't see their children for two days, as long as they "knew" where they were. The hot weather makes the journey that much more difficult, showing the boys yearning to see the dead body of Ray Brower. And the fact that they are venturing into barely explored territory means that they will be completely on their own. All of these elements mean that these boys are leaving behind all comfort, all certainty that they will be safe, in an attempt to mature themselves and enjoy some time together to grow up.

5. Theme
       The theme of this short story is that death is always something in the future, and so you must live while you can. The boys go to discover this body, thinking that it will be a cool adventure and something that they will be able to say they've experienced. But when they actually see the body of Ray Brower, they are silent and reverant. Seeing someone your own age who is dead is a rude awakening. It made the characters, especially Gordie, realize that they are not immortal and it could have just as easily been them. Gordie sums it up best when he says that "the kid was can't, don't, won't, never, shouldn't, wouldn't, couldn't." All of those things which we as human beings plan on experiencing but put off for another time might not come to be. Gordie realized the sorry truth about death- that it means not getting to live. It sounds like a simple and obvious thing, but by live I mean experience all of the things there are to experience in life. Make a way for yourself, fall in love, get in trouble, all of those things. And so the theme of this novel is important to it's overall meaning because it gives the reader the idea to hold on to while they read about the adventure.

Miss Brill

Personal: While reading this story, I envisioned not a young woman, but maybe someone in her 40's. She describes other people as old. It is not until the end that the reader gets any sort of physical description and this is important. She is really an old lady herself, which helps to reveal the importance of her delusion. She feels like she is an actress on the stage. But the young people at the end only give a brief description of her because it is revealed only through their dialogue. The old fur that she is wearing is a symbol of herself. And at the end of the story, when she hears it crying, it is herself crying.

Once Upon a Time

Question #6: In the story's final paragraph, the boy gets tangled in the very thing installed to protect him. The paragraph reveals the overall meaning of the story- that there is such a thing as over-protection. They were attempting to keep danger out, when they really invited it in. Society is always telling us to install alarm systems and gates and barbed wires. But all of these things trap us in as much as they keep danger out. There has to be a happy medium. It is implied that black people are the robbers they are trying to keep out. In the end, the black workers are the ones who save the boy. Another theme of this story is not to be prejudice.

A Worn Path

Question #6: In regards to why the student would ask if the grandson was really dead, my answer is this. Most people read the story without looking deeper. In real life, whether or not the grandson is alive would matter. There would be repurcussions to her having a dead body. The way she was viewed by her townspeople would change. But if you look further, in a literary way, whether or not the grandson is dead does not hold much weight. The author's response to the question, "Phoenix is alive", shows this theory. Phoenix's character, her mannerisms, and the reactions of others to her presence are more important. The only way to find the true meaning of a work is to look under the surface.

Eveline

Personal: While reading this story, I went along with the girls idea of getting away from her mundane life. She describes her unhappy childhood and home life, althoughshe says they aren't so bad. She talks of the foreign country that this fellow who is well-acquainted with the world will take her to. As her excitement and pensiveness builds, so does the reader's. And yet, when the time comes to take a leap to somewhere she's never been before, she doesn't. After all of that time spent planning she can't do it. This was very disappointing, and my first reaction was to question why the author bothered to write such a boring outcome. But, this story was more like real life because of its ending and offers a life lesson. When we don't take that leap, we miss out on extraordinary things. It is easier to realize in a character than in our own lives.

Everyday Use

At the beginning of the story, the narrator speaks of Dee's yearning to get past her roots and make a way for herself in the world. Her mother has no problem with this. But when Dee returns, so eager to reconnect with her heritage, her mother becomes irritated. The reason that she feels this way is that when Dee was trying to be different, she wasn't exploiting her roots. Now, she is seeking them for the wrong reasons. She wants to "hang them up", present them to the world and yet not truly live by them, and her mother and Maggie do. Maggie is the one who will truly appreciate and use her heritage. That is the problem with some people relying too much on their non-American roots. They exploit them, rather than embrace them.

Bartleby the Scrivener

The narrator says that Bartleby is the most interesting person he has met. He almost seems to revere him for his quirkiness. After all, he tells an entire story about him. Also, when Bartleby begins refusing to do the tasks which are asked of him, the narrator allows him to continue hanging around the office. When he finds Bartleby there on a Sunday, seemingly living there, he does not get angry and kick him out. Instead, he allows Bartleby to ask him to leave his own office. Although the story is centered around Bartleby, little is revealed about his character. He is very static. It is not too often that a story reveals almost nothing about its main character. But I think this in itself reveals something- the emptiness of Bartleby. He really had no character to reveal.

Hunters in the Snow

Question #2- Frank's dialogue helps to characterize him as a weak man and a follower. His criticisms of Tub only come after Kenny has urged him to be mean to Tub. Also, whenever anyone confronts him about what he has said, he immediately apologizes instead of sticking behind his words. Another point that adds to his weakness is his affair with his babysitter and reluctance to tell his wife. This shows that not only is he immature enough to fall in love with a fifteen year old, but he is also not man enough to tell someone who he himself says has been nothing but fair to him over the years. He fits in with the other characters because of this. Kenny is bossy and loves when Frank caters to his malevolent whims. And Tub caters to the weaker side of Frank by saying his affair with the babysitter is okay.

Everyday Use

Question #4- The mother's refusal to allow Dee to have the quilt represents a permanent change. The beginning of the story is a fantasy in which she is able to be the polite and fashionable mother that Dee would like her to be. This shows her unchallenged support of Dee in her attempts to grow out into the world and live more than the simplistic lifestyle of her mother and younger sister. However, Dee comes back as a completely changed person seeking to embrace her grassroots heritage, and her mother no longer aims to please her. She realizes that Dee's lofty life goals are no more valuable than Maggie's more simplistic ones. She has never realized this before because Dee has always tried to get away from her heritage. The details such as her questioning why Dee changed her name and the distance between them foreshadow this event. It represents an important change not only for the mother, but for Dee, who is used to getting her way over her younger sister.

Short Stories Unit 1

How I Met My Husband
Personal Reaction

This story teaches a very important lesson. Sometimes the tragedies in our lives can lead to better things. Chris Watters represents temptation and sinning, something which seems good and fun but actually will lead to pain. Carmichael the mailman is like a blessing. It may be right in front of you, but you don't see it until the sin is gone. Had Edie received a letter from Chris, I believe her love for him would have intensified., and she would not have been able to give the mailman a chance. Chris wouldn't have settled down just for her, and who knows if she would have found true love at all. But she did because she gave up on the idea of ever being with Chris.

Short Stories Unit 1

A Rose for Emily
Question #3

The most obvious detail that foreshadows the end of the story is Emily's purchase of rat poison. It never explains her having a pest problem, although it is ascertainable with the condition of her home. Also, the way she is so cold and vague about its purpose when the druggist asks is suspicious. Another detail could be that Homer Barron goes into her house one day and is never seen again. I did anticipate that Emily had killed Homer. It was pretty obvious when he was suddenly taken out of the story. The narrator never explained where he went or what Emily's reaction was to his disappearance. The overall creepy tone of the story does not leave the reader surprised to find that Emily is a murderer. The story of her life, including her relationship with her father, had been very dark, which is usually how it goes.

Short Stories Unit 1

Interpreter of Maladies
Personal Reaction

Mr. Kapasi's job, besides being a tour guide, is to interpret patients' symptoms to the doctor. Mrs. Das asks him to do the same for her. She wants him to interpret her illness of not loving her husband anymore, and she wants him to explain it to Mr. Das. I thought this was a lot to ask of someone whom she had just met. She also opened up to him about her indiscretions very quickly. Because of this I got the sense that Mr. Kapasi was just one of those people that are easy to talk to. Because of her openness, Mr. Kapasi no longer likes her. Usually, when you discover more about someone you like it is a positive thing. I would have felt sorry for her had she not seemed so cold and mean throughout the story. It was an odd story in that Mr. Kapasi liked Mrs. Das so much in one day of knowing her, but by the way he described her I felt she was pretty stuck up.

Short Stories Unit 1

How I Met My Husband
Question #7

Alice Kelling is important in advancing the plot because had she not shown up the story could have gone in a different direction. Chris Watters showed no signs of planning to leave before her arrival. Theoretically, had he not been in such a hurry to get away from her, he could have fallen for Edie and she never would have met the mailman. I believe she could be described as the antagonist because she opposes Edie in her pursuit of Chris. Even when she looks at Edie, she thinks that she is after her fiance. As the antagonist, she is indirectly and unknowingly successful at keeping Edie away from her husband. Wherever Alice is, Chris does not want to be, even if it's close to Edie. Her arrival and Chris' impending departure may even have been what led to Chris and Edie kissing. And had Chris not left and promised to write to Edie, she would have never grown so close to the mailman.