Roald Dahl's "The Old Man From the South": man, what a crazy short story this one is!
The story is narrated by a man who tells about his meeting with a strange old man in Jamaica. When they notice teenagers in a pool, the old man speaks with one of them: a young man who has a lighter that, he believes, never goes out. This assumption makes the old man concoct an insane bet: if the lighter lights 10 times in a row, the young man wins the old man's Cadillac. If the lighter misses a flick, his pinky finger will be chopped off. Despite the mad nature of the bet, the young man agrees.
The contest takes place in the old man's suite. With his arm tied to the table, the young man makes a successful amount of lights. Unfortunately, his 9th light is interrupted by the old man's wife. As it turns out, the old man was actually sent to the suite by her to get psychological help. Also, the guy has made the bet with other people before, and has collected each of their chopped finger.
This story shows how dangerous the art of gambling can be. For example, in today's society, there are casinos that allow people to bet their house for money! It's amazing what lengths people would do to get something, and with this story, Dahl sends the message loud and clear. The young man knew that the bet was risky, yet he put his pinky finger on the line to get a luxury car.
Some people might argue about gambling being called a sin. However, if they read this story, chances are the arguments will fade.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
A Reader's Response: Ernest Hemingway's "A Clean, Well Lighted Place"
Ernest Hemingway's "A Clean, Well Lighted Place" is a great example of how an author could pack plenty of meaning into a short story. Considering that is this story is only a measly four pages, that's impressive.
The story focuses on two waiters in the bar (one young and one old), as they comment on a man who can't stop ordering liquor. The young waiter wants to leave and go home to his wife, angry that the man isn't finished drinking. The older waiter thinks the man could stay and drink.
It's understandable in this story that the older waiter can relate to the drinker. Like the man, he's lonely, and might be on his way towards the end of his life. On the other hand, the young waiter just wants to hurry home. He has a wife that he loves and wants to spend more time with. In other words, he'd rather be home than wait all night for a man to finish drinking. He doesn't know what the older waiter does. The younger waiter doesn't have the experience of the older waiter; in his eyes, he sees a drunk. In the old waiter's eyes, he sees a mirror image of himself.
The story focuses on two waiters in the bar (one young and one old), as they comment on a man who can't stop ordering liquor. The young waiter wants to leave and go home to his wife, angry that the man isn't finished drinking. The older waiter thinks the man could stay and drink.
It's understandable in this story that the older waiter can relate to the drinker. Like the man, he's lonely, and might be on his way towards the end of his life. On the other hand, the young waiter just wants to hurry home. He has a wife that he loves and wants to spend more time with. In other words, he'd rather be home than wait all night for a man to finish drinking. He doesn't know what the older waiter does. The younger waiter doesn't have the experience of the older waiter; in his eyes, he sees a drunk. In the old waiter's eyes, he sees a mirror image of himself.
A Reader's Response: Eudora Welty's A Worn Path
When I first read this story, I was a bit confused about the story. At first read, Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path" seems to be about the character in the story, Phoenix Jackson, walking down a path while talking to animals and having hallucinations. Sounds strange, doesn't it?
However, when I went over the story again, there's more meaning to it. After reading, I now understand certain clues to the story.
The story's title might describe the road Phoenix walks along, but as the case with Kate Chopin's "The Storm", there's another meaning; the path of the title most likely refers to her age. Phoenix's hallucinations could be a hint made by Welty about her age, such as her confusing a scarecrow for a ghost. Also, it's subtly hinted that Phoenix isn't well educated. She speaks with bad grammar, and when the nurse spoke to her when she visited town, she didn't know when to respond. It seems the path resembles her life, as she is walking towards the end.
In addition, I discovered the path Phoenix walks on has a destination: to help her grandson.
When she visits the nurse at the small town, Phoenix states that he has a condition in which his throat closes up, leaving him unable to breathe. There was a hint in the story in which she imagined a boy giving her a piece of cake. The boy was most likely her grandson. This could be a sign that she cares for her grandson dearly, and would help him in anyway possible. When Phoenix meets a hunter during her trip, he drops a nickel, which leads to Phoenix picking it up without him noticing. With that nickel, she purchased medicine for her grandson.
In addition, there was another piece of the puzzle. The setting was around Christmastime. This meant that Phoenix braved the long path to give the grandson medicine as a gift to him.
"A Worn Path" may seem odd at first read, but if you carefully watch for clues of meaning and symbolism that Welty places along the story, you'll find a better understanding.
However, when I went over the story again, there's more meaning to it. After reading, I now understand certain clues to the story.
The story's title might describe the road Phoenix walks along, but as the case with Kate Chopin's "The Storm", there's another meaning; the path of the title most likely refers to her age. Phoenix's hallucinations could be a hint made by Welty about her age, such as her confusing a scarecrow for a ghost. Also, it's subtly hinted that Phoenix isn't well educated. She speaks with bad grammar, and when the nurse spoke to her when she visited town, she didn't know when to respond. It seems the path resembles her life, as she is walking towards the end.
In addition, I discovered the path Phoenix walks on has a destination: to help her grandson.
When she visits the nurse at the small town, Phoenix states that he has a condition in which his throat closes up, leaving him unable to breathe. There was a hint in the story in which she imagined a boy giving her a piece of cake. The boy was most likely her grandson. This could be a sign that she cares for her grandson dearly, and would help him in anyway possible. When Phoenix meets a hunter during her trip, he drops a nickel, which leads to Phoenix picking it up without him noticing. With that nickel, she purchased medicine for her grandson.
In addition, there was another piece of the puzzle. The setting was around Christmastime. This meant that Phoenix braved the long path to give the grandson medicine as a gift to him.
"A Worn Path" may seem odd at first read, but if you carefully watch for clues of meaning and symbolism that Welty places along the story, you'll find a better understanding.
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