“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is a story about a man who is about to be hanged. The man who is to be hanged is Peyton Farquhar, a civilian caught up in the Civil War. Farquhar is a wealthy plantation owner from down south. As a plantation owner of the south he allowed Confederate soldiers to enter his house. He let one soldier in that explained to him about the railroad near by and that the Union was taking over the land quickly. He stated that the Union force was already at the Owl Creek Bridge and that if any civilian was found trying to tamper with the bridge he/she would be hanged. This is why Farquhar’s is being hanged. As he was about to be hung, he could feel the rope tighten around his neck and couldn’t breathe, but the rope failed and all of a sudden he felt himself underwater. Then the soldiers started the shoot at him. They shot a cannonball, which made a huge wave that threw Farquhar onto the land. Once on land, Farquhar ran through trees and straight home. When he got there he saw his wife but before he could say anything or make it known he was alive, he died due to his injuries from the hanging which did not work. Then at the end you find out that the entire excitement of him getting away is merely a dream as he sways from side to side underneath the tree at the Owl Creek Bridge.
One thing I found interesting about this story was the narration. It was quite interesting that the author used a narrator that knew everything about the character but was not involved in the story (third person omniscient). I liked this story due to the setting. It was described in so much detail that it made me feel like I was standing next to Farquhar. It was also attention grabbing that the author went back and forth between the present and the past to give details about what was going on. I did find the end a little disappointing rather than exciting. It seemed unrealistic to believe that he got away initially but then when he ran home I truly thought he had done it. Then it explains that he had a broken neck and died before he reached his wife which to me seemed completely unrealistic. I was not surprised to find out that the entire escape was just something that Farquhar dreamed up. I think the author did a great job with this book but that it lacked suspense.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The Child
Out of all the stories we have read so far I found "The Child" to be the most disturbing. I found that the nature of the story and the way it was written drew me in as a reader and kept me wanting more. The sentence structure of this story is unlike that of the other short stories we've read. The sentences are very short and concise; some being only a word or two. I think this makes it more thrilling and it almost seemed like you were in the thought process of the narrator/main character.
The story is about a man who hasn't been sleeping. At first I suspected it to be a typical insomniac story. It is interesting once you get into the story to find out that the reason he hasn't been sleeping is because he is possibly hallucinating a child. The story never really divulges if the child is real, but it can be assumed that it is purely a hallucination. Once the man sees the word "DAD" on a door to a cafe he becomes obsessed in figuring out if this child could quite possibly be his. He goes through all past relationships writing down details about the women sporadically. He becomes completely dependent on his notebook. His thought processes become that of a typical insomniac which are paranoid and paranormal. He keeps finding differences in his notebook and the feelings in the room which he believes are due to the child. There may be a chance that the man developed some type of mental disorder which makes him forget that he was indeed the one writing the messages in the notebook. He almost becomes kind of schizophrenic at points.
Then the really weird part of the story happens. This man goes on a rampage through a store which causes him to be arrested. When the officers are looking through his stuff they find his notebook with all the females' names in it with the descriptions. To the officers the notes seem disturbing and disgusting. As they read further they start to realize that the women who are mentioned in his notes are the names of women on the missing person's list. This seems a little far fetched and the ending almost ruined it for me. But it proved that his insanity was truly insanity. There had to have been no child, and no reason to be as paranoid as he was. The story was written very well and was interesting from start to finish. It may have felt disturbing to me because it felt like being inside a mad man's head. I think that is what Roddy Doyle was trying to do and I think he did it well.
The story is about a man who hasn't been sleeping. At first I suspected it to be a typical insomniac story. It is interesting once you get into the story to find out that the reason he hasn't been sleeping is because he is possibly hallucinating a child. The story never really divulges if the child is real, but it can be assumed that it is purely a hallucination. Once the man sees the word "DAD" on a door to a cafe he becomes obsessed in figuring out if this child could quite possibly be his. He goes through all past relationships writing down details about the women sporadically. He becomes completely dependent on his notebook. His thought processes become that of a typical insomniac which are paranoid and paranormal. He keeps finding differences in his notebook and the feelings in the room which he believes are due to the child. There may be a chance that the man developed some type of mental disorder which makes him forget that he was indeed the one writing the messages in the notebook. He almost becomes kind of schizophrenic at points.
Then the really weird part of the story happens. This man goes on a rampage through a store which causes him to be arrested. When the officers are looking through his stuff they find his notebook with all the females' names in it with the descriptions. To the officers the notes seem disturbing and disgusting. As they read further they start to realize that the women who are mentioned in his notes are the names of women on the missing person's list. This seems a little far fetched and the ending almost ruined it for me. But it proved that his insanity was truly insanity. There had to have been no child, and no reason to be as paranoid as he was. The story was written very well and was interesting from start to finish. It may have felt disturbing to me because it felt like being inside a mad man's head. I think that is what Roddy Doyle was trying to do and I think he did it well.
Monday, October 19, 2009
The Cask of Amontillado
I again have read this story before now but I remember it well and it was one of my favorite short stories that I read in high school. It involves revenge and ultimately torture. A big difference in "The Cask of Amontillado" as opposed to "The Black Cat" was that the narrator actually had a legitimate motive in this story. In "The Black Cat" the narrator was an alcoholic with a rage for absolutely no reason other than his alcoholism. In this story the narrator had obviously felt wronged and was going to do something about that insult.
This story is narrated by Montresor, who tells the story by stating that he seeks revenge on Fortunado due to the man insulting him. He plots out his revenge perfectly. Montresor tells Fortunato that he has just gotten a shipment of something that could pass for Amontillado, a type of sherry. Because of Fortunado's love for wine and because he is a lush Montresor knows that this plan will work. Montresor tells Fortunato that he can ask a man to taste it if he is not up to it. Fortunato dislikes the man and claims that he could not tell Amontillado from other types of sherry. Because Fortunado is so insulted by this comparison to that man he immediately insists on going to the vaults to taste this sherry. The dampness of the vault aggravates Fortunado's cold but even after many attemps Montresor cannot convince him to turn back.
In the end Montressor traps Fortunado in a small cask and builds a wall so that he will die in that cask. I think that this was the biggest shock for me when I initially read the story. I thought I had it all figured out, the revenge. I believe when first reading it that I thought the narrator would poison Fortunado with a nice glass of Amontillado. The work cask to me had no meaning the first time I looked at the title. I was completely shocked when it seemed so easy for the narrator to just tie Fortunado up in chains and then build a wall so he would die slowly in the damp, dark cask. I thought the story was riveting and kept my attention because it was so twisted. I knew as a reader that this story would keep me guessing up until the last moment.
This story has a lot of the same qualities as "The Black Cat." In both of these stories there is a main character/narrator who is looking for the ultimate revenge. Poe, just like in the last story, put a lot of thought into how the narrator would kill his nemesis. Especially in this story the cause of death for Fortunado would be slow and painful as he died in solitary in the small cask. The plan was also a good one because the narrator would not want anyone to be able to like him to Fortunado's disappearance. The narrator also seems to have no worry that the people at the party that night will not even notice that the 2 men were gone for an extended period of time. This is another trend in Poe's stories; the narrator not thinking that he is going to be caught.
This story is narrated by Montresor, who tells the story by stating that he seeks revenge on Fortunado due to the man insulting him. He plots out his revenge perfectly. Montresor tells Fortunato that he has just gotten a shipment of something that could pass for Amontillado, a type of sherry. Because of Fortunado's love for wine and because he is a lush Montresor knows that this plan will work. Montresor tells Fortunato that he can ask a man to taste it if he is not up to it. Fortunato dislikes the man and claims that he could not tell Amontillado from other types of sherry. Because Fortunado is so insulted by this comparison to that man he immediately insists on going to the vaults to taste this sherry. The dampness of the vault aggravates Fortunado's cold but even after many attemps Montresor cannot convince him to turn back.
In the end Montressor traps Fortunado in a small cask and builds a wall so that he will die in that cask. I think that this was the biggest shock for me when I initially read the story. I thought I had it all figured out, the revenge. I believe when first reading it that I thought the narrator would poison Fortunado with a nice glass of Amontillado. The work cask to me had no meaning the first time I looked at the title. I was completely shocked when it seemed so easy for the narrator to just tie Fortunado up in chains and then build a wall so he would die slowly in the damp, dark cask. I thought the story was riveting and kept my attention because it was so twisted. I knew as a reader that this story would keep me guessing up until the last moment.
This story has a lot of the same qualities as "The Black Cat." In both of these stories there is a main character/narrator who is looking for the ultimate revenge. Poe, just like in the last story, put a lot of thought into how the narrator would kill his nemesis. Especially in this story the cause of death for Fortunado would be slow and painful as he died in solitary in the small cask. The plan was also a good one because the narrator would not want anyone to be able to like him to Fortunado's disappearance. The narrator also seems to have no worry that the people at the party that night will not even notice that the 2 men were gone for an extended period of time. This is another trend in Poe's stories; the narrator not thinking that he is going to be caught.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The Black Cat
Having already read this story in the past I well knew that this was a typical Poe story. It is gruesome and graphic and also a great read. It is one of those stories that keeps the readers guessing and shocks them with something completely out of left field. This story also unlike "The Purloined Letter" was much easier to read and get interested in.
The story starts off somewhat on a good note and then goes slowly into the dark and twisted style of Poe. In the beginning the narrator describes his cat, Pluto which was once a huge part and love of his life. He describes his relationship with Pluto as a "friendship". Pluto got old and the narrator seemed to develop an alcohol problem. As the story develops the character becomes more and more ill tempered, angry and clearly has less external feelings towards his actions. He begins to abuse the animals that he and his wife possess. I found it disgusting that the narrator actually almost got joy out of torturing these animals. He was even driven so mad that he felt the need to kill these two cats that were significant to the story. In fact, when he killed his wife in pure madness, he felt no remorse whatsoever. The only feeling he has at all is how to cover the murder up. He does not feel guilty about the crime he committed. He does not worry that the police will catch him. He thinks that everything will just continue to be. When the murder is discovered he does not even seem worried. This is the epitome of karma and it almost seems that the narrator himself understands that. He had it coming. I think it was incredibly ironic that it was the cat in the end that gave the narrator away.
The story starts off somewhat on a good note and then goes slowly into the dark and twisted style of Poe. In the beginning the narrator describes his cat, Pluto which was once a huge part and love of his life. He describes his relationship with Pluto as a "friendship". Pluto got old and the narrator seemed to develop an alcohol problem. As the story develops the character becomes more and more ill tempered, angry and clearly has less external feelings towards his actions. He begins to abuse the animals that he and his wife possess. I found it disgusting that the narrator actually almost got joy out of torturing these animals. He was even driven so mad that he felt the need to kill these two cats that were significant to the story. In fact, when he killed his wife in pure madness, he felt no remorse whatsoever. The only feeling he has at all is how to cover the murder up. He does not feel guilty about the crime he committed. He does not worry that the police will catch him. He thinks that everything will just continue to be. When the murder is discovered he does not even seem worried. This is the epitome of karma and it almost seems that the narrator himself understands that. He had it coming. I think it was incredibly ironic that it was the cat in the end that gave the narrator away.
Delmonico
I really enjoyed reading this story. I think it was so intriguing because the characters were so out of the ordinary. There was Mr. Jones who goes to the bar on a regular basis because he was in love with Davis the bartender. Then there is Davis who is one of the smartest bartenders around because she can solve people's problems. There are also two men who appear in the bar at the beginning of the story who are the ones who stir up some trouble.
Mr. Jones is the narrator of the story and plays the role of the observer. Before the start of the actual story he gives some background information on the bartender, Davis. He recalls some stories of when her expertise helped a person in a situation. Then the story truly begins. The story starts off with a mysterious entrance of the two strange men into this bar called the Slow Night. It is interesting and a great setting because the lighting is described so well. As they make their way into the bar and order drinks the reader comes to find out that the two men are Bruno and Callahan Jeffers a convicted murderer. Bruno has heard about the wonders that Davis has with solving problems and brings his friend here to try and figure out his problem. Jeffers is accused of murdering his wife but he claims that she just ran off and disappeared to try and frame him. He gives a detailed story of the happenings of the night she disappeared to Davis. During the entire time he is rude and loud and just plain mean. I liked this because it actually caused me to harvest bad feelings towards Jeffers and Bruno. I actually truly disliked them by the end of the story.
In the end Davis gives the men a simple hint and kicks them out of the bar. She tells them that the glass disappeared because the wife broke it at the same time the window was broken. Because of Jeffers' rudeness she does not divulge how she thinks his wife escaped. This story is similar to “The Purloined Letter” because it seems like a complicated conundrum but in actuality it is fairly simple to solve. Davis and Mr. Jones later discuss the possibility of the glass being a distraction so that the men would look a different way while the wife simply slipped out of the house. The story is different from others we've read because it allows the reader to constantly think and be active. There is also no true answer to the question because the reader never finds out what actually happened that night.
I thought that it was interesting that the story started and ended with the love Mr. Jones has for Davis. It seems a little off topic and out of place in a story like this. It seems that during the story he felt the need to protect her a little against Jeffers anger but in the end he is in the same spot as he was before. Jones loved Davis in the beginning of the story and loved her in the end, but was too afraid to tell her because he figured she already knew. It almost makes it seem like her being smart is a bad thing for Jones.
Mr. Jones is the narrator of the story and plays the role of the observer. Before the start of the actual story he gives some background information on the bartender, Davis. He recalls some stories of when her expertise helped a person in a situation. Then the story truly begins. The story starts off with a mysterious entrance of the two strange men into this bar called the Slow Night. It is interesting and a great setting because the lighting is described so well. As they make their way into the bar and order drinks the reader comes to find out that the two men are Bruno and Callahan Jeffers a convicted murderer. Bruno has heard about the wonders that Davis has with solving problems and brings his friend here to try and figure out his problem. Jeffers is accused of murdering his wife but he claims that she just ran off and disappeared to try and frame him. He gives a detailed story of the happenings of the night she disappeared to Davis. During the entire time he is rude and loud and just plain mean. I liked this because it actually caused me to harvest bad feelings towards Jeffers and Bruno. I actually truly disliked them by the end of the story.
In the end Davis gives the men a simple hint and kicks them out of the bar. She tells them that the glass disappeared because the wife broke it at the same time the window was broken. Because of Jeffers' rudeness she does not divulge how she thinks his wife escaped. This story is similar to “The Purloined Letter” because it seems like a complicated conundrum but in actuality it is fairly simple to solve. Davis and Mr. Jones later discuss the possibility of the glass being a distraction so that the men would look a different way while the wife simply slipped out of the house. The story is different from others we've read because it allows the reader to constantly think and be active. There is also no true answer to the question because the reader never finds out what actually happened that night.
I thought that it was interesting that the story started and ended with the love Mr. Jones has for Davis. It seems a little off topic and out of place in a story like this. It seems that during the story he felt the need to protect her a little against Jeffers anger but in the end he is in the same spot as he was before. Jones loved Davis in the beginning of the story and loved her in the end, but was too afraid to tell her because he figured she already knew. It almost makes it seem like her being smart is a bad thing for Jones.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Purloined Letter
I thought the story “The Purloined Letter” by Edgar Allan Poe was an interesting story but I'm not sure if I enjoyed it or not. The plot kept my attention but I think the way it was written made it difficult for me to really get into it. I thought it was also interesting because it was not exactly like many other stories that Poe has written. This story was a detective story but one with a fault. I constantly got the feeling that this man Dupin knew more than G.
The story is about a robbery of a letter that is being investigated by "G", who is the Prefect of Police in Paris. G then goes on to describe not only how the letter was stolen but also how they have investigated the theft so far. The Minister, who is the culprit, stole the letter out in the open but because of a third party the owner of the letter could not stop him. The police then spent the next week searching high and low in the Minister’s hotel room every night while he was absent. As he describes the search you get the feeling that even though it seemed incredibly thorough, G and his police force had to have overlooked something. Then after several weeks G, Dupin and a third man all have another meeting about this letter. G has still not found the letter even though he searched through the Minister's quarters yet again. Dupin on the other hand knows exactly where the letter had been. He somewhat cons G into promising money to whoever finds the letter and the produces it from a concealed spot. Dupin then goes on to explain to the third man or narrator that the reason he found the letter was because he put himself in the Minister's shoes. He thought about it reasonably and the answer was rather simple instead of intricate.
This story has a moral because in the end the reader realize that some things are not as complicated as we think they are. Sometimes the answer is right in front of your face. So even though the basis of this story and the actual story were exciting and fun to read about, the language was still harder to get into because of the constant description of every tiny detail.
The story is about a robbery of a letter that is being investigated by "G", who is the Prefect of Police in Paris. G then goes on to describe not only how the letter was stolen but also how they have investigated the theft so far. The Minister, who is the culprit, stole the letter out in the open but because of a third party the owner of the letter could not stop him. The police then spent the next week searching high and low in the Minister’s hotel room every night while he was absent. As he describes the search you get the feeling that even though it seemed incredibly thorough, G and his police force had to have overlooked something. Then after several weeks G, Dupin and a third man all have another meeting about this letter. G has still not found the letter even though he searched through the Minister's quarters yet again. Dupin on the other hand knows exactly where the letter had been. He somewhat cons G into promising money to whoever finds the letter and the produces it from a concealed spot. Dupin then goes on to explain to the third man or narrator that the reason he found the letter was because he put himself in the Minister's shoes. He thought about it reasonably and the answer was rather simple instead of intricate.
This story has a moral because in the end the reader realize that some things are not as complicated as we think they are. Sometimes the answer is right in front of your face. So even though the basis of this story and the actual story were exciting and fun to read about, the language was still harder to get into because of the constant description of every tiny detail.
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