Analysis of Masterpieces: Family Ties, Change & Communication - Essay Sample

Introduction

This paper presents short stories masterpieces analysis in summary, analysis and correlation of each of these stories to one another. In the stories presented below, the authors narrate the past stories to the audience in first person narrative by use of flashbacks. Additionally, the main theme in these stories are family ties, change and communication making them more effective.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

I Want to Know Why is a story by Sherwood Anderson in the first-person narrative talking to the readers since the name of the main character is unanimous. It talks about a teenage boy contemplating his love for horse racing as a sport which was regularly held in Bakersville, Kentucky hence he became passionate about horse racing and wants to be a jockey. Although he never becomes a jockey, his love for horses never falters. The story's climax is when the boy and his friends travel to New York without their parents' permission to see a horse race. In Saratoga watching his favorite horses Sunstreak and Middlestride racing, Sunstreak catches the boy's eye. And after Sunstreak won the boy's attitude changed because of how Jerry arrogantly boasts. The boy and his peers return home, but nothing is ever the same because of the rage he feels towards Jerry. The story talks about personal growth, family ties and tension and change which frightened the boy. This fright is seen in the second story Sonny's Blues.

Sonny's Blues is a story composed by James Baldwin. Its first publication was in 1957. The story is about two brothers, a high school algebra teacher and his brother Sonny how was incarcerated due to Drug abuse and he is in recovery. The story begins when Sonny's brother reads in the newspaper that Sonny had been detained for peddling and using heroin in Harlem their residing location. The narrator is a responsible father and spouse while Sonny is a musician who loves playing piano. After Sonny's arrest, his brother does not write to him until after his daughter's demise died. The two never understood each other while living together as a family. Sonny goes and lives with his mother in law while learning and playing piano in night clubs. After a long conflict between the two Sonny's older brother accepted his brother talent by admiration and appreciation. Considering I Want to Know Why subject matter, Sonny's Blues shows the characters changing after having tension within their family ties due to poor communication.

The Enormous Radio is a short story by John Cheever written in 1947. The story is about a radio that the Jim's wife uses to listen to private conversations of their neighbors. Irene, Jim's wife, becomes obsessed with listening in on the neighbors after cutting short an outing with a friend. Irene becomes involved with her neighbor's lives until she becomes depressed. Her obsession makes her unhappy and doubtful of everything about her relationship with Jim hence destroying her personally. Also, Jim contributes to this destruction by repairing the costly radio thinking he is responding to her wife's needs. Jim's marriage changed from a happy quiet family to a chaotic, due to lack of communication from Irene and Jim's inattentiveness which is the same in Sonny's Blues story. Jim bought Irene the radio so that she can enjoy herself, but the radio brings the peaceful era of the Westcott's family to an end.

Gusev is a short story written by Anton Chekhov in 1890 based on a real-life incident. The story is about two discharged soldiers, Pavel and Gusev returning home by a ship in a hospital infirmary. The two are dying of consumption. Gusev is a quiet individual who finds it hard to understand Pavel's preaching. Pavel is an activist who claims not to be afraid of anyone and is proud of making anyone around him angry for the last three years of their service in the East. Pavel dies first, but Gusev follows him. Their bodies are wrapped in sailcloth and after a short prayer thrown into the waves of the sea. The story shows ignorance when Pavel shames Gusev for his delusions, yet he does not acknowledge that he is also dying like his shipmates.

Babylon Revised is a short story written by Scott Fitzgerald published in 1930. It is about a man called Charlie Wells who lost the custody of his daughter because of his alcoholism after the death of his wife, Helen. Helen's sister is not happy about the ordeal because she still blames Charlie of the demise of her sister. Things look hopeful for Charlie and his daughter until Lorraine; an old friend visits Charlie while drunk. The incident changes everything, and Charlie's daughter eventually remains in the custody of his aunt and uncle. The story shows how Charlie transitioned from an alcoholic to a responsible father who wants to spend time with her daughter before it is too late. This incident caused family ties to break due to poor communication and understanding between Lorraine and Charlie just like Jim and Irene in Sonny's Blues short story.

A Rose for Emily is a short story by William Faulkner about a woman named Emily Grierson, a lady from a well-off family and Homer Baron, who is a day laborer. Emily's life has been difficult with her father chasing off suitors because he deemed them not good enough for her daughter. After her father's death, Emily develops an attraction for Homer, who is a laborer, and Emily's neighbors are not too happy about it. They feel Homer is beneath Emily's standards. The story ends in a tragedy because when Emily dies at the age of seventy-four, Homer's body is lying upstairs on a bed, and next to it is a strand of hair from Emily's head. The story portrays a love that transitioned into murder when Emily kills Homer and keeps his body in the upstairs bedroom for over thirty years. It also shows how family ties; Emily and her father, can lead to poor communication like in the stories Babylon Revised and The Enormous Radio in deadly desperate actions.

Hills, like the white Elephants, is a story by Ernest Hemingway published in 1927. It is a story about a character called The American and his girlfriend Jig, waiting at a train station. The American want his girlfriend to have an operation; however, Jig is not enthusiastic about it. Jig doubts the love of the American after the surgery, but the American convinces her that everything will be fine after the operation. The story ends when the Spanish bartender announces the arrival of the train in five minutes. The story is about how a relationship change. The relationship between the American and Jig becomes different because the American wants Jig to undergo an operation that his girlfriend is not sure if she wants to. The story how communication is a contributing factor in building and destroying families ties like the stories Babylon Revised and The Enormous Radio.

The metamorphosis is a story by Frank Kafka published in 1915. It is about Gregor Samsa, whom one morning wakes up and finds out that he has transformed into monstrous vermin. As the sole breadwinner at home, everything spirals. His family is ashamed of him. One day, Gregor overhears his sister telling his parents to get rid of 'it,' meaning him, and he despairs and dies overnight. The story portrays the physical transformation of Gregor from a human being to vermin and also the transitioning of the family members from being supportive and loving to being mean and unkind to Gregor after his transformation. The story shows betrayal by family members which is similar to the situation showed in Hills, like the white Elephants.

The Horse Dealer's Daughter is a story by D. H Lawrence published in 1922. It is about Mabel and her brothers who, after their father's death, are forced to leave their family home due to the enormous debt their father had. Mabel does not have a place to go, and later she decides to commit suicide. Doctor Jack saves her making her believe that the doctor is in love with her. However, after a while, she doubts the doctor's feelings towards her. The story ends with the doctor convincing her that he is genuinely in love with her and would want to marry her. Transitioning is evident when Mabel and her brothers are to vacate their homes after the death of their father due to the massive amount of debt they owed. The story shows betrayal by family members which is similar to the story the metamorphosis. Mabel's brothers do not care where she lives and encourage her to be a servant. It contrasts the supportive nature of a family, especially in times of need.

The Garden Party is a story written by Katherine Mansfield published in 1920. The story is about a young lady called Laura and her awakening. The Sheridan's held a garden party annually at their home. During the day of the party, a man from the impoverished part of the village died. Laura is empathetic to the situation and suggests the cancellation of the party, but her mother refuses. After the party, her mother encourages her to take the leftover food to the bereaved family. When she does so, the family encourages her to view the body of the dead man. After she does, a sense of relief overwhelms her. The story shows how Laura transitioned from being a young naive lady to a person who is well aware of the realness of life.

A good man is hard to find is a story written by Flannery O'Conner published in 1953. It is about a grandmother that convinces her son Bailey to take his family for a vacation in East Tennessee instead of Florida. She reminds him of a Misfit that had escaped prison and headed to Florida. The family decides to go to East Tennessee; however, they get involved in an accident. The family survives, but they meet the Misfit, who eventually kills all of them. The story portrays transition when a family outing changes into a tragic murder. The story illustrates how the theme of death shows Christianity. Death is the very notion that enables the grandmother to recognize the Misfit as one of her children.

The chrysanthemum is a short story written by John Steinbeck published in 1937. The story is about a woman called Elisa Allen, a strong, beautiful, hardworking woman who is not appreciated by her husband. Henry makes fun of his wife and does not care about how she feels. The story progresses by the coming of a tinker who repairs pans. Elisa gives him two pans to rebuild and chrysanthemums, which he later discards at the side of the road. The story shows how a happy woman transitions to being lonely and sad because of the lack of attention from their spouses. The chrysanthemums symbolize Elisa's children as we read how she tends to them with love and care.

A & P is a story written by John Updike. Its first publication was in 1961. It is about a boy called Sammy, who tries to be a hero but realizes that heroes do not get far in the modern world. Sammy, who works in an A &P grocery as a clerk, allows girls dressed in swimsuits to shop at the store. The manager Lengel warns the girls to be fully clothed the next time they came to the store. Sammy feels like Lengel ashamed the ladies and decided to quit his work even though Lengel warns him about the hardships he will face if he stops working. Sammy proceeded to quit and find the girls, but they had already left. Transitioning is displayed when Sammy quits his job to be seen as a hero by the girls and as a way of rebelling against the strict society, but he realizes that he has made a big mistake.

The Use of Force is a story written by William Carlos William. Its first publication was in 1938. The story is about a doctor who responds to a call to attend to a girl named Matilda. Due to the outbreak of Diphtheria, the doctor had to examine Matilda's throat; however, Matilda refused to open her mouth. The doctor used force because he feared for the child's health. The story ends when he successfully diagnose...