The short story “Hard Times” by Ron Rash, focuses on the effects that depression has on society. The main characters in the story are Jacob and Edna, who are farmers in a rural community in Raleigh, North Carolina. As the story begins, Edna has once again noticed that the eggs from a particular hen is missing. Though she has several other hens, who are laying, she contributes those missing eggs to adding to their poverty. Edna, who was once a very happy person has been soured by the effects of poverty and now stands tight lipped in the door of the henhouse. Jacob makes the comment, "This cove’s so damn dark a man about has to break light with a crowbar” . This comment sets the tone of the story, one of darkness which is a result of poverty.…
Each flawed character Ron Rash creates in the novel has an individual loss which originally divides the characters from each other. As the story progresses each individual eventually connects on a larger scope through their losses and the tragic death Ruth Kowalsky. The loss faced by each character ultimately leads to both positive and negative reactions of how to deal with their tragedies. The character either lets self pity wash and wedge them into a dark abyss, or their forgiveness allows them to set themselves free. The losses connect all the main characters together all though they dealt with each situation differently…
As Elon Musk once said, “When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” This mindset is consistent throughout the novel by Kristin Levine, The Lions of Little Rock. In the book, characters try to defy the odds and overcome hardships.…
Characters that break promises or betrayed from either Crispin or Bear some day they’ll have to suffer the consequences of breaking it. When Crispin was in the heartbreak of his mother’s death, he had run to the woods and saw the steward of the town in the woods. Crispin was spotted and almost killed by the steward. The steward had betrayed him by almost killing someone that was innocent. When…
Through the eyes of various characters, Wolff is able to display the extent to which being in a broken family constitutes failure in throughout the memoir. The idea of having a nuclear family is a prominent theme through the text. To readers surprise Wolff foreshadows this effect of being a part of a broken family through Jack’s infatuation with Annette. This point is taken further by Jack who ‘imagine[s] a terrible accident in front of her house’. This showcases Jacks yearning for love and affection which he doesn’t receive from his mother who is too busy trying to support them both. The impacts of a broken family are further displayed through Terry Taylor and Terry Silver. The failure of Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. Silver to not raise their sons properly is seen through they hooligan like acts such as shoplifting and vandalism. However, being part of a split family can constitute a fail in the memoir, there are those who fail to determine who they are.…
What moral issues are exposed as the story unfolds and which ones does each character represent.…
In the Kite Runner, there were many examples of Betrayals that certain Characters committed. For example, Amir during the kite contest, did not help Hassan when he was getting raped by Assef. Amir’s guilt made him commit an even larger Betrayal. Amir purposely plants items under Hassan's Mattress, causing Baba to kick both Hassan and Ali out of the house. Amir is haunted by these two betrayals throughout his lifetime. Baba also betrayed in the story as well. Baba always said there is only one sin, theft. Baba cheated on Ali’s wife and kept it a secret, which is a lie, which is a theft, which is a sin. When Amir finds out, it makes him furious. Towards the end, Amir figures out that they are not different from each other, but more alike than ever. I think this topic is important because it shows that not everyone is perfect, and everyone betrays someone somewhere in there life at some point. They can be recovered overtime, and they are normal and forever will be. They allow you to fix mistakes that you have done, so it won't happen again in the…
Bridget believes that her parents are deep down good people. She has a close knit family and even though they run an illegal import business and her brother Gavin is in jail for shoplifting, she believes her family are good and they care for each other. This raises the important theme of what is morally right from wrong. Bridgets parents are good people but they are cheating the government. They do have good morals as they believe that their son being in jail is ‘fair cop’ and he deserves it for doing the wrong thing. But, technically they are criminals themselves.…
Is it fair to hold individuals responsible for a choice society pressured them to make?…
Another way people can relate to the story is the part about being betrayed by a…
For my song I picked Garth Brooks “The River.” I consider this song to be very meaningful. This song is about chasing your dreams and never giving up on what you believe in, reminding us that life is shorter than we think and if we just stand on the shore watching the river go by, then life will be gone before we know it. Garth Brooks uses a lot of psychological concepts in this song, such as, Attitude, Affect, Motivation, Optimism, and Behavior. Garth Brooks says, “A dream is like a river.” A dream changes, just like a river changes. As life changes, the river can be calm then strong then calm again, so our path in life change. Garth Brooks says that “He will sail his vessel until the river runs dry.” To me this mean no matter what life throws…
Saints At the River is the fictional account of the death of young Rachel Trois, renamed Ruth Kowalsky in the novel, and the subsequent fight over the recovery of her remains. The differences between the factual account of the events and author Ron Rash’s take, although minute, are detectable. The most obvious difference between the two accounts is that in the novel, the girl’s body is recovered while in the factual account only her remains are found. Rash most likely changed this aspect of the story for dramatic effect, knowing that it would provide an exciting climax for his readers. However, this diminishes the meaningfulness of Rash’s account; therefore, the factual account of Trois’ death holds more significance.…
Kingsolver uses the novel to break down how physically, mentally, and spiritually tough it is for someone to be dragged like a mop around the world and expected to do everything their husband tells them to. Yaël Simpson Fletcher took note to of this and began to depict how Nathan's actions caused his family turmoil. His article regarding The Poisonwood Bible deals with how over time Orleanna and the four daughters were hindered by Nathans carelessness and selfishness.…
Maggie, on the other hand, gets a job at a shirt factory and begins to dates Jimmies friend, Pete. Pete, a seemingly suave and sophisticated man, takes Maggie out to theaters and museums and treats her well. Maggie, unlike the rest of her family, seems almost unaffected by the misery that surrounds her. She does everything in her power to try to break away from the dysfunctional and broken situation that she was born into. Her efforts are subverted, though, by Jimmie and their mother’s rages. According to her family, she disgraces them by leaving the slummy tenement where they live, to be with Pete.…
Betrayal is to disappoint the hopes or expectations of others. To me, betrayal is when an author kills my favorite character in a book because they have betrayed my trust and have hindered my ability to thoroughly enjoy the book or other works they have done. Books are not just stories; they are experiences. When I am engrossed in a book and connect with a certain character it is devastating if they die.…