ENG-215 HW#4

1. My initial impression of Lipsha was that he was youn ! na"#e! an$ superstitious. He was not #ery well e$u%ate$! &ut was ea er to seem so. He thou ht he ha$ an in&orn healin tou%h. Gi#en what ha$ happene$ in the story to that point! ' e(pe%te$ him to thin) his tou%h ha$ an effe%t on Gran$pa. 2. *he +lo#e me$i%ine, that Lipsha prepares is the main fo%us of the story. *he story is a&out why it-s prepare$! how! how it-s a$ministere$! an$ its effe%ts. 't-s %entral to the plot. 't is relate$ to Gran$ma who feels she nee$s the me$i%ine to hol$ on to Gran$pa! the lo#e of her life. 't-s relate$ to Lipsha &e%ause Lipsha has the healin tou%h an$ is therefore the most suite$ in the househol$ to prepare me$i%ine. 't is relate$ to the theme &e%ause in the en$ the me$i%ine is not nee$e$ to lo#e an$ to &e lo#e$! .ust un$erstan$in of oursel#es an$ our lo#e$ ones. 't may &e %onsi$ere$ a sym&ol &e%ause the lo#e me$i%ine is what Gran$ma an$ Lipsha initially &elie#e$ )ille$ Gran$pa. /o it is a sym&ol of me$$lin with fate an$ powers they %an-t %ontrol. *he improper preparation of the me$i%ine is what Lipsha &elie#es too) away his healin tou%h. /o! it is a sym&ol of la%) of faith. *he +me$i%ine, itself is an a%tual heart of a &ir$ that mates for life. We %onsi$er the heart to &e a sym&ol of lo#e an$ of emotion. 0.

' thin) he is sha)in with fear. He &elie#es $eeply in mysti%ism an$ supernatural power. He seems to &e wary or at least re#erent of whate#er woul$ ha#e the power to $o that. ' fin$ it more funny than awesome! that people woul$ &elie#e in supernatural power an$ that their &elief is reinfor%e$ &y somethin silly li)e that. 4. *hese stories are not really off the su&.e%t! as the su&.e%t is a story of the mystery of the une(plaine$ an$ of superstition! &ut they $o $i ress from the %entral story that Lipsha is tellin . *hey &rea) up the story as a retellin of a series of e#ents. *hese stories are more &a%)story an$ they arouse e(pe%tations of more o%%urren%es of mysti%al e#ents. *hey ser#e to hei hten the suspense &efore the me$i%ine is a$ministere$. *he stories also re#eal how superstitious an$ willin to &elie#e in the supernatural Lipsha an$ the rest of the %ommunity on the reser#ation are. *hese e#ents are relate$ to a theme in the story whi%h is the power of &elief an$ people-s fas%ination with thin s they %an-t e(plain. 5. *he $ifferen%es &etween how ' feel an$ how Lipsha feels are present throu hout the story. ' ten$ not to &e superstitious an$ $on-t &elie#e in the irrational. *his ma)es the story a little less relata&le! &ut nonetheless poi nant. *his $ifferen%e len$s itself to the air of mystery with whi%h the story is tol$! to the analysis of life an$ people that Lipsha $oes! an$ to the emotional tone of the story! &e%ause Lipsha &elie#es what he is sayin . 1.

Gran$pa-s $eath $eeply sa$$ens Lipsha an$ Gran$ma! partly &e%ause they &oth feel responsi&le! &ut ' $on-t see it as tra i%. Gran$pa was an ol$ man who li#e$ a full life an$ ha$ starte$ to &e%ome senile. 'n the en$ ' $on-t thin) e#en Gran$ma an$ Lipsha see it as tra i%. *hey &oth reali2e that they are not responsi&le for Gran$pa-s $eath! that fon$ memories of him li#e on! an$ that they &oth still ha#e ea%h other. 3. ' thin) that Lipsha-s $es%ription of +an e#il short%ut, reinfor%e his faith in the ol$ &eliefs. *he fa%t that Gran$pa %ho)e$ when Gran$ma trie$ to use the me$i%ine! %on#in%es Lipsha that his short%ut is what %ause$ Gran$pa-s $eath. He set himself up to &elie#e in the power of the me$i%ine. 'f it $i$ wor) he woul$ ha#e more faith in the power of the ol$ ways! an$ if it $i$n-t! it was &e%ause of his +e#il short%ut., 4. Lipsha-s #oi%e $oes seem to ha#e %han e$ in the final two para raphs of the story. He seems more poeti% in his $es%ription of the mystery of nature! his life! an$ his power. He seems more %onfi$ent whi%h may &e &e%ause he is more assure$ of his ran$mother-s lo#e an$ his lo#e for her! rather than .ust &ein in$e&te$ to her.