The Two Grandmothers by Olive Senior

Olive Senior, author of ‘The Two Grandmothers’, was born in Trelawney, Jamaica. She
attended Montego Bay High School, then went on to study journalism in Cardiff, Wales.
She then studied at Carlton University in Ottowa. She currently lives in Canada, but
visits Jamaica regularly.

SUMMARY
The story opens with a little girl telling her mother about her experiences with her two
grandmothers; grandma Dell and grandma Elaine a.k.a Towser. Grandma Dell is her
‘country’ grandmother who lives in rural Jamaica, raises lifestock, caters to her
community, takes her grand daughter to church and is enamored by her grand
daughter’s ‘pretty’ skin and hair. Grandma Elaine, on the other hand, is her ‘town’
grandmother. She has had multiple marriages, is a socialite who dates wealthy men,
travels, and is very concerned about her physical appearance. The grand daughter,
initially, prefers her country grandmother, who is very attentive to her needs and loved
to ‘show her off’ to her friends and neighbours. However, as the story progresses, and
the narrator ages and matures, she begins to prefer her town grandmother, who is more
cosmopolitan and appreciative of material things. With her change in attitude to
grandma Dell, however, also comes a change in attitude to her country friends. They
are no longer figures who inspire awe, but girls to look down on as ‘less than’. The story
closes with the teenage narrator proposing that her family should spend a day with her
country grandmother – then she would be taken care of until next year – ensuring that
they have more time to spend with Towser (Grandma Elaine) as well as pursue more
interesting exploits.

SETTING

• The story occurs in three places; rural Jamaica, Kingston and Clearwater in the USA.
• The story occurs in the 1980’s.

CHARACTERS
Grandma Dell

• Traditional/ old fashion

• Christian minded and simple in her approach to life
• Altruistic
• Never married
• Never dates
• Prejudiced
• Hypocrite

Grandma Elaine (Towser)

• Non-traditional/ Socialite
• Materialistic
• Narcississtic
• Married multiple times
• Goes on dates
• Prejudiced
• Blunt and speaks her mind

Narrator (1st person)

• The readers first meets her when she is a little girl.

• She grows and matures as the story progresses, by the end of the story she appears
to be a teenager.
• She initially prefers the company of Grandma Del, but as she grows up, she begins to
show a preference for Touser.
• She reports a lot of sensitive information, for example – the ‘fall’ of grandma Del,
Pearlie’s home situation, Eulalie and Ermandine’s pregnancies – but does not appear to
understand the gravity of the various situations.
• As she grows up, she appears to become more materialistic in her desires, she wants
to be like every-one else.
• She appears, by the end of the story, to be confused about how to feel about her
physical appearance.
• She cannot be bothered with her country grandmother, grandma Dell, by the end of
the story.
• She begins to appreciate her hip socialite grandma Elaine, aka Touser, by the end of
the story.

THEMES
Racial Prejudice
This theme is highlighted by Grandma Elaine/ Towser and the Clearwater relatives.
Grandma Elaine highlights this theme by her reference to the narrator’s hair; ‘your
mother had better start to do something about your hair from now it’s almost as tough
as your father’s …. If you were my child I would cut it off to get some of the kinks out.’
(Senior, 119) and skin tone; ‘Joyce says Grandma is sorry I came out dark because she
is almost a white lady and I am really dark.’ (Senior, 120). The grandmother’s
preoccupation with the fact that her grand daughter has predominantly black features
highlights the theme of racial discrimination. She sees these features as flaws and
passes this sentiment on to her grandchild. We see the child questioning if being dark is
a bad thing ‘Is dark really bad, Mummy?’ (Senior, 120).

This is in contrast to the country grandmother, Grandma Del, who re-enforces the very
opposite view of Grandma Elaine. She believes that her grandchild’s hair is beautiful
‘Grandma loves to comb my hair she says it’s so long and thick and she rubs it with
castor oil every night.’ (Senior, 117) and her skin is beautiful as well ‘Grandma Del says
my skin is beautiful like honey’ (Senior, 117). Despite this positive re-enforcement by
Grandma Del, it still comes from a place of prejudice. She too, like Grandma Elaine,
believes that being too dark and having too much ‘kink’ in one’s hair is a bad thing. The
two grandmothers only differ in terms of their idea of what is ‘too dark’, or ‘too kinky’.

The Clearwater relatives, particularly Maureen, highlights the theme of racial prejudice.
She introduces the term ‘nigger’ to the story. The narrator questions her beauty based
on what she observes as beautiful around her, and finds herself lacking; ‘how can I be
beautiful? My skin is so dark, darker than yours and Maureen’s and Jason’s and Auntie
Rita’s. And my hair is so course, not like yours or Maureen’s but then Maureen’s father
is white. Is that why Maureen called me a nigger?’ (Senior, 124). The narrator declares
that she hates Maureen, based on the before mentioned incident, but, ironically, she
wants to be like Maureen and is even more ashamed of her hair.

Social Prejudice
This theme is highlighted by Grandma Elaine, Grandma Dell, and the narrator.
Grandma Elaine has a distinct disdain for Grandma Dell. She believes that ‘granny Del’
is a country bumpkin from the ‘deepest darkest country’ (Senior, 118). She sees her as
irrelevant and believes that she is brainwashing her grandchild with information that is
not only irrelevant, but embarrassing as well. This disdain comes from the fact that
Elaine is a socialite who’s world is the direct opposite of the simplistic life that Grandma
Del leads. Grandma Elaine dates rich white men, travels, and ensures that she
maintains her beauty. She views Grandma Dell with scorn because she does not do the
same.

The reader receives no inkling of Grandma Del’s feelings toward Grandma Elaine, but
we are treated to the judgement that she quietly metes out to her neighbours in the
country. She views Ermandine and Eulalie as ‘a disgraceful Jezebel-lot and dry-eye’
(Senior, 121) because they have disgraced their parents by getting pregnant. She views
them as being beneath her, despite the fact that she also did the same, and was also
shunned by the community for a period of time.

The narrator, in turn, adopts the prejudices of both grandmothers. She starts to dislike
going to the country because ‘there’s nobody but black people’ (Senior, 123) there. She
looks down on her friends – Ermandine, Eulalie and Pearlie – due to their multiple
pregnancies and bedraggled state. She starts to literally avoid them because she does
not want them to ask her for some of her clothes. Everything about being in the country
(rural area), from the people to her experiences, annoys her – in her teen years –
because visiting the country is shameful in relation to going to Europe or America. It is
not considered to be a socially relevant activity.

Love and Family Relationships

Both grandmothers love their grandchild, and she loves them in return. Grandma Del
shows her love by combing her granddaughter’s hair, taking her to church, steering her
away from negative influences, and educating her about appropriate behaviour. Initially,
this education is appreciated and accepted by the narrator, but as she grows up and
matures, she views this show of love as stifling and irrelevant. The narrator does not
love her grandmother any less, it is just that their point of views no longer align.

Grandma Elaine, on the other hand, shows her love for her grandchild by highlighting
her flaws and seeking to improve them. Therefore, she points out that the child’s hair is
kinky and her skin is too dark. Undoubtdley, this is an inappropriate conversation to
have with a small child, however, this is her flawed way of showing her love. She
suggests activities for improving the child’s social prospects such as finishing school
and visits off the island. The narrator returns this love by eventually placing Grandma
Elaine as the favoured grandmother. She even adopts, eventually, her materialistic
sensibility.

Women in Society
This is a story about women, the values that they pass on, and the way that they treat
each other. There are women of different social status’ and financial backgrounds in
the, story and all of them contribute to this theme. Grandma Elaine is of a high social
status and she treats grandma Del, who is of a lower social status, with disdain.
Grandma Del, in turn, treats Eulalie, Ermandine and Pearlie with disdain for being poor,
as well as victims of their financial, and social, circumstances. The narrator joins this
cycle by discriminating against her ‘country’ friends by viewing herself as better than
them. Ironically, she suffers the same treatment at the hands of her cousin, Maureen,
who treats the narrator as ‘less than’ as well. The possible moral of this tale is that
women should try to understand and accept each other.

Innocence vs. Loss of Innocence

As a child, the narrator reports the actions of others without understanding a lot of what
is happening. This is the definition of innocence. She also accepts people for who they
are and sees the good in them. This is seen in her awe at Eulalee’s skills in the kitchen,
as well as her acceptance of Ermandine and Pearlie’s babies. She simply accepted
without judgement. This changes as the child matures and she starts to view herself as
better than her friends. This is because her circumstances happen to be better than
theirs. This signifies a loss of innocence that comes with maturity

The Two Grandmothers by Olive Senior

In The Two Grandmothers by Olive Senior we have the theme of tradition, modernity, identity,
change, independence, connection, materialism, insecurity and coming of age. Taken from her
Arrival of the Snake-Woman and Other Stories collection the story is narrated in the form of several
letters (an epistolary narrative) sent by a young unnamed girl to her mother. What is also
interesting about the story is the fact Senior appears to be comparing both Grandmothers to each
other by way of tradition versus modernity. Grandmother Del would be more traditional than
Grandmother Elaine. She is a regular church goer, she believes in making her own clothes and tries
to keep the narrator as level-headed as possible through her own personal beliefs. Something which
is in complete contradiction to the more modern Grandmother Elaine. Who is either separated or a
widow but who nonetheless throughout the story manages to have three separate boyfriends. It is
also interesting that Grandmother Elaine tells the narrator to call her Towser. This may be important
as it suggests that the younger Elaine does not associate herself with the idea of being a
grandmother. If anything she is still young at heart and believes in living her life on her own terms.
Though it is interesting that she is reliant on modern technology while Grandmother Del, who leaves
a less materialistic live, manages to exist without the latest technological gadgets.

It may also be important that the narrator follows the wisdom of Grandmother Del. Till she reaches
a certain age when there is a noticeable change in the narrator. No longer does she like to visit
Grandmother Del nor does she like Grandmother Del’s neighbours. It is also noticeable that the
narrator has become more like Towser in her outlook on life. She like many young girls wishes to
dress herself, wear make-up and live a more materialistic life. Something that is noticeable by way
of the fact that the narrator complains to her mother that Grandmother Del only has a black and
white television. What is also interesting is the connection that the narrator has with both her
grandmother’s. The narrator when she is younger is more connected to Grandmother Del. However
as she grows older and enters womanhood the reader discovers that the narrator feels more of a
connection with Towser. It might also be important that Towser is relying on her looks as she grows
older whereas Grandmother Del appears to live a simpler life and is more self-reliant than Towser. If
anything each of Towser’s suitors are paying for her lifestyle.

Though some critics might suggest that Grandmother Del is living an old-fashioned lifestyle. It may
be important to remember that she is also poor. She cannot afford to do the things that Towser
does nor does it appear as though Grandmother Del would wish to. It might also be important to
consider how independent Grandmother Del and Towser are. Grandmother Del is forced to be self-
sufficient and she manages very well with the little that she has. Towser as mentioned appears to
be reliant on others and is far from independent. Something that the narrator does not seem to
notice. Such is the development in her growth and her belief that Towser lives a better life. The
reader is also fully aware that the narrator is basing her opinion on materialism. The narrator is at
an age in which appearance is important to her and so too are material possessions. It is also
noticeable that the narrator from the start of the story to the end is developing her identity. Where
once she was happy to have castor oil rubbed into her hair as she has gotten older the narrator
prefers to use conditioner.

It may also be significant that the narrator falls out with so many of her peers throughout the story.
Where once she had empathy for some of Grandmother Del’s neighbours. Pearlie being an example.
As she has grown older the narrator considers Pearlie to be an embarrassment. The narrator basing
her opinion solely on Pearlie’s physical appearance and the fact that Pearlie is wearing torn clothes.
If anything the narrator has come of age and is beginning to see her life and other people’s lives in
a different manner. Where once the narrator might have been considered innocence. This is not the
case as the narrator matures. She is wholly focused on herself as she grows up and other people’s
opinion of her appear to matter to the narrator. Something that becomes clear to the reader when
Maureen uses a racial slur to describe the narrator. If anything it may be a case that as the narrator
has grown she has become more insecure. She may have the appearance she has desired but she is
not really any happier. She has being influenced by material possessions where once she was happy
to wear Grandmother Del’s homemade dresses. In reality the narrator is forgetting about the
traditions of Grandmother Del in preference for the more modern approach of Towser. Something
that is clearer to the reader by the fact that the narrator no longer wishes to visit Grandmother Del.

Emma by Carolyn Cole

In Emma by Carolyn Cole we have the theme of connection, independence, innocence, infidelity,
desire, respect and change. Narrated in the first person by a young girl called Dory the reader
realises after reading the story that Cole may be exploring the world of connection. Though Dory is
still young she prefers the world of the adults around her. This may be important as the reality is
that Dory does not fully understand the interactions of the adults in her life. Particularly Emma’s
relationship with Mrs Robinson. Mrs Robinson is fond of giving Emma advice but it seems to be a
case that Emma would much prefer to live her life independent of Mrs Robinson’s opinions. It is also
interesting that both Dory and Maria look up to Emma. She for them is everything that a woman
should represent. It is also possible that due to Dory’s young age Emma may be Dory’s first role
model and as such is going to have a deeper impact on her. There is also a sense that Emma wants
to raise Dory in the correct manner and as such insists on Dory calling her mother or Mommy.
Though this may sound minor the benefit of it is that it instills respect between Dory and Emma.
First and foremost Emma is Dora’s mother and then her friend. There has to be one adult in the
relationship.

There is also a sense that the narrator wants to grow up as quick as she can and she hopes to be
just like Emma. This could be important as it highlights to the reader the fondness, connection and
respect that Dory has for Emma. However things unfortunately do not work out as planned for Dory
when Emma is knocking down and killed in a car accident. The accident being triggered by Dory’s
father’s infidelity with another woman. If anything Dory’s life changes dramatically and it appears to
be a case that her father after Emma’s death pursues a relationship with Mrs Robinson (Maria’s
mother). This could be important as Mrs Robinson is unlike Emma and any sense of balance that
Dory had in her life may now be being disregarded due to her father’s romantic involvement towards
Mrs Robinson. There is no longer any one to fight Dory’s corner for her or to keep her on the
straight and narrow. The family unit that she was so used to be a part of has been reshaped and
possibly not for the better.

The reader is aware that Mrs Robinson had her eyes on Dory’s father and it looks like she didn’t
waste too much time in starting a relationship with him. Any feelings of remorse for Emma are no
longer relevant. Mrs Robinson has gotten what she wants. Similarly by sending both Dory and Maria
to boarding school Mrs Robinson is able to spend more free time with Dory’s father. The fact that
the events of the story are also filtered through the eyes of a child, Dory. Could also be significant
as the reader is aware that Dory is innocent and may not necessarily understand what is happening
or why her life is changing so much. She knows that Emma is dead but the arrival of Mrs Robinson
in her father’s life and then them kissing can only but lead to the confusion that Dory is feeling.
Similarly Dory is so young that she treats everything as though it is a game. Even when the
consequences are so severe. Though some critics might suggest that Mrs Robinson is doing the right
thing by helping Dory’s father. The reality is that she is doing so to satisfy and please herself.

Something that is clearer to the reader by the fact that it is Mrs Robinson’s idea to send both Dory
and Maria to the boarding school. They will no longer be in her way and she can spend as much
time as she wants with Dory’s father. If anything the reader feels empathy for Dory. She has lost
her mother who kept her on the a straight and narrow and she has inherited a step mother in Mrs
Robinson whose primary goal is not Dory’s welfare but rather enjoying her relationship with Dory’s
father. For Mrs Robinson what is happening is a game. A game that Dory is a pawn in and may not
necessarily wish to play. Due to Emma’s death Dory’s life has changed forever. She will not get the
same connection she had with Emma with another human being. They may have argued with one
another but they were always there for each other. Even if Dory forgot to call Emma Mommy on
occasion. In reality just as Maria is Emma’s friend so too was Emma. With her loss comes the
introduction of a woman (Mrs Robinson) who appears to know how to put herself first and ensure
that Dory’s father focuses on her and not on Dory.

Emma by Carolyn Cole

SUMMARY

This short story is told from the first person perspective of a little girl called Dorian York.
The focus of her thoughts is her mother; the games that they play together, and the
games that she plays with her friend, that revolve around her mother. The first person
perspective of the narrative gives the reader an intimate view of how the little girl sees
her mother, as well as how she feels about her. We are also able to garner information
about the people around her from her innocent narrative, innocent because the little girl
does not understand many of the things that she reports. The reader learns that Emma
and Mr. York have a volatile relationship that is seemingly caused by his infidelity. This
infidelity is initially implied by Emma’s constant watching of the clock and waiting for her
husband to return home, as well as the fight that Dorian reported. Grandfather’s visit,
however, brings a happy atmosphere to the family unit because daddy starts to do
things with the family, hence they seem more like a conventional happy family. The
audience is given the impression that things go back to normal after grandfather leaves,
however, due to the spectral presence of the ‘lady at the train station’, as well as Mrs.
Robinson’s pointed discussion about Mr. York’s status as a ‘player’. The narrative
climaxes with the death of Emma at the train station. She saw her husband with the
mysterious lady and runs away, followed closely by Dorian and Jack. Unfortunately,
when Jack caught her by the arm, she ran into the path of an oncoming vehicle and was
killed. Jack and Mrs. Robinson then get romantically involved, and they send both Maria
and Dorian to St. Agnes, a boarding school, in the country.

SETTING

• The story occurs in three places; the York residence, an unnamed mall and the old
train station.
• The mood of the story fluctuates from happiness to sadness.
CHARACTERS

Jack York (Daddy)

• He is Doran’s father and Emma’s husband.

• He is characterized as a ‘player’ by Mrs. Robinson.
• He is not faithful to his wife.
• He was not ready for the arrival of his daughter, Dorian, and does not seem to have a
close relationship with her.

Emma York

• She is Dorian’s mother and Jack’s wife.

• She is a good mother who plays with her child and treats her well.
• She is a good wife who loves her husband (as seen in how she greets him when he
gets home) and is considerate of his feelings; as seen in her reasons for not having
another baby.
• She is a very smart and polished lady who can handle herself with people who are coy
and critical of her; as seen in her argument with Mrs. Robinson in the mall.

Dorian York

• A very innocent little girl who is the first person narrator of the story.
• She is younger than her friend Maria, who is nine (9) years old.
• She adores her mother and her grandfather.
• She is often puzzled by the content of adult discussion.

Grandaddy

• Emma’s father.
• Brought joy into the family because daddy stayed home, came home early, and spent
quality time with the family, due to grandaddy’s implied interference.
• Loved her grandfather because he seemed to do what her dad didn’t – spent time with
her – and her first person perspective of him reflected her love.

Ruby Robinson

• She is Emma’s friend and Maria’s mother.

• She is not a good friend to Emma because she is both critical and jealous of her.
• She gets romantically involved with Jack after Emma dies.
• She’s very impatient with both girls.
• She sends Maria and Dorian to boarding school in order to enact her plan to keep the
‘player’.

Maria Robinson

• She is the nine (9) year old daughter of Ruby Robinson.

• She is Dorian’s playmate.
• She filters and explains a lot of the adult conversations that Dorian does not
understand.

THEMES

Innocence

This theme is epitomized by Dorian York. The story is told from her perspective,
therefore, the reader gets a firsthand view of the innocence behind her
misunderstanding of adult conversation and situations. She senses emotions, but
misses a lot of the innuendo, as is seen when she tells the audience about the fight that
her parents had. Her innocence is also seen in her expectation that her mother would
come home after the accident, but instead, she finds Mrs. Robinson in her mot her’s
bed. Her growth, or advancement into maturity, is highlighted in the end of the short
story when Dorian reassures Maria that everything will be ok, they will play adult games
better.

Love and family relationship

There are two types of families in this short story, the nuclear family and the single
family unit. Dorian’s family is the nuclear family, consisting of mother, father and child.
This family is a troubled one because the father is seemingly more absent than present
due to an implied ‘other woman’, who is later confirmed as very real. He also seems
uncomfortable around his only child, as is confirmed by Emma, who decides to forgoe
having another child because ‘Jack wasn’t ready for Dori’ (Cole, p.53). Emma, on the
other hand, seems to live to please both her child and husband. She is very affectionate
with Dorian, and this love is returned ten fold, as seen in the adoration that imbues the
tone of the narrator. She is the same with her husband, but the reception is less
enthusiastic. It would be unfair to say that the family is dysfunctional, because one
parent is at least invested in the emotional happiness of the child, but the family has
issues because the head of the household’s concentration lies elsewhere.

Mrs. Robinson is a single mother, parenting her only child; Maria. She does not appear
to be particularly liked by both girls because no-one wants to ‘play’ at being her. She
aggravates her child constantly and appears to be unhappy with her life. This family
structure can be seen as dysfunctional because the parent does not seem to devote her
energies toward making her child feel loved and comfortable, which is one of the
primary aims of any family structure.

Friendship

There are two contrasting friendships in this short story. There is the friendship between
Dorian and Maria, which is characterized by play, conversations and support of each
other. Then there is the friendship between the adults, Emma and Mrs. Robinson, which
is contrastingly characterized by cattiness and jealousy; mostly on Mrs. Robinson’s part.
MOTIF

Play

The motif of play appears to be a strong one in this short story, perhaps due to the fact
that the narrator is a young child. The children ‘play’ at being adults, imitating – and
fighting over – their favourite adult. They also literally see the life of adults as play.
Dorian confirms this at the end of the story when she reassures Maria that ‘I learned a
lot about this game. When it’s our turn to play, we’ll play smarter.’ (Cole, p.58).

SYMBOL

Deck of cards

The deck of cards that Emma carries around in her purse is a powerful symbol for life.
In any card game that is being played, every-one has a chance at success, or failure,
depending on how they play the game. Mrs. Robinson gives Emma an alternate way to
play the game of life, with success being the joy of keeping her ‘player’ husband.
Emma, however, chooses to play the game in an another way, one in which she
attempts to satisfy the needs of both Dorian and Jack. Emma is the loser in the game,
however, because she dies with the joker in her hand. This signifies that her future
could have gone in any direction because the joker introduces the element of chance to
the game; it can be a bonus, a penalty, or both, depending on how it is used in the
game. In the game of life, Emma lost because she chose to take a chance with pleasing
both members of her family, instead of concentrating solely on her husband, as Mrs.
Robinson suggested. The game of life gives every-one chances however, just like a
card game, and Mrs. Robinson was given a chance to bag her rich man with Emma’s
exit from the game.
Man of the House by Frank O’Connor
Sullivan is a little boy of ten years. It’s a small family of two persons with meager means. The
mother is working and the son like any other boy of his age goes to school. He is a loving son
and for the mother her son is as good as gold itself.

SUMMARY
The story starts with a terrible sound of constant coughing of the sick mother which wakes up the
little boy and he runs downstairs to look into the matter. There he finds his mother in a critical
condition collapsing in an armchair holding her sides. Totally distressed she was trying to light a
fire to make tea for the boy but the smoke generated by the wet sticks worsened her cough.
Worried son immediately takes charge of everything. He stops her from going to work and
makes her lie in the bed.

Dutiful Sullivan makes tea and toast for her. He immediately decides that instead of going to
school he would stay at home to look after his mother and mind home affairs. Systematic boy
heats up another kettle of water and cleans up the breakfast mess. Then he comes to his mother
to make a list to shop for dinner. Caring Sullivan is worried and wants to call a doctor for his
mother but thrifty mother declines his wish as she is afraid that the doctor would send her to
hospital. To cheer up the frightened son the affectionate mother tries to pretend that she is fit and
fine but their neighbor Miss Minnie Ryan has all the doubts that she might be suffering from
pneumonia. She advises him to give his mother some hot whiskey mixed with a squeeze of
lemon in it to comfort her.

Determined Sullivan goes to the public house for the first time to get whiskey. Although scared
he does not lose courage and overcomes his fear. Whiskey does not work that well and whole
night depressed Sullivan could not sleep due to the terrible coughing of his mother. She keeps on
rambling badly while talking. In the morning bewildered Sullivan heads to call the doctor from
the distant dispensary. Before that he goes to get a ticket from the house of a Poor Law Guardian
to save the doctor’s fees. The organized boy tidies the house and keeps ready the basin of water,
soap and a clean towel for the doctor. Much to their relief the doctor doesn’t advise to hospitalize
the mother instead he prescribes a cough syrup for her.

Reliant Sullivan’s sincerity and concern earns all the praise of Miss Ryan and the doctor for him.
Again the poor boy sets off with a bottle to get the medicine from the dispensary situated at a
distant place. On the way he comes across a cathedral. With complete devotion he prays for his
mother’s quick recovery in his heart and makes up his mind to spend his only penny to light a
candle in the church when he would finish his task. At dispensary he meets a little girl Dooley
who has come to get medicine for her sister. The girl is very clever and talkative. Anguished
Sullivan enjoys her company after going through such terrible times. On way back the innocent
boy spends his penny on sweets which they both enjoyed. Dooly is a cunning girl. She incites
Sullivan to taste the sweet cough syrup of his mother. Confused boy gives way to temptation.
Both of them relish it immensely. When the entire medicine is consumed confused Sullivan
realizes his fault. He begins to panic and starts crying. Dooly misleads him to tell a lie that the
cork fell out.

Repentant Sullivan is full of remorse and guilt feeling. He fears that because of his negligence
his mother would not get well. Panicked Sullivan prays the Virgin Mary to do some miracle to
save his mother. He gets back home totally broken and shattered. Mother is alarmed to see him
howl. She hugs and consoles him passionately. Truthful and honest Sullivan confesses his crime.
The forgiving mother shrugs it off. The tired boy falls fast asleep under the intoxication of the
medicine. With the grace of God the miracle happens and Sullivan wakes up to find his mother
smiling and recovered.

ANALYSIS

The story is written in autobiographical mode. The language of the text is rich and descriptive.
The content of the story is based on the delicate relationship of a mother and son. The marathon
efforts of the little boy to make his ailing mother comfortable fill the hearts of the readers with
compassion and sympathy. The childish act of drinking the medicine of his mother by the kids is
the climax of the story. Along with the boy the readers too get nervous that what is going to
happen now. The plot of the story is binding.

The title of the story is very appropriate. Having his mother ill the small boy takes up the whole
responsibility to attend her and mind the household. He does everything that an adult person
would have done to manage the situation. Even he goes to pub to get whiskey for his mother
although he was scared to see the ruffians there. He acts like a mature person taking all the wise
decisions to help his mother get well soon. That is why he is aptly called ‘The Man of the
House’.
 ‘Blood Brothers’ by John Wickham Analysis
A Reading of the Short Story

Overview

This story is about two brothers Paul and Benjy. Both brothers can be considered to be ‘Blood
Brothers’ because they are thirteen year old twins. Despite the fact that Paul and Benjy are twins;
they both display different personality traits. Paul is an introvert who loves nature and he loves to
contemplate about life. Whereas, Benjy is Paul’s polar opposite. This further reinforces that
although both boys are genetically related that is where the commonality ends. Benjy is an
extrovert who is very carefree and fun loving. However, Paul thinks his brother believes he is
superior and as a result he grows to hate him. Paul is conflicted about his feelings because deep
down he wants Benjy to be his friend and confidant. The story ends with Paul attacking Benjy.
Benjy is surprised and confused because he did not know or understand why Paul reacted in this
way.

Characters

Paul:

 Paul is an introvert.
 He is artistic and he paints pictures
 He loves nature.
 He is also very reflective. He contemplates nature as well as his feeling towards his brother.
 He dislikes Benjy’s ability to accomplish simple tasks quickly.
 He resents Benjy because he reminds him of his own short comings.
 He envies Benjy and his envy turns to hate.
 He thought Benjy feels he is superior to him.

Benjy:
 He is an extrovert and carefree
 He is confident.
 He is a typical boy, very active, adventurous and always exploring.
 He is ignorant to his brother’s disdain for him.
 He felt he is superior to Paul.
 He mocks Paul.

Mac:

 He is an old shoe maker in the village. Both boys go to visit him.

Narrative Point of View:

 Third Person Narrative

Setting: The story takes place in an unnamed village.

Conflict: Paul envies Benjy carefree personality as a result of this he grew to hate Benjy. This
hate resulted n him attacking his brother.

Themes:

 Love and family relationships

 Childhood Experiences
 Appearance vs Reality

In Blood Brothers by John Wickham we have the theme of hate, discontent, connection, jealousy,
fear, independence and confidence. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator the reader
realises after reading the story that Wickham may be exploring the theme of hate. Paul is
uncomfortable with his relationship with his twin brother Benjy. He dislikes the fact that Benjy
appears to be able to do things that Paul himself cannot do. Paul also dislikes not being as brave as
Benjy and in many ways uses Benjy as his benchmark for doing things. This may be important as
Wickham may be suggesting that Paul compares himself to Benjy. When the reality is he has no
need to. If anything Benjy’s influence on Paul affects Paul’s confidence and his belief in himself.
Which may be the point that Wickham is attempting to make. He may be suggesting that should a
person continually compare themselves to another person they will inevitably be unhappy.
Something which is very much the case when it comes to Paul. He is an unhappy child based solely
on what he perceives are his inadequacies. At no stage does Paul think of the things that he is good
at rather his main focus is on how he is not as good as Benjy at things.

There is also a sense that Paul is afraid of failure or at least what he perceives to be failure. The
walk at night time with his father and Benjy being an example. Yet at the same time Paul wants to
make a connection with Benjy. Even if it means that he feels as though he is second best to Benjy.
This too may be important as Wickham could be highlighting how deep and strong the bond is
between Paul and Benjy. Though Paul may hate Benjy. He still wants to be his friend. He wants to
have a loving relationship with his brother. Benjy’s character is also interesting as he appears to be
completely secure within himself and free of other people’s opinion of him. Unlike Paul who seems
to judge himself based solely on Benjy’s actions. If anything Paul lacks the independence to be his
own person and some critics might suggest that Paul is jealous of Benjy’s abilities. If this is the case
then Paul will never be happy as he will always be looking to see if he can better Benjy rather than
living each day as it comes.

There is also some symbolism in the story which may be important. The casuarina tree and the
appearance it takes on at both night and day time in many ways mirrors Paul’s change in mood
when he and Benjy are at Mac’s. The angelic appearance of the tree during the day in many ways
mirrors how Paul lives his life. However the appearance that the tree takes on in the evening when
it is dark also mirrors Paul’s reaction to Benjy when Benjy asks him to play with him. The leather
that Paul is punching holes into may also have some symbolic significance as the reader is aware
that the leather in Mac’s shop is used to make and repair shoes. By having Paul playing with the
leather Wickham could be symbolically suggesting that Paul is making a new pair of shoes to walk
in. Something that is clearer to the reader when Paul attacks Benjy. The fact that Mac is unaware of
what is happening and thinks that both boys are playing may also be important as it could suggest
that the battle that Paul feels he is facing with Benjy is not a public battle but a personal battle.

The end of the story is also interesting as Wickham appears to be exploring the theme of fear. Benjy
is afraid of Paul after he threatens him with the sharp awl. For the first time in the story Benjy
shows fear. This may be important as it is through showing fear that the reader suspects that Benjy
may now have an understanding for how Paul feels. In reality the attack connects both Paul and
Benjy. Though at the time neither boy would be aware of this. It is also possible that through the
experience of the attack both Paul and Benjy will become closer to one another. With Benjy
probably knowing or understanding how Paul feels. If anything their relationship will grow and
prosper. Paul has stood up for himself and by doing so has defined himself. Whether he meant to do
so is another thing but the important thing is that he has done it. He has stood on his own two feet
and not let Benjy get the better of him. Which may leave some readers to suggest that Benjy will
treat Paul as an equal rather than as somebody that he can taunt and use for his own amusement.
The Day the World Almost Came to An End-
notes
SUMMARY
This short story was told from the perspective of an adult and chronicles the events
behind a child’s (the adult narrator) belief that the world was about to end. The story is
set on a plantation in Louisiana in 1936, where the church was the axis around which
plantation life revolved. Despite this fact, the narrator was holding on to being a sinner
because she believed that she could not ‘live upright’. One day, while she was playing,
her cousin Rena informed her that the world was coming to an end. This was based on
a conversation that Rena overheard, and misunderstood, about the eclipse. The hellfire
sermons in church did not help to stem the narrator’s mounting panic and she worried
herself into a frazzle as a result. She had a conversation with her father about this issue
and he tried to quell her fears, but unfortunately, he only managed to increase it with his
statement that the world could come to an end at any time. The narrator spent the night
conjuring images of dooms day, which led to her overreaction to hearing the rumblings
of an old airplane. She ran out of her house screaming that the world was coming to an
end. Her father caught her on the road and calmed her down. She appreciated life a lot
more after that incident and lived her life to the fullest.

SETTING

The story occurs on a plantation in Louisiana in 1936.

CHARACTERS

Daddy:

• Understanding
• Has a good relationship with his daughter

1st person narrator:

• Imaginative
• Bold
• Naive

Rena:

• Naive

THEMES

Religion:

This is the central theme in this short story. Plantation life was centered on religion to
the extent that even the narrator’s father was a deacon in the church. Religious fervor,
in the form of hellfire preaching, is also the fuel for the panic that overtakes the
narrator/protagonist in this short story.

Love & Family Relationship:

The love and trust between father and daughter is glaring. When the
narrator/protagonist was worried about the world coming to an end, the first person that
she thought to consult on this issue was her father. His response to her childish fears, in
turn, highlights the easy relationship between the two. Daddy’s care in covering his
daughter after her mad dash through the turnrow is also an indication of the love that he
has for his child.

Innocence

Analysis of Berry by Langston Hughes

Summary
Berry is about a young black man called Millberry Jones who is employed at Dr.
Renfield’s Home for Crippled Children. He was reluctantly employed by Mrs. Osborn,
the housekeeper, because the Scandinavian kitchen boy had left without notice, leaving
her no choice in hiring Berry. Her reluctance to hire Berry stemmed from his race, which
initiated questions such as where he would sleep, as well as how the other employees
would react to the presence of a Negro. She had a meeting with Dr. Renfield and they
decided to hire Millberry on a reduced salary. He was overworked and underpaid, but
took solace in the children whom he loved. An unfortunate incident occurred, however,
where a child fell from his wheelchair while in the care of Berry. The result was that
Berry was fired and given no salary for the week that he had worked.

CHARACTERS
Millbury Jones (Berry)

A Black male, approximately 20 years old.

Described as good natured and strong.
Poor and uneducated.
Very observant and intuitive about people and places.
Very good with children due to his gentleness.

Mrs. Osborn

The housekeeper at the children’s home.

Rumoured to be in love with Dr. Renfield.
Very high handed with her staff, but docile with Dr. Renfield.
Displays racist characteristics in subtle forms.

Dr. Renfield

Rumoured to have romantic affairs with his female staff.

Berry observes that the Home is ‘Doc Renfield’s own private gyp game’ (Hughes, p.
162), meaning that he runs his establishment for his own profit, instead of a desire to
take genuine care of the children. He is blatantly racist.

THEMES
Racism

This theme is apparent when Berry was being considered for employment at the Home.
Mrs. Osborn was concerned about where Berry would sleep, implying that he could not
sleep with the white servants because he was considered to be beneath them. His
salary was also cut due to his race, and he was overworked, with no discussions of
days off, ‘everybody was imposing on him in that taken-for-granted way white folks do
with Negro help.’ (Hughes, 162). Even more importantly, when the unfortunate accident
occurred with the child, there was no attempt at discerning what led to the incident, but
blame was laid on the obvious person – Berry. As a result, he was relieved of his job in
a hail of racist slurs. The students will be placed in their peer groups to analyze various
aspects of the story.

Oppression

The theme of oppression is expressed repetitively throughout this story. White workers
and superiors kept expecting Milberry to do more and more. Milberry’s response to
these requests was a quiet acceptance without bitterness because he was happy and
thankful enough to have this job and food. In the story Milberry found happiness in
helping the crippled children at play during his brief rest period. At first the nurses were
hesitant whether they should allow it or not. At the end of the story the nurses had
changed their mind frame about Berry and would come looking for and demanding his
immediate help.

In his typical nature in responding to and accepting their demand he unknowingly

caused his own demise. While Berry was helping a boy in a wheelchair down the stairs,
due to know fault of Berry’s own doing, the boy fell out of the chair onto the grass and
the wheelchair onto the walk. In the fall the boy was not hurt but the wheelchairs back
was snapped off. In this scene Langston Hughes uses the wheelchair as a symbol of
Milberry’s undoing. The wheelchair’s falling represents Berry’s falling from the grace of
the white people’s acceptance. The snapped back of the wheelchair foreshadows
Berry’s immediate termination of employment. Even though it was the white nurses’
responsibility and job they quickly and gladly placed all the blame for the accident upon
Berry. This truly exemplifies the use of oppression of white people over blacks.
Mom Luby and the Social Worker by Kristin
Hunter
In Mom Luby and the Social Worker by Kristin Hunter we have the theme of love, responsibility,
kindness, bureaucracy, connection, innocence and change. Narrated in the first person by a young
thirteen year old boy called Elijah the reader realises after reading the story that Hunter may be
exploring the theme of love. Mom Luby puts both Elijah and his sister Pudding before everyone else.
She knows that it is her responsibility to look after them and as such goes to the government
buildings seeking help (welfare). This may be important as Mom Luby knows that she is not entitled
to welfare for the children but as they have no one else to look after them she takes on the
responsibility. Whereas others might let Elijah and Pudding fend for themselves. Mom Luby knows
that this is not an option. If anything Mom Luby is driven by doing the right thing for Elijah and
Pudding. Knowing well that their lives would be even more difficult should they be left to their own
devices. In reality Mom Luby is Elijah and Pudding’s mother in everything but name. She treats both
children as though they were her own. She is kind to them and firm when she needs to be.

It may also be important that Miss Rushmore spends all of her time in Mom Luby’s home asking
Mom Luby questions. Questions that Mom Luby may not necessarily have the right answer for. It is
possible that Hunter is suggesting that with bureaucracy comes difficulty. Technically Mom Luby is
entitled to nothing from the welfare office as neither Elijah nor Pudding are her children. However
Hunter might be suggesting that some things like parentage should be overlooked if an individual is
doing the job of a parent. As Mom Luby is doing. Life would be far more difficult for Elijah and
Pudding without Mom Luby’s influence in their lives and it would cost the government very little to
bend their rules a little. Miss Rushmore also appears to be judging Mom Luby by her extracurricular
activities when the reality is she is a poor woman who is providing a service to other poor people. It
is as though there is a disconnect between Miss Rushmore and Mom Luby. With Miss Rushmore
being in disbelief as to how Mom Luby lives her life.

Throughout the story Mom Luby is honest. With the exception of her being Elijah and Pudding’s
mother. She does not hide anything from Miss Rushmore. When the reality is she probably should.
This may be important as it could suggest that Mom Luby is somewhat innocent. It could also
suggest that Mom Luby and Miss Rushmore live two entirely different lives. With Hunter symbolically
suggesting that the government (or Miss Rushmore) have no idea how people live their lives. It may
also be case that Hunter is comparing both traditional and modern roles. Mom Luby knows how to
do a lot of things however she is qualified to do none. That is if you take qualification to mean a
piece of paper from a university or a government agency. If anything Mom Luby has learnt to do
things from those who went before her. When there was no need for academic qualifications.
Something which Miss Rushmore frowns upon. The list of forms that Mom Luby is told to fill out may
also have some symbolic significance as Hunter could again be placing a spotlight on just how
burdensome bureaucracy is to an individual. Not only has Mom Luby got to fill out the forms but she
has to go to different buildings to fill out each form.

It is as though there are two sides of life in play in the story. The practical life of Mom Luby who
carries on despite the difficulties she may incur and the impractical world of Miss Rushmore. It is
also interesting that Miss Rushmore is in shock after she spends her day with Mom Luby. It is as
though she can’t believe that Mom Luby does so much and is not qualified to do what she does.
Without knowing it Mom Luby is breaking all the rules. Something that may be alien to Miss
Rushmore. Who at times in the story is as rigid in her beliefs as she is in her appearance. It might
also be a case that life will not change for Mom Luby. She has no intention of filling out all the forms
and Miss Rushmore does not appear to be at the type of woman who will bend the rules for Mom
Luby. Even if she is drinking illegally in Mom Luby’s back room. At the end of the story the reader
realises that neither Mom Luby nor Miss Rushmore are going to change their ways with Mom Luby
prepared to continue living her life without the assistance of the government.

CHARACTERS

Mom Luby
An elderly woman who is as strong as any young woman.
She has white hair and false teeth.
She runs a speakeasy in the back room of her house.
She fosters two young children.
She is a midwife, herb doctor and ordained minister of the Gospel.
She’s a very productive woman who helps the people in her community.
She is very proud.

Miss Rushmore

She works at the Department of Child Welfare, Bureau of Family Assistance.

She is very thorough in her investigation of Mom Luby.
She is awed by Mom Luby’s productivity.

Elijah (narrator) & Puddin’ – The two young children that Mom Luby fosters.

SETTING

The United States of America between 1920-1933, during the time of the Prohibition in
the United States.

Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, production, and
transportation of alcohol, in place from 1919 to 1933. The dry movement was led by
rural Protestants in both political parties and was coordinated by the Anti-Saloon
League.

Narrative Point of View is the way events in the story are seen through the eyes of the
person who narrates the story.

Themes

Love and Family Relationship

The love that Mom Luby has for her two young charges is apparent by her simple act of
fostering them. She is a poor, older woman who runs a speakeasy to survive. This is not
the profile of someone who should be willing to take care of two young children, as well
as a whole community, yet she does. The act of visiting the Social Security Office is a
testament to her commitment to taking care of the two children. The great irony in this
short story is that a poor, older lady, is able to take better care of two little children than
the State agency that is assigned to do so. This is because she can get more
accomplished in two hours, to benefit them, than the agency can accomplish in two
years with their most motivated agent.

Devices
Satire: sat•ire

The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s
stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of…a play, novel, film, or other work that
uses satire.

Satire is a literary device that uses wit or irony to expose and ridicule a human
weakness. The inefficiency of bureaucratic procedures is satirized in this story.

Irony usually signals a difference between the appearance of things and reality. For
instance, an “Ironic statements (verbal irony) often convey a meaning exactly opposite
from their literal meaning. In ironic situations (situational irony), actions often have an
effect exactly opposite from what is intended.”

To Da-duh, in Memoriam by Paule Marshall

‘‘To Da-duh, in Memoriam’’ is an autobiographical story told from the point of view of an
adult looking back on a childhood memory. The story opens as the nine-year-old
narrator, along with her mother and sister, disembarks from a boat that has brought
them to Bridgetown, Barbados. It is 1937, and the family has come to visit from their
home in Brooklyn, leaving behind the father, who believed it was a waste of money to
take the trip. The narrator’s mother first left Barbados fifteen years ago, and the narrator
has never met her grandmother, Da-duh.

Although an old woman, the narrator’s grandmother is lively and sharp. When she
meets her grandchildren, Da-duh examines them. She calls the narrator’s older sister
‘‘lucky,’’ but she silently looks at the narrator, calling the child ‘‘fierce.’’ She takes the
narrator by the hand and leads the family outside where the rest of the relatives are
waiting. The family gets in the truck that takes them through Bridgetown and back to
Da-duh’s home in St. Thomas.

The next day, Da-duh takes the narrator out to show her the land covered with fruit
orchards and sugar cane. Da-duh asks the narrator if there is anything as nice in
Brooklyn, and the narrator says no. Da-duh says that she has heard that there are no
trees in New York, but then asks the narrator to describe snow
To Da-duh in Memoriam | Author Biography Marshall was born on April 9, 1929, in
Brooklyn, New York, the child of Barbadian immigrants who were among the first wave
of Caribbean islanders to relocate to the United States. Her early life was suffused with
Caribbean culture; she spoke its language and followed many of its traditions. Marshall
made her first visit to the Caribbean when she was nine years old, which inspired her to
write poetry.

After graduating from high school in 1949, she attended Brooklyn College (now part of
the City University of New York). She graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in
English…

To Da-duh in Memoriam | Characters

Da-duh
Da-duh is the narrator’s eighty-year-old grandmother. She has lived her whole life on
Barbados and is confident and proud of her lifestyle, surroundings, and ways of looking
at the world. She dislikes the trappings of the modern world, such as any form of
machinery, and is uncomfortable in the city of Bridgetown. When Da-duh first meets the
narrator, the narrator imagines that she saw ‘‘something in me which for some reason
she found disturbing.’’ However, Da-duh also feels connected to her granddaughter, as
evidenced when she clasps her hand

“Nothing endures but change” (Heraclitus 540-480 BC). People are born, only to die
again. In a never-ending cycle of life and death, new ideas replace older ones and an
evolution of perspectives takes place. Paule Marshall aptly portrays this cyclical nature
through her last line “she died and I lived” referring to her grandmother. The death is not
physical alone. It is the death of old ideologies, dated traditions and disparate
acceptance of modernization. In a vivid recollection of her grandmother Da-Duh’s
reluctance to accept change during Paule’s childhood visit, she narrates how the old
lady loathes urbanity and finds delectation in her little island of natural beauty. The
interactions that the narrator has with her grandmother remind us of the passage of time
between generations. The demise of Da-Duh signifies the change that is inevitable, the
transition from the old to the new.

Symbolism

Paule Marshall’s work is replete with a richness of literary devices like symbolism,
imagery and metaphors. Describing the foreboding character of death, the narrator feels
that the planes that bring death to the little village are “swooping and
screaming…monstrous birds”. The sugarcanes that grow in the village are Da-Duh’s
delight and also the reason for the exploitation in the village. The pride of Da-Duh, the
sugarcanes appear threatening to the narrator she feels that the canes are “clashing
like swords above my cowering head”. This is a description of the duality of life. Where
there is joy, there is pain and when there is life, death is bound to follow.
Imagery

The life-death antithesis is depicted in the closing lines of the book where the narrator
paints “seas of sugar-cane and huge swirling Van Gogh suns and palm trees [in] a
tropical landscape . . .while the thunderous tread of the machines downstairs jarred the
floor beneath my easel.’’ Light is identified by the surrounding darkness and life, by
death that eventually follows. The transient nature of life is evidenced by the changes
that happen over a period of time.

Death’s morbidity invades the colorful mind. The narrator imbues the reader’s mind with
images that allude to this dark reality. “All these trees….Well, they’d be bare. No
leaves, no fruit, nothing. They’d be covered in snow. You see your canes. They’d
be buried under tons of snow.”

Metaphor

With a judicious use of metaphors, the narrator has drawn us to the reality of inevitable
changes that our lives are subject to. Again, the sugarcanes are metaphorically
perceived as the ominous danger that “…would close in on us and run us through with
their stiletto blades.” Later, the planes that cause the death of her grandmother are
visualized by the narrator as “the hardback beetles which hurled themselves with
suicidal force against the walls of the house at night.” She points at our dogmatism in
accepting the fact that the world is constantly changing. Those who fail to see this at
first, experience it the hard way later.

Conclusion

However prejudiced we might be, towards change, the hard-hitting reality of a life-death
cycle is inevitable. Time stands testimony to this fact. Paule Marshall has illustrated this
through the depiction of conflicting ideas between her and Da-Duh and she conveys this
message at the start when she writes, “both knew, at a level beyond words, that I had
come into the world not only to love her and to continue her line but to take her very life
in order that I might live.”

To Dah-Duh in Memoriam – Literature Notes

SUMMARY
This short story is about a young girl’s visit, from New York, to the island of Barbados.
The protagonist, along with her sister and mother, visit Dah-Duh. The visit is an
interesting one in which Dah-Duh and the protagonist develop a caring, yet competitive,
relationship. Dah-Duh introduces her to the riches of Barbados (nature), while the
protagonist introduces her grandmother to the steel and concrete world of New York
(industrialism). There is a competitive edge to their conversations because they each try
to outdo each other on the merits of their separate homes. Dah-Duh, however, is dealt a
blow when she learns of the existence of the Empire State building, which was many
stories taller than the highest thing she had ever laid her eyes on – Bissex Hill. She lost
a little bit of her spark that day and was not given a chance to rebound because the
protagonist left for New York shortly after. The story progresses with the death of Dah-
Duh during the famous ’37 strike. She had refused to leave her home and was later
found dead, on a Berbice chair, by her window. The protagonist spent a brief period in
penance, living as an artist and painting landscapes that were reminiscent of Barbados.

SETTING

The story is set in Barbados, in the 1930’s.

CHARACTERS
Dah-Duh:

A small and purposeful old woman.

Had a painfully erect figure.
Over eighty (80) years old.
She moved quickly at all times.
She had a very unattractive face, which was ‘stark and fleshless as a death mask’
(Marshall, p.178).
Her eyes were alive with life.
Competitive spirit.
Had a special relationship with the protagonist.

Protagonist:

A thin little girl.

Nine (9) years old.
A strong personality.
Competitive in nature.
Had a special relationship with Dah-Duh.

THEMES

Race:

This theme is apparent when Dah-Duh and the protagonist discuss the fact that she
‘beat up a white girl’ in her class. Dah-Duh is quiet shocked at this and exclaims that the
world has changed so much that she cannot recognize it. This highlights their
contrasting experiences of race. Dah-Duh’s experience of race relations is viewing the
white ‘massa’ as superior, as well as viewing all things white as best. This is
corroborated at the beginning of the story when it was revealed that Dah-Duh liked her
grandchildren to be white, and in fact had grandchildren from the illegitimate children of
white estate managers. Therefore, a white person was some-one to be respected, while
for the protagonist, white people were an integral part of her world, and she viewed
herself as their equal.

Love and family relationship:

This story highlights the strong familial ties that exists among people of the Caribbean,
both in the islands and abroad (diaspora). The fact that the persona and her family left
New York to visit the matriarch of the family, in Barbados, highlights this tie. The respect
accorded to Dah-Duh by the mother also shows her place, or status, in the family. The
protagonist states that in the presence of Dah-Duh, her formidable mother became a
child again.

Gender Issues:

This is a minor theme in this short story. It is highlighted when it is mentioned that Dah-
Duh liked her grandchildren to be boys. This is ironic because the qualities that are
stereotypically found in boys – assertive, strong willed, competitive – are found in her
grand daughter. An example of this is the manner in which the protagonist / narrator
was able to win the staring match when she first met Dah-Duh, this proved her
dominance and strength.

SYMBOL

Empire State Building

This building represents power and progress. It is in the midst of the cold glass and
steel of New York city and, therefore, deforms Dah-Duh’s symbol of power; Bissex Hill.
It is not by accident that the knowledge of this building shakes Dah-Duh’s confidence.
Steel and iron, the symbol of progress, is what shakes the nature loving Dah-Duh. It
can, therefore, be said that her response to the knowledge of the existence of the
Empire State Building – defeat – is a foreshadowing of her death. This is the case
because it is metal, in the form of the planes, that ‘rattled her trees and flatten[ed] the
young canes in her field.’ (Marshall. p.186). This is a physical echo of her emotional
response to the knowledge of the existence of the Empire State building. The fact that
she is found dead after this incident is not a surprise to the reader.
The Man of the House by Frank O’Connor
In The Man of the House by Frank O’Connor we have the theme of innocence, temptation, guilt,
responsibility, control, resilience, redemption and acceptance. Taken from his Collected Stories
collection the story is narrated in the first person by a man called Gus Sullivan who is looking back
at an incident in his life when he was ten years old. It is also after reading the story that the reader
realises that O’Connor may be exploring the theme of responsibility. Gus tries on several occasions
to act older than his years. He lights the fire in the house. He does the shopping for his mother and
he goes to the dispensary to get the medication for his mother. However it is noticeable that while
he is at the dispensary Gus does end up drinking his mother’s medication. Which leads to Gus
feeling not only guilty but struggling with his conscience. It is also interesting that O’Connor
throughout the story looks unfavourably on most of the male characters in the story. The man in the
bar comes across as not only been a drunk but also as an irresponsible buffoon. With no real
connection with the world. This may be deliberate as O’Connor may be attacking the male
dominated society that existed in Ireland at the time the story was written.

The fact that Gus is tempted by the young girl at the dispensary to drink his mother’s medication is
also important as not only is it the first occasion in the story in whereby Gus lets himself down. But
O’Connor may be drawing on the biblical story of Adam and Eve (and the apple) in the Garden of
Eden. Prior to taking the medication Gus’ concentration levels and his desire to do the right thing for
his mother were high. Things were going well for him and he was acting responsibly. It is only when
he becomes enamoured with the girl that he loses concentration and forgets what his intentions
really are. It is also noticeable that for such a young boy the guilt becomes unbearable for Gus. Not
only does he feel he has let his mother down but he also feels guilty because he won’t be able to
pay for a candle in the Cathedral. Having spent the money on sweets (for the girl). The fact that
Gus can’t say his prayer and light a candle in the Cathedral may also be important as O’Connor may
be putting a spotlight on the Church and the practice of paying for prayers.
The only thing stopping Gus from going to the Cathedral and lighting the candle is the fact that the
Church has an expectation (at times) that an individual pays for their prayer. Something which Gus
has most likely been taught. How influential the Church is (at the time the story was written) is
noticeable by the fact that Gus adheres to the principles of paying for his prayers and doesn’t go to
the Cathedral to light the candle. Based solely on the fact that he has no money. If anything Gus
may feel trapped by the conditions imposed on him by the Church. Conditions which would seem to
be more about the Church making money rather than assisting the individual. It is also possible that
O’Connor is using the candle (and prayer) as symbolism for hope. If this is the case it is noticeable
at the end of the story that Gus feels a miracle has happened. His mother has gotten better without
the need of the candle or prayer. Which may be important as O’Connor could again be putting a
spotlight on the Church. Possibly questioning again the practice of paying for candles (or prayers).
When there may be no need to.

What is also interesting about the story is that though Gus’ mother is poorly. She does not scorn
Gus when he returns from the dispensary. Instead she takes care of him. Thinking of Gus rather
than of herself. Gus’ mother is also resilient. When Gus first sees that his mother is sick, she smiles
at him. This may be important as not only does it suggest that Gus’ mother doesn’t want to upset
Gus but she also is displaying an exterior toughness. She won’t be beaten by what life throws at
her. Regardless of the circumstances she might find herself in. It may also be important that when
Gus takes control of the situation, when his mother is in bed, rather than it being Gus who is writing
down what needs to be done. It is his mother who is doing the writing. Gus without knowing it
seems to be dictating or ordering his mother. It is him telling her what to do. Which may again play
on how the female was treated by the male at the time the story was written. By having Gus tell the
reader that ‘It’s funny about women, the way they’ll take orders from anything in trousers.’
O’Connor may be highlighting how dominated women may have been (by men) at the time the story
was written.

The end of the story is also interesting. Gus feels that a miracle has happened when he wakes up
and discovers that his mother is better. It is also noticeable that Gus has redeemed himself. He has
told his mother the truth about what has happened. Hiding nothing from her. If anything he is closer
to his mother. Gus also realises that he is too young for responsibility and that it is better if
someone else takes on that role. His one attempt at being responsible, though good natured, was
not successful. He was led to temptation, suffered guilt and because of the practices of the church
(paying for prayers) was unable to say the prayers that he wanted to for his mother. Gus spent his
day in an adult world. A world which he may not realise is dysfunctional. As to why it is
dysfunctional is left to each individual reader to decide. Gus just appears to be happy that he is
a child again. A happy and innocent child who has yet to fully learn of the complexities of life.
Though he does accept that he is not a good nurse.

The Boy Who Loved Ice Cream by Olive

Senior
In The Boy Who Loved Ice Cream by Olive Senior we have the theme of desire, jealousy, insecurity,
innocence, control, change, conflict and coming of age. Taken from her Summer Lightning and
Other Stories collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after
reading the story the reader realises that Senior may be exploring the theme of desire. Benjy has
never had ice cream before and by the description given to him by Elsa it is something that
fascinates him. So strong is Benjy’s desire to get some ice cream at the Harvest Festival Sale that he
can’t focus on anything else. It is as though Benjy is totally preoccupied with the prospect of getting
ice cream. This may be important as Senior may be highlighting how innocent Benjy is. Something
that is further noticeable when the reader discovers that Benjy has no real understanding as to the
value of money. He has never needed money before but he knows that his father has to pay for the
ice cream. This too might be important as there is a sense that Benjy is somewhat under the control
of his father. As too is Benjy’s mother.

It is also interesting that Benjy’s mother is open to change unlike her husband who appears to be
rooted in his beliefs as to what life should be. If anything Benjy’s father keeps outside influences at
bay. Something that is noticeable by his refusal to go to church and the fact that the only time he
leaves One Eye is for the Harvest Festival Sale. It is as though he lives his life to a strict set of rules
or that he has a regime that he must follow. Which is contrary to how Benjy’s mother feels. This
may be important as it opens up the possibility of conflict between both Benjy’s mother and father.
A conflict that may have been triggered by issues with regard to Benjy’s paternity. Benjy’s father
doubts that Benjy is his son. Though he has no evidence he has nagging suspicions which continue
to play on his mind. Something that is really noticeable at the end of the story when Benjy’s father
catches Benjy’s mother taking to the good looking man in the purple shirt. Though some critics
might suggest that Benjy’s father’s suspicions are credible it may also be a case that he is thinking
too much about something that has never happened and that the real issue is one of trust. Benjy’s
father doesn’t trust his wife.

There may also be some symbolism in the story which is important. The ice cream that Benjy
desires so much can symbolise both happiness and loss. Happiness because of how Elsa has
described ice cream to Benjy and loss because Benjy through his father’s actions never gets the
opportunity to taste ice cream. The fact that three religious faiths are also mentioned could suggest
the importance of religion to those who live in Springville. Already the reader is aware that Benjy’s
mother attends church every Sunday. The good looking man in the purple shirt could also be
symbolically important as he acts as the trigger for Benjy’s father’s jealousy and insecurity. Senior
also appears to be using light to place an emphasis on the excitement that Benjy feels about going
to the Harvest Festival Sale. As Benjy passes by the wild brazilwood branches he comes out of the
semi-darkness of the path and onto what to Benjy is the broadest street he has ever seen. Covered
in marl and white. It is as though Benjy’s eyes have been opened up to a world he has never seen
before.

The end of the story is interesting as it becomes clear to the reader that Benjy is coming of age. Not
only has he to deal with the reality that his ice cream has fallen to the ground and that he has lost
out on the opportunity to taste ice cream. But Benjy’s father is so enraged that Benjy’s mother is
talking to the man in the purple shirt that the reader is left to conclude that there will be a
confrontation between Benjy’s father, mother and the man in the purple shirt. The root of the
problem in Benjy’s father’s eyes being that Benjy is not his child. On what should have been a happy
occasion for Benjy turns out to be a day of disappointment. He is to witness an encounter that he is
too young to witness. One that is sure to stick in Benjy’s mind. Rather than walking back home and
thinking how nice ice cream is. Benjy’s world may be turned upside down because of his father’s
jealousy and insecurity. Life may never be the same for Benjy. Any innocence that he once had may
soon be lost.
Blackout by Roger Mais
In Blackout by Roger Mais we have the theme of conflict, race, equality, connection, fear, class and
pride. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator the reader realises after reading the
story that Mais may be exploring the theme of conflict. The woman at the bus stop is hesitant to
give the man a light from her cigarette. It is as though she feels that the man is infringing on her
personal space. It also doesn’t help that the woman has an opinion with regard to the colour of the
man’s skin. This may be important as Mais may be highlighting the inequalities that existed at the
time the story was written with black people being considered inferior to white people. The fact that
the man tells the woman that there is only two types of people (men and women) might also be
significant as it suggests that any inferiority that the woman may be suggesting with regards to the
man’s skin colour does not necessarily affect the man. If anything the man unlike the woman is
colour blind with his skin colour being considered an irrelevancy. Something that is far different to
the woman’s personal view on skin colour.

It may also be possible that Mais is exploring the theme of connection. The woman as she leaves to
get on the bus is intrigued by the man. However she makes a point of not turning back to look at
him. This too could be important as the woman may be concerned about what others on the bus
might think about a white woman turning around to look at a black man. If anything the woman
may fear being seen to be engaging with the man. Which may suggest that the social barriers that
existed at the time the story was written with regards to black and white people engaging with one
another has a strong hold on the woman’s consciousness. Though the woman is intrigued with her
encounter with the man she is also fully aware of how any engagement with the man might be
interpreted by others. Which may suggest that the woman is not allowing herself to step outside the
preconceived and acceptable norms of the time. The fact that the man is able to challenge the
woman is also interesting as rather than being intimidating he is actually asking the woman to look
at her own values. Which may be the point that Mais is attempting to make. He may be suggesting
that society in general needs to look at itself and to question its moral standards.
There may also be some symbolism in the story which might be important. The cigarette that the
woman throws away could symbolise wealth or class especially if it is compared to the half cigarette
that the man is smoking. Also the woman may feel as though the cigarette has been tainted in some
way because she allowed the man to light his cigarette from it. Which may suggest to some readers
that the woman is racist. That she does not consider the man to be her equal. Through his skin
colour the woman may believe there is a fault. Something that would have been widely believed
among white people at the time the story was written. The fact that the story is set during the war
(WWII) might also be symbolically significant as Mais could be using the setting as foreshadowing to
the conflict that develops between the man and woman. The fact that the man also touches the
woman’s hands when he is lighting his cigarette could also be important as by doing so he is
breaking down many socially accepted barriers of the time. That being a black man touching a white
woman.

It is also possible that the woman is too proud to admit to herself and to the man that what he has
said to her is correct. That she is not above others based on skin colour, gender or class. Something
that might be difficult for the woman to understand considering the environment that existed at the
time. The fact that the man picks up the woman’s cigarette is also interesting as despite what he
has said to the woman the reality is that there are differences between social classes. The man is
poor in comparison to the woman and as such feels the need to pick up the woman’s cigarette. It
might also be a case that the man is not too proud to admit that he is poor. Something which would
be in contrast to the woman. If anything the woman feels as though she is privileged based solely
on her skin colour and her class. Whereas the only difference between the man and woman may be
their circumstances. With one individual being considered to be more fortunate than the other.