SHORT STORY

REVISION
THE DAY THE WORLD
ALMOST CAME TO AN END
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 narrators 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 and lived her life to the fullest.
THE DAY THE WORLD
ALMOST CAME TO AN END
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 narrators father was a deacon. 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.
THE DAY THE WORLD
ALMOST CAME TO AN END
Humour in the short story
How does the writer make her story humorous? I would like you to identify
the methods that are used. Let me start you off! The very first sentence is not
only humorous, due to its surprising information, but it arouses the interest of
the readers. The following sentence is also funny, made so through
exaggeration, a technique that is employed again as the story develops. Did
you laugh out loud when you read the explanation that was given for an
eclipse? Some readers did. I can easily visualise the little girl in her long
nightgown running and hollering loudly that the world was coming to an end.
What a spectacle! Part of this humour is because the storyteller makes fun of
herself – but wait a moment, what I am doing? You spot the rest. I cannot
close without pointing out how the writer creates tension in our narrator. She
does not get the news until Friday afternoon that the world would end on
Sunday; soon after Miss Daya, who is passing, tells them
BLOOD BROTHERS
SUMMARY
The story encapsulates a universal theme of familial conflict—in this case a conflict (both internal and
external) between two brothers, Paul and Benjy (thirteen-year-old twins). Even though Paul and Benjy
are twins; they both display dissimilar personality traits. Paul is a fearful introvert who loves nature and
loves to contemplate about life. Whereas, Benjy is Paul’s opposite/antithesis—Benjy is an extrovert
who is very carefree, fearless and fun loving. Although both boys are genetically related that is where
the commonality ends.
The major conflict stems from an inferiority complex that constantly plagues Paul. As a result, he
outwardly rejects/show hatred for his brother, Benjy. The rejection he portrays is, however, a façade
because deep down he wants Benjy to be his friend and confidant. The story ends with Paul attacking
Benjy. Benjy is surprised, confused and scared because he did not know or understand why Paul reacted
in this way. Paul, on the other hand, is gratified by the ‘simple’ act of scaring Benjy. This fear that was
shown by Benjy nullifies his autonomy and perceived superiority, thereby relieving Paul of his hatred
and envy for Benjy.
BLOOD BROTHERS
CHARACTERS/CHARACTERIZATION
Paul:  

o Paul is an introvert.
o He is artistic (he paints)
o He loves nature.
o He is also very reflective. He contemplates about nature as well as his feeling towards his brother.
o He dislikes Benjy’s ability to accomplish simple tasks quickly.
o He resents Benjy because he (Benjy) reminds him of his own short comings. 
o He envies Benjy and his envy turns to hate.
o He thought Benjy feels he (Benjy) is superior to him.
o Twin brother of Benjy.
Benjy:
o He is an extrovert and a carefree guy.
o He is confident. 
o He is fearless (until his brother attacks him).
o He is a typical boy, very active, adventurous and always exploring.
o He is ignorant to his brother’s disdain for him.
o He felt he is superior to Paul.
o He mocks Paul.
o Twin brother of Paul.
Mac:
o He is an old shoe maker in the village. Both boys go to visit him. 
BLOOD BROTHERS
NARRATIVE STRUCTURE:
o Third Person POV

 
NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE:
o Irony
o Symbolism (the title)
o Characterization
o Nature imagery
o Dualism
o Realism
o Diction/dialogue
BLOOD BROTHERS
SETTING:

o The story takes place in an unnamed village. It is highly possible that it is a tropical country.
 
CONFLICT: 
o Paul envies Benjy’s carefree/brave/adventurous personality, as a result he grew to loathe Benjy.
 This hate resulted in him physically ‘attacking’ his brother in a ‘duel’ that could be misconstrued as
‘rough play’.
 
THEMES:
 Family relationship.
 Childhood experiences and identity.
 Appearance vs Reality.
 Sibling rivalry.
 The psychology of hatred.
 Power and powerlessness
 Masculine identity
 Brotherhood as a marker of self-acceptance.
SUMMARY
This short story is about a little boy's obsession with ice-cream.
Benjy is a little boy who lives in rural Jamaica. His family is
extremely poor and the most important, and festive, day for them
is the Harvest Festival. It is an even more important event for
Benjy because this is the only place that he can access the
coveted ice cream. Benjy has never tasted ice-cream, but he THE BOY
WHO
relishes the very thought of it through the second hand
description that is passed on to him by his sister. The story opens
with the family's preparations to attend the festival and their
scenic journey down the hill. Benjy's obsession with ice-cream
becomes evident at the festival when he cannot enjoy himself
due to his anxiety surrounding when the ice-cream will be
LOVED ICE
forthcoming. This mirrors his father's obsession with scouting
out the man whom he believes to be his wife's lover and Benjy's
father. The obsessions collide when Benjy finally gets his ice
CREAM 
cream and it falls out of his hand because his father sees a male
talking to his wife and drags Benjy along to confront him. The
story, therefore, ends in disappointment for Benjy.
 SETTING
 The story occurs in the small town of Springville in rural Jamaica.
 The family is from an even smaller town called One Eye, located in
the mountains of Springville.
CHARACTERS
Benjy
 The second youngest child.
 He is a really intense child in terms of achieving his desires.
Elsa
THE BOY
 Benjy's older sister.
 She takes care of Benjy when his mother is busy. WHO
LOVED ICE
 She introduces Benjy to the foggy concept of ice cream.
Mother
 She was very progressive and forward thinking.

CREAM 
 She was a very sociable and friendly person.
 Always eager to go or do something different.

Papa
 He was a farmer.
 The short story reveals that he was wedded to the soil.
 He did not like to go out.
 He preferred a predictable lifestyle.
 He was very jealous.
THEME
Obsession
Papa is irrationally jealous about his wife's activities, which points to his
obsessive nature. It is revealed that he believes that she cheated on him

THE BOY
when she spent three weeks away from him in Springville, where she was
attending to her dying mother. He watches her like a hawk at the Harvest
Festival, thereby getting very little enjoyment out of the fair. This

WHO
obsessive jealousy also has serious implications for his relationship with
his son Benjy. He does not believe that Benjy is his biological child, but a
product of his wife's 'affair' in Springville. Benjy, therefore, is not treated

LOVED
well by his father, but viewed with suspicion and slight contempt. The
narrator tells us that Benjy is in a state of constant suspense, as well as
anxiety, in terms of (www.bulbsoup.com) what his father's response to

ICE CREM
him will be. Ironically, Benjy has the same obsessive nature as his father,
which highlights to the reader that Benjy is really his father's son. Benjy,
like his father, gets no enjoyment out of the Harvest Festival. This is
because while his father obsesses over his mother, Benjy obsesses over
the idea of ice-cream, for he had never seen or tasted it, and could
concentrate on nothing else. For Benjy, 'ice-cream was the most
marvelous thing he had ever heard of. And the strangest.' (Senior, 127).
THEME

Poverty
This is defined as the state of being extremely poor. The family that is at the forefront of this

THE BOY
story can be defined as living in poverty because they could not afford the very basics in
life. This is seen when the reader is made aware of the fact that Benjy's 'Sunday-go-to-
church-pants' was made made from Benjy's father old jacket. We also see Elsa bathing
Benjy with a 'strainer' covered in soap, implying that the family could not afford a proper

WHO
wash rag because they had, essentially, made a loofah with a strainer and soap. Benjy was
also 'washed off' with rain water that was collected in a drum. This implies that there was no
indoor plumbing. Benjy also got 'new' clothes to wear to the Harvest Festival, but he did not
notice that 'the black serge was stitched very badly with white thread which was all his

LOVED
mother had, and the three buttons she sewed down the front were all of different sizes and
colours. His shirt too, with the body of one colour, the sleeves of a print which was once
part of Mama's dress and the collar of yet another print.' (Senior, 127). This implies that the
family had no disposable income to purchase clothes, or even the ability to buy cloth and
thread to make their own clothes, they had to repurpose their existing older clothes. The
family's very address speaks to their impoverished state, they lived up in the mountains of
Springville in a community called One Eye. There isolation is seen in the fact that they had ICE
CREAM
to walk a mile and a half down a mountain path before they reached the village of
Springville, which itself, 'wasn't much' (Senior, 131).

SYMBOL
Ice cream
Ice cream, in this short story, is the symbol for anything that is intensely desired, anything
that is anticipated to bring great pleasure. 
EMMA
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 audience 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. Agnus, a boarding school, in the country.
EMMA
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.
 EMMA
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.
 
EMMA
CHARACTERS
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.
EMMA
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.
 
EMMA
THEMES
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.
EMMA
THEMES
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).  
EMMA
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 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 soley 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.
THE MAN OF THE HOUSE
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.
THE MAN OF THE HOUSE
SUMMARY

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.
THE MAN OF THE HOUSE
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’.
THE MAN OF THE HOUSE
THEMES
Childhood experience
Love and Family relationships
Innocence
Deception