"The Body" by Stephen King

Plot

In order to build the suspense for the boys' finding of the dead body, the narrator tells of the journey leading up to their destination. The narrator consistently refers to his own thoughts to reveal his feelings toward seeing the dead body for the first time. The different images he conjures in his mind allow the reader to feel anxious, and anticipate the dead body and its appearance. In my opinion, there is a group of people who represent the protagonist role and a group of people who represent the antagonist role. Gordie, Chris, Vern, and Teddy play the role of the protagonist; their older brothers and their friends play the role of the antagonists. This comparison can be seen on page 415, when Ace threatens the younger boys. "We'll get you hard...we'll hurt you. I can't believe you don't know that. We'll put you all in the fuckin hospital with fuckin ruptures. Sincerely." However, I believe that within the younger group, there is a division. Gordie and Chris play the protagonist role, while Vern and Teddy play the antagonist role. Because of the different personality traits between the four characters, it is easy for the reader to favor Chris and Gordie's courage and sensible actions. But at the same time, Vern and Teddy keep the balance by making stupid jokes and keeping a lighter attitude. At the end of the story, it is easy to differentiate between the four of them because of the manner in which their future plays out. Both Teddy and Vern join the wrong group of friends and die at a young age without achieving much of anything. Gordie and Chris remain friends throughout school, and they both take college courses in order to achieve success. In my opinion, the conclusion of the story results in an unhappy ending. I had high hopes for Chris and his ability to overcome his background and family; however, when the narrator announced that he had died while attempting to keep peace, I realized that my hopes had been let down. I love the story, but I hate how it ends.

Characterization

In the commencement of the story, the narrator presents the characters, their personality traits, and their family history directly. For example, on page 296, the narrator describes Teddy and the way he thought of him. "He was the dumbest guy we hung around with, I guess, and he was crazy. He'd take the craziest chances you can imagine, and get away with them." By describing the characters directly, the reader is able to understand why the characters make the decisions they do, and what they react to them in the manner they do. When the boys are trespassing at the dump, Milo Pressman continues to call Teddy's father a loony, and Teddy gets extremely upset and defends his father. At first, it does not make sense because Teddy's father burnt both of his years off. If the narrator had not told us that his father had served on the beach at Normandy, then we would not understand why Teddy was defending him. In my opinion, Teddy and Vern are both static characters. They have their emotional moments, but in the end they remain the same as in the beginning of story. However, Chris is a dynamic character. In the beginning of the story, he knows that he is worth more than people label him, but he does not believe there is ever a chance of him being able to achieve success. At the end of the story, though, we learn that Chris studies college classes and gets out of the town he dreads.

Theme

For the most part, the short story is based upon four boy overcoming their adolescence and becoming young adults. Therefore, the theme is the fall from innocence. In the beginning, the boys are obsessed with cards, cigarettes, and centerfold magazines. Also, they fearful of their older brothers and enemies. For example, when Vern tells his friends of what he overheard his older brother saying about the dead body, Vern says, "I dunno...Billy will know where I found out. He'll beat the living shit outta me." But in the end, after seeing the dead body and wanting to claim it as their own, the younger boys stand up to their rivals. "That's nothing to what you'll get...Gordie was right, you're nothing but a bunch of cheap hoods. Charlie and Billy didn't want their fuckin dibs and you all know it." After this scene, the boys lose their innocent fear and gain confidence. Additionally I believe overcoming stereotypes is another theme of the story. At the end of the story, Chris overcomes his family's background of violence, stealing, and alcoholic rage by studying in the attempt to become successful. Although he did not have much to say for his family's history, he did not allow that to stop him in applying himself to greater accomplishments.

Point of View

"The Body" is told in first-person point of view. The narrator is a character in the story, named Gordie, who is one of the four boys journeying to find the dead body. By telling the story in first- person, the story seems more dramatic. It also seems more real because it is a person recalling a past time, and their is detail on the emotions of the narrator during the different situations. For example, when the boys come out of the pond with leeches all over their bodies, the fact that the narrator could remember how he felt when he found them on his "private parts" made the experience seem more traumatic than funny. He even skips ahead to more recent years in which he remembered the event. "Either way, for one second I was literally in the past, pausing halfway up that embankment and looking back at the burst leech: dead, deflated...but still ominous." I like that Gordie is telling the story because I felt more attached to him as one of the characters, too. Knowing that he was the only one who was still alive and able to tell the story made the ending more unhappy. He had lost those friends he had throughout his adolescence, making the story more personal.

Setting

Even though the narrator is telling the story from present time, the literal story takes place in Maine in 1960. Because of the time difference, one must adjust to the differences in society. For example, the price of soda and food, and magazines and cards were very much different than they are today. The value of a dollar was worth more then than it is now. Also, one has to remember that children did not have cell phones, so when the four boys went off into the woods for days, no parents were able to contact them. Also, it was not very often that boys of their class and rank studied in college and achieved more successful careers than their family members. Also, this was after the time of World War II, but before the battle at Vietnam. Therefore, families had undergone the Depression and the difficulties of being at war. Because of this, we can understand Teddy's father's insanity. "Then he hung up the phone, went in to the closet, got his .410, and sat down to watch daytime stories on TV with the shotgun laid across his knees." If the audience were not aware of the time period, it would be difficult to understand the father's behavior. Also, the fact that the boys live in a small town plays a part, too. Information is more easily passed around, and everyone knows a lot about people and where they come from. The town is full of gossip-mongers which causes people in the town to stereotype others and their families.

"Once Upon a Time"

This story was odd and scary. Often times, this story is how I picture the future. Last night, I watched the movie Bicentennial Man which has a setting in the future. There were definitely resemblances between this story and the movie, both of which worried me. I do not want the future to be so technological and soley based on making sure things are perfect. The family in the story wants the ultimate protection for their kids, disregarding the fact that what they are doing can actually injure the child itself. In the movie, they hire this robot to do many activities in the household. But, how are children supposed to learn chores if they have someone to do it for them?? Sometimes, mistakes and danger need to be present in order for people to learn and grow, and I am afraid that it will be near impossible to make those kind of mistakes in the future. I don't want my kids to think like robots, or never be concerned about things because they have been so protected their entire lives! Also, if this was a children's story that the narrator was dreaming up while lying in bed, it is terrible. What kind of childrens' story talks about thieves and how to escape them??? Moreover, what kind of childrens' story ends in a child getting tangled in wire!?

"Eveline"

There are a few mysteries within the story, "Eveline." For one, her mother's death is odd. From what I concluded, or from what I WANTED to conclude in order to make the story more interesting, was that her father killed her mother and brother, Ernest. Throughout the story, Eveline repeatedly refers to her father's violence, leading me to believe that his attitude and violence cause him to kill Eveline's mother. But at the same time, if that were the case, wouldn't Eveline be taken from her father's custody??? Also, Eveline seems worried to get married, but I do not understand what she is worried about. Her life is being threatened at home, and she admits that there is "no one to protect her now." She even says that after she moves and she is married that people will begin to treat her with respect, and not with the manner they treated her mother. SO WHAT IS SHE WAITING FOR??? Finally, in the last paragraph of the story, I assumed that she had not gone with him because she "clutched the iron in frenzy." The last line says that she showed him no sign of love or farewell or recogonition, BUT WHY!? She has been surrounded by hatred and violence her entire life, so why can she not show love towards someone who shows love to her?? She is so confusing and backwards.

"A Worn Path"

Although there were vague parts of the story, I think that the theme of "A Worn Path" lies in Grandmother's conquest of medecine for her grandson. Although she is old and frail, and the weather is cold and dreadful, the grandma walks with her cane into town. The entire story, I was wondering why she was walking, where she was walking to, and who in the heck was the narrator. It gave hints at the beginning as to who the narrator was, but I think I will have to read the story once more in order to understand. However, in the end, everyone treats the grandma as though she is some charity case, but she doesn't act like one. She journeys in the cold soley to help someone she cares deeply about. She has the ability to keep going even when conditions are rough. For awhile, I thought that maybe the grandmother was dillusional and the grandson was already dead, but now I am not sure. If he is alive, I do not know what his illness is, and I am not sure if they give hints to it in the story or not.

"Miss Brill"

Although there is almost no description of Miss Brill in the story, I managed to develop an image of what I believe her appearance looks like. Because she refers to her countless Sundays spent at the park (which I am assuming that is where she is located for the majoriy of the story), I assumed her age to be old. It seems as though she is alone, or lonely (possibly never marriedb because her name is MISS Brill), which is another reason why I pictured her to be of old age. Because of this, I see her with white-gray hair. Also, I pictured her to be elegant while she was wearing her fur. I think that the fur is black because she says that she used "black sealing-wax" on it when it was necessary. I think of her to be plump, not fat, just not very thin, either.

Although the story was short, making it more enjoyable than some of the other short stories we have read, I did not really understand some of the things occurring thruoghout the story. I do not understand the signficance of the "ermine to toque." I don't even understand what it is. Also, I do not understand why Miss Brill thinks she heard something crying in the last line of the story. There seems to be a hidden message, and I am clearly not getting it.

"Hunters in the Snow"

Honestly, I don't know what to make of this story. Peronally, I found it to be humorous, but at the same time I was kind of irritated with Frank and Tub for just leaving Kenny behind in the truck the entire time. The narrator in the story uses indirect characterization (for the most part) to identify the characters. It is almot as if the plot characterizes the people in the story. Without the plot, we would never figure out the secrets of Frank and Tub, and we would never find out their priorities when it comes to their friends. Frank is an interesting character, but kind of confusing. I have a hard time trying to figure out of he is making fun of Tub most of the time, or being genuine (the pancake scene). I think Tub is what made the story funny to me. It is harsh to say, but the fact that he is chubby and gorges himself with food just gets me everytime. What kind of person doesn't like to hear about a big boy getting excited around food??

"Bartleby the Scrivener"

This story is odd. Actually, it was more boring than anything. The lack of action and climactic events put me to sleep on more than one occasion. In the beginning of the story, the narrator, who is also the boss, gives a direct characterization of Nippers, Turkey, and Ginger Nut. The narrator comes right out and tells us what the characters are like and their mood swings throughout the day. He also goes the extra mile to tell us his opinion of the characters as well. But with Bartleby, the narrator knows little to nothing about him. This makes Bartleby the flat character. Although he never undergoes anything significant changes, and he never reveals any information himself, I still find him to be more interesting than the other characters due to the lack of information. I want to know WHY he is the way he is, and I want to know where he comes from. For now, I am just going to invent some theories on my own! Feel free to contribute.

"Everyday Use" continued!!

Part of this story confused me a little. Dee changes her name to "Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo" in the story. The book gives the explanation to this: "The names adopted by the two characters in the story reflect the practice among some members of the black community of rejecting names inherited from the period of slavery and selecting others more in keeping with their African heritage." Therefore, I understand that Dee appreciates her heritage. However, it does not seem like she appreciates her family's history or traditions. According to Dee's mother, she is named after a long line of women in her family, but Dee does not approve of this. She wants the hand-sewn quilts for decorations, but not for use. It is almost as if she admires her heritage from afar, but does not wish to participate in the practices of her ancestors. I don't know, it confuses me! Not only is she selfish, but she is embarrassed of her family, too, unless she acknowledges it for "show" or "decoration."

"Everyday Use"

In "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, Maggie is the static character. Throughout the short story, Maggie never undergoes a change. The reader knows that prior to the story, she was burned when her house had caught on fire years before. However, she never actually changes based on personality. As a reader, we still know much about Maggie. We know that she is shy, and has no self-esteem or confidence compared to her sister, Dee. Also, Maggie is very selfless which is shown when she offers to give the quilts to her sister, even though she was meant to receive them. Dee, on the other hand, is selfish. Not to mention, she irritates me beyond belief. It is one thing to be successful, but to be successful and arrogant is a different story! Reality check, sister, you're not all that and a bag of chips. hahahah

Relating Edie to Modern Teenage Girls

Out of the three short stories, the one I found the most interesting and least confusing is "How I Met My Husband" by Alice Munro. I think the girl in the story can easily be related to many girls in high school. They are flattered by the attention of older men and naive in their belief that men are not liars and they are genuinely interested in caring for them. I always stereotype men in the early 1900s to be more charismatic and respectful, and this short story is a perfect example of why it is wrong to stereotype. Not only is the story timeless, but I love that she feels fright when trying on the clothes of Mrs. Peebles. I know for a fact that if I were in the same shoes, I would want to try on the elegant dresses and expensive jewelry! The anxiety she feels after Chris Watters sees her in the dress was so easy to relate to, too. I always stress myself out when I am afraid that something so small will get me into huge trouble, and the secret becomes my main priority. Honestly, I do no think she would have gotten into too much trouble for trying on the clothes, but I definitely can see where she is coming from.

"A Rose for Emily"

This story had me a little confused at times. I don't understand why "they" keep referring to the taxes she had not paid. Not to mention she constantly said,"I have no tax in Jefferson." (Why wouldn't she have tax in Jefferson!?) I am assuming that they refer to her taxes to show how distant and isolated she was from the rest of her town. She didn't follow the same guidelines as everyone else. I also think that they elaborated on how the neighborhood she lived in was becoming deserted in order to show how she was removed from society. Another thing that had me bamboozled (hahaha) was at the end of story, when they discover the body lying in the bed with the imprint in the sheets next to the corpse, was the dead body her father or Homer, her supposed husband?? Those two characters confused me, too. As you can tell, I really need to read this story again because I obviously didn't understand well the first time!! If anybody can give me a clear explanation, too, that would be great. OH! and is the narrator the people trying to get taxes from Emily???

Interpreter of Maladies

This story, in my opinion, was a perfect example of SITUATIONAL IRONY. There was definitely a discrepancy between what I thought I was going to happen and what actually happened. At first, Mr. Kapasi seemed sort of apalled by the Das family and their lack of affection toward one another. However, when he becomes attracted to Mrs. Das and begins to look at her in a different way, I thought Mrs. Das felt similar feelings toward Mr. Kapasi. Even though I was grossed out (again) by the age difference, I knew that Mrs. Das felt lonely or insecure or something, and she defined Mr. Kapasi's career as "romantic," which made me think she felt intimate toward him. Therefore, the entire story I was convinced the two of them were going to get together, or something was going to happen between the two of them in the car when she refuses to go with the rest of her family. I DESPISE THAT WOMAN. Although it was wrong for Mr. Kapasi to have those desires considering he was married, the poor man was led on and felt confident with himself. She sparked some sort of interest in him (nothing that I understood, of course) and she totally shot him down. Both "Interpreter of Maladies" and "How I Met My Husband" had ironic endings that I did not predict!

"How I Met My Husband"

(I don't know if I'm supposed to tell you or not, but I am answering question #2 in this post!)

In "How I Met My Husband," I was a little surprised by the ending because I found the plot pretty predictable at parts; however, most of the time my inferences were proved wrong in the story. Throughout the beginning and the middle, I knew something was going to happen between Edie and Chris Watters...I was just waiting for it! However, I kept forgetting the age difference between the two of them, so now I am a little grossed out by Mr. Watters. Perve. Anyway, the climax was the intimate scene between Edie and Chris in the tent, which was predictable, but the denoument was the misleading part of it all. I thought for sure they were going to run away together! It's okay though, I didn't like Chris. So, while she waited for the letter by the mailbox everyday (definitely similar to the scene from The Notebook!) I caught on to the fact that he was never going to write her; yet, she still waited. Maybe it was my "blind optimism" (in the words of T-SWIFT!) that kept me hoping she would not get heart broken in the end. But when Carmichael showed up, the plot was no longer misleading. the entire time I thought the "husband" she was going to meet and marry in the story was Chris; I was not expecting Carmichael.

TODAY my blog will feature some videos. (Only because I enjoy watching them, too!)

This song reminds me of this story, too! I'm obsessed with Taylor Swift these days. This song is definitely worth your time. (It is written to John Mayer.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF3u1q_T8aw