Summary and analysis for Indian camp One night, Dr.

Adams is summoned to help an American Indian woman who has been in painful labor for two days. The doctor takes his young son, Nick, and his brother, George, to the American Indian camp on the other side of a northern Michigan lake. There, the doctor performs impromptu, improvised cesarean with a fishing knife, catgut, and no anesthetic to deliver the baby. Afterward, he discovers that the woman's husband, who was in the bunk above hers, silently cut his throat during the painful ordeal. Analysis This story is a good example of the "initiation story," a short story that centers around a main character who comes into contact with an idea, experience, ritual, or knowledge that he did not previously know. Hemingway wrote a number of initiation stories, or as they are sometimes referred to, "rite of passage" stories, and the main character in most of these stories is Nick Adams, a young man much like Hemingway himself. In this story, Nick Adams is a very young boy in the Michigan north woods, accompanying his father, Dr. Adams, and his uncle George to an American Indian camp on the other side of a lake. Hemingway's own father was a doctor, who spent much time with his son in the northern woods of Michigan (most critics read this story as somewhat autobiographical). Here, a very young Nick is initiated into concepts that remained of highest importance to Hemingway throughout his writing career: life and death; suffering, pain, and endurance; and suicide. Nick's father goes to the American Indian camp to help a young American Indian woman who has been screaming because of severe labor pains for two days, still unable to deliver her baby. When Dr. Adams arrives, she is lying in a bottom bunk; her husband, who cut his foot badly with an axe three days before, is lying in the bunk bed above her. Doctor Adams asks Nick to assist him, holding a basin of hot water while four American Indian men hold down the woman. Using his fishing jackknife as a scalpel, Dr. Adams performs a cesarean on the woman, delivers the baby boy, then sews up the woman's incision with some gut leader line from his fishing tackle. Exhilarated by the success of his impromptu, improvised surgery, Doctor Adams looks into the top bunk and discovers that the young American Indian husband, who listened to his wife screaming during her labor pains and during the cesarean, has cut his throat. Although this very short story deals with violence and suffering, with birth and death, sexism and racism, Hemingway's emphasis is not on the shocking events themselves; instead, Hemingway shows the effect of birth and death on young Nick Adams. Nick's progression in this short story is vividly portrayed in polarities. For instance, on the way to the camp in the boat, Nick is sitting in his father's arms; on the way back, Nick sits on the opposite end of the boat. Similarly, while his father wants Nick to witness the birth (and his surgical triumph), Nick turns his head away; when the American Indian husband is discovered dead in his bed, Nick sees it, even though his father wants to protect him from it. The fact that Nick sits across from his father in the boat on the way back after this experience can indicate a pulling out from underneath his father's influence.

The young boy asks his father why the young American Indian man cut his throat and is told, "I don't know. . . . He couldn't stand things, I guess." However, there are more subtle undercurrents for the American Indian husband's suicide as well. The treatment and attitude of Dr. Adams toward the woman, who is an American Indian, are key also. When Dr. Adams tells Nick that her screaming is not important, it is at this point that the American Indian husband rolls over in his bunk toward the shanty wall, as he is found later, after slitting his own throat with a razor. While this failure to confront the events at hand indicates fear, it can also indicate the American Indian husband's resignation to the thoughtless racism of the White men who have come to help her. Some have suggested that Uncle George is possibly the father of the child, as he seems to have a friendly relationship with the American Indians in the beginning of the story and hands out cigars to everyone after the birth. His handing out cigars to the men present could possibly be interpreted as paternity, although one could also surmise that he is simply sharing his way of celebrating the miracle of birth with the American Indians. Additionally, he stays behind in the camp after Dr. Adams and Nick leave. Following the interpretation of Uncle George being the baby's father, the husband's suicide could be seen as an inability to deal with his own shame and the cuckoldry of his wife. Here, Dr. Adams emphasizes to Nick that although this young American Indian man committed suicide, women rarely do. Fear conquered the young American Indian man; he did not have the courage and strength to cope with it. He failed his test of manhood. During the boat trip back across the lake, while Nick and his father are talking, the reader learns that Nick feels "quite safe that he would never die." Even at this young age, Nick vows never to succumb to fear. His resolve never to bow to fear is so great that he's ready to defy even the concept of natural, mortal life. Throughout his entire writing career, Hemingway would write about men who could "stand things" and men who couldn't "stand things." Of vital importance to him was the concept of being able to "stand things," no matter how violent and painful the situation is. He called this strength "grace under pressure." A real, authentic man never succumbs; most of all, he does not kill himself. Ironically, both Hemingway and his father committed suicide. In his later stories about Nick Adams, Hemingway explores how this young boy matures and how his vow never to bow to fear is central to the crisis in each story. Glossary stern the rear part of a boat. shanties crudely built cabins, or shacks. interne a recent graduate of medical school undergoing hands-on, practical training. peroxide a substance such as sodium peroxide that cleanses a wound. St. Ignace a resort town on the southeast part of the northern peninsula of Michigan. cesarean a surgical incision made through the abdomen and uterus to deliver a baby when vaginal delivery is dangerous to both mother and baby.

Sample Essay on the Japanese quince From the opening lines in the story Japanese quince, we realize that Mr. Nilson is a very influential man; most probably he is a very busy and wealthy business man who probably is a workaholic. We are informed that he lives in campden hill, thus the previous suggestion is justified. In addition to this, the author makes us comprehend that the protagonist is rich by telling us that he has a dressing room, this is not a common feature in an ordinary citizens house. In addition, the presence of a house help is sufficient enough to show us that he indeed he is wealthy man. The author makes us to believe that the protagonist is alienated from both humankind and nature and as a sign of his alienation from nature the phrase that he experienced a peculiar sweetish sensation in the back of his throat and a feeling of emptiness just under his fifth rib could indicate that he is very lonely in his life. Besides, Mr. Nilson makes no conversation whatsoever in his house and only speaks to Mr. Tandram for a short while and the conversation seems to annoy him. As a matter of fact, we are made to realize that Mr. Nilson finds his morning paper ready; this is another indication that Mr. Nilson might probably have had very little conversations if any in the house. When he recognizes the stranger in the garden as his neighbor Tandram, Nilson is unsure of what to do and thus he murmurs greetings to Tandram. This shows that he probably has very little communication skills or he sparingly uses them. The action of "The Japanese Quince" appears at first glance quite simple and straightforward, perhaps deceptively so On a beautiful spring morning, Mr. Nilson opens his dressing room window, only to experience "a peculiar sweetish sensation in the back of his throat." Descending to his dining room and finding his morning paper laid out, Mr. Nilson again experiences that peculiar sensation as he takes the paper in his hand. Hoping to rid himself of this uncomfortable feeling, Mr. Nilson determines to take a walk in the nearby gardens before breakfast. With paper firmly m hand behind him, Mr. Nilson notes with some alarm that even after two laps around the park, the unsettling sensation has not ceased. Breathing deeply only exacerbates the problem. Mr. Nilson is unable to account for the way he feels, until it occurs to him it might possibly be "some smell affecting him,"

......."The Japanese Quince" is a short story about a well-to-do London businessman. Charles Scribner's Sons first published it in 1910 as part of a collection entitled A Motley. Setting .......The action takes place on Campden Hill in London in the early twentieth century. The main character and his neighbor both work in London'sfinancial district, known as "the city." Characters Mr. Nilson: London businessman who experiences worrisome symptoms even though he is the picture of good health. Mr. Tandram: Nilson's next-door neighbor. He is also a businessman and experiences symptoms like Nilson's. Wives of Nilson and Tandram: The narrator mentions the spouses, but they have no speaking role in the story.

Point of View .......The narrator tells the story in third-person point of view. The viewpoint is omniscient only in relation to main character, Nilsonthat is, the narrator reveals Nilson's unspoken thoughts but not Tandram's. What Is a Japanese Quince? .......A Japanese quince is a shrub or small tree that blossoms with pink or red flowers in early spring. Contrary to Mr. Nilson's statement in the story that they do not bear fruit, the Japanese quince does bear pear-shaped green, yellow, purplish green, greenish-yellow, or white fruit. The fruit is hard when picked in the fall and not suitable for eating except when used to make preserves. The shrub has a fragrance resembling that of pineapples, lemons, and vanilla. Its main purpose is as an ornamental shrub for gardens. Click here to see images of the Japanese quince. Plot Summary .......While in the dressing room of his home on Campden Hill in London, Mr. Nilson experiences a sweetness in his throat and an emptiness in his chest. Opening a window, he notices that a small tree in the Campden Hill gardens is blossoming. Perfect morning, he thinks; spring at last! (paragraph 1). .......After going downstairs and getting the morning paper from the sideboard in the dining room, that same sweetness affects him as before. A bit concerned, he goes outside for fresh air and a walk in the gardens. But only moments pass before he again experiences the feeling of sweetness, along with a slight ache above his heart. .......He considers what he ate the previous evening but recalls no food that could cause his sensations. Then he notices the small tree that he saw from the window. It has green leaves and pink and white blossoms. Very pretty. When he stops to observe it, he notices his neighbor, Mr. Tandram, doing the same. Nilson had never spoken to him even though Tandram had lived in the house next door for five years. .......Feeling obliged to speak, Nilson says, "Fine morning!" (paragraph 7), ......."Beautiful, for the time of year" (paragraph 7), Tandram says. .......Both men are about the same height, both have mustaches, and both are carrying the morning paper. Nilson asks whether Tandram knows the name of the tree. .......I was about to ask you that (paragraph 10) Tandram says. .......Tandram then steps closer to it and sees a label on it. "Japanese quince" (paragraph 13), he says. .......They exchange friendly small talk about the tree and the song of a blackbird nearby, then return to their homes. When Nilson reaches the top step, he experiences that same choking sweetness in his throat. At that very moment, he hears someone cough or sigh. When he looks in the direction of the cough, he sees Tandram looking out from his French window at the Japanese quince. ......."Unaccountably upset," the narrator says, "Mr. Nilson turned abruptly into the house, and opened his morning paper" (last paragraph). .

Interpretation and Theme .......The theme of the story is that many people lead a humdrum, uneventful life but refuse to change their ways. They are in a rut. Galsworthy uses Mr. Nilson as an example of such people. .......Nilson lives in an exclusive section of London, fashionable Campden Hill, and apparently makes plenty of money as an investor in London's financial districtknown to London residents as "the City" (a term used in the first and seventh paragraphs of the story). Thus, he does not lack the means to lead a dynamic, outgoing life. What he lacks is the will to become more involved with the world around him. Consider that he has lived next to Mr. Tandrum for five years but never once spoke with him until the mysterious fragrance brings them together at the quince tree. .......Oddly, both men have mustaches, both are about the same height, both carry newspapers, and both have dealings in the financial district. These similarities tell the reader that there is nothing distinctive about them. They are among the mass of men who lead lives of quiet complacency and ordinariness. .......The conversation they have is pleasant. Nilson thinks, "Nice fellow, this, I rather like him" (paragraph 18). Here is an opportunity for Nilson to cultivate a friendship with his neighbor to get out of his rut and into the world. But their conversation stalls, and both return to their homes. .......After hearing Tandrum cough, Nilson discovers that Tandrum is like him in another way: Tandrum, too, has a reaction to the quince tree. Nilson is "unaccountably upset" (last paragraph) that his neighbor is so much like him. Moments before, he thought he was unique: Morning like this! . . . and here I am the only person in the Square who has theto come out and! (paragraph 7). In other words, he thought, he was the only person in the neighborhood

who had the initiative to go outdoors and appreciate the spring day. Then he sees Tandram. At the end of the story, Nilson goes back indoors and opens his newspaper. Apparently, he prefers his comfortable rut. Descriptive Style .......Galsworthy develops his theme with concise descriptive language. The details are spare, but none of them is wasted. Many words have more than one meaning. For example, Nilson's "feeling of emptiness" (paragraph 1) describes a physical sensation in his chest while also suggesting that his life is empty. Some words describe not only an object but also an aspect of Nilson's life. For example, Nilson's "ivory-backed handglass" (paragraph 2) suggests that he can afford luxuries. .......To emphasize how similar Nilson and Tandram areand therefore commonplace and boringGalsworthy says both of them are about the same height and have brown mustaches, grey eyes, and "well-coloured cheeks" (paragraph 2, paragraph 7). Both have newspapers clasped behind their backs, and both live in houses with a French window and scrolled iron steps. When the two men part company, Galsworthy writes, "It struck him [Nilson] suddenly that Mr. Tandram looked a little foolish; and, as if he had seen himself, he said: 'I must be going in. Good morning!' (paragraph 19). The key words here are "as if he had seen himself." Climax .......The climax occurs when Nilson hears Tandram cough and sees him look out the window at the Japanese quince. It is at this moment that Nilson realizes that he and Tandram are alike and lead the same kind of boring life. Symbols The Japanese Quince .......The Japanese quincebursting with colorful blossomssymbolizes rebirth. Its fragrance suggests to Nilson and Tandram that they, too, could have a new life if they simply made the effort. The Blackbird .......The blackbird's singing makes the world cheerful and pleasant. It symbolizes the interesting and productive persons Nilson and Tandram could become if they also used their talents to become more involved with the world

A Rose for emily Emily Grierson Emily is the classic outsider, controlling and limiting the towns access to her true identity by remaining hidden. The house that shields Emily from the world suggests the mind of the woman who inhabits it: shuttered, dusty, and dark. The object of the towns intense scrutiny, Emily is a muted and mysterious figure. On one level, she exhibits the qualities of the stereotypical southern eccentric: unbalanced, excessively tragic, and subject to bizarre behavior. Emily enforces her own sense of law and conduct, such as when she refuses to pay her taxes or state her purpose for buying the poison. Emily also skirts the law when she refuses to have numbers attached to her house when federal mail service is instituted. Her dismissal of the law eventually takes on more sinister consequences, as she takes the life of the man whom she refuses to allow to abandon her. The narrator portrays Emily as a monument, but at the same time she is pitied and often irritating, demanding to live life on her own terms. The subject of gossip and speculation, the townspeople cluck their tongues at the fact that she accepts Homers attentions with no firm wedding plans. After she purchases the poison, the townspeople conclude that she will kill herself. Emilys instabilities, however, lead her in a different direction, and the final scene of the story suggests that she is a necrophiliac. Necrophilia typically means a sexual attraction to dead bodies. In a broader sense, the term also describes a powerful desire to control another, usually in the context of a romantic or deeply personal relationship. Necrophiliacs tend to be so controlling in their relationships that they ultimately resort to bonding with unresponsive entities with no resistance or willin other words, with dead bodies. Mr. Grierson controlled Emily, and after his death, Emily temporarily controls him by refusing to give up his dead body. She ultimately transfers this control to Homer, the object of her affection. Unable to find a traditional way to express her desire to possess Homer, Emily takes his life to achieve total power over him. Homer Barron Homer, much like Emily, is an outsider, a stranger in town who becomes the subject of gossip. Unlike Emily, however, Homer swoops into town brimming with charm, and he initially becomes the center of attention and the object of affection. Some townspeople distrust him because he is both a Northerner and day laborer, and his Sunday outings with Emily are in many ways scandalous, because the townspeople regard Emilydespite her eccentricitiesas being from a higher social class. Homers failur e to properly court and marry Emily prompts speculation and suspicion. He carouses with younger men at the Elks Club, and the narrator portrays him as either a homosexual or simply an eternal bachelor, dedicated to his single status and uninterested in marriage. Homer says only that he is not a marrying man. As the foreman of a company that has arrived in town to pave the sidewalks, Homer is an emblem of the North and the changes that grip the once insular and genteel world of the South. With his machinery, Homer represents modernity and industrialization, the force of progress that is upending traditional values and provoking resistance and alarm among traditionalists. Homer brings innovation to the rapidly changing world of this Southern town, whose new leaders are themselves pursuing more modern ideas. The change that Homer brings to Emilys life, as her first real lover, is equally as profound and seals his grim fate as the victim of her plan to keep him permanently by her side. Themes

Tradition versus Change Through the mysterious figure of Emily Grierson, Faulkner conveys the struggle that comes from trying to maintain tradition in the face of widespread, radical change. Jefferson is at a crossroads, embracing a modern, more commercial future while still perched on the edge of the past, from the faded glory of the Grierson home to the town cemetery where anonymous Civil War soldiers have been laid to rest. Emily herself is a tradition, steadfastly staying the same over the years despite many changes in her community. She is in many ways a mixed blessing. As a living monument to the past, she represents the traditions that people wish to respect and honor; however, she is also a burden and entirely cut off from the outside world, nursing eccentricities that others cannot understand. Emily lives in a timeless vacuum and world of her own making. Refusing to have metallic numbers affixed to the side of her house when the town receives modern mail service, she is out of touch with the reality that constantly threatens to break through her carefully sealed perimeters. Garages and cotton gins have replaced the grand antebellum homes. The aldermen try to break with the unofficial agreement about taxes once forged between Colonel Sartoris and Emily. This new and younger generation of leaders brings in Homers company to pave the sidewalks. Although Jefferson still highly regards traditional notions of honor and reputation, the narrator is critical of the old men in their Confederate uniforms who gather for Emilys funeral. For them as for her, time is relative. The past is not a faint glimmer but an everpresent, idealized realm. Emilys macabre bridal chamber is an extreme attempt to stop time and prevent change, although doing so comes at the expense of human life. The Power of Death Death hangs over A Rose for Emily, from the narrators mention of Emilys death at the beginning of the story through the description of Emilys death-haunted life to the foundering of tradition in the face of modern changes. In every case, death prevails over every attempt to master it. Emily, a fixture in the community, gives in to death slowly. The narrator compares her to a drowned woman, a bloated and pale figure left too long in the water. In the same description, he refers to her small, spare skeletonshe is practically dead on her feet. Emily stands as an emblem of the Old South, a grand lady whose respectability and charm rapidly decline through the years, much like the outdated sensibilities the Griersons represent. The death of the old social order will prevail, despite many townspeoples attempts to stay true to the old ways. Emily attempts to exert power over death by denying the fact of death itself. Her bizarre relationship to the dead bodies of the men she has lovedher necrophiliais revealed first when her father dies. Unable to admit that he has died, Emily clings to the controlling paternal figure whose denial and control became the onlyyet extremeform of love she knew. She gives up his body only reluctantly. When Homer dies, Emily refuses to acknowledge it once again although this time, she herself was responsible for bringing about the death. In killing Homer, she was able to keep him near her. However, Homers lifelessness rendered him permanently distant. Emily and Homers grotesque marriage reveals Emilys disturbing attempt to fuse life and death. However, death ultimately triumphs. Motifs Watching Emily is the subject of the intense, controlling gaze of the narrator and residents of Jefferson. In lieu of an actual connection to Emily, the townspeople create subjective and often distorted interpretations of the woman they know little about. They attend her funeral under the guise of respect and honor, but they really want to satisfy their lurid curiosity about the towns most notable eccentric. One of the ironic

dimensions of the story is that for all the gossip and theorizing, no one guesses the perverse extent of Emilys true nature. For most of the story, Emily is seen only from a distance, by people who watch her through the windows or who glimpse her in her doorway. The narrator refers to her as an objectan idol. This pattern changes briefly during her courtship with Homer Barron, when she leaves her house and is frequently out in the world. However, others spy on her just as avidly, and she is still relegated to the role of object, a distant figure who takes on character according to the whims of those who watch her. In this sense, the act of watching is powerful because it replaces an actual human presence with a made-up narrative that changes depending on who is doing the watching. No one knows the Emily that exists beyond what they can see, and her true self is visible to them only after she dies and her secrets are revealed. Dust A pall of dust hangs over the story, underscoring the decay and decline that figure so prominently. The dust throughout Emilys house is a fitting accompaniment to the faded lives within. When the aldermen arrive to try and secure Emilys annual tax payment, the house smells of dust and disuse. As they seat themselves, the movement stirs dust all around them, and it slowly rises, roiling about their thighs and catching the slim beam of sunlight entering the room. The house is a place of stasis, where regrets and memories have remained undisturbed. In a way, the dust is a protective presence; the aldermen cannot penetrate Emilys murky relationship with reality. The layers of dust also suggest the cloud of obscurity that hides Emilys true nature and the secrets her house contains. In the final scene, the dust is an oppressive presence that seems to emanate from Homers dead body. The dust, which is everywhere, seems even more horrible here. Symbols Emilys House Emilys house, like Emily herself, is a monument, the only remaining emblem of a dying world of Southern aristocracy. The outside of the large, square frame house is lavishly decorated. The cupolas, spires, and scrolled balconies are the hallmarks of a decadent style of architecture that became popular in the 1870s. By the time the story takes place, much has changed. The street and neighborhood, at one time affluent, pristine, and privileged, have lost their standing as the realm of the elite. The house is in some ways an extension of Emily: it bares its stubborn and coquettish decay to the towns residents. It is a testament to the endurance and preservation of tradition but now seems out of place among the cotton wagons, gasoline pumps, and other industrial trappings that surround itjust as the Souths old values are out of place in a changing society. Emilys house also represents alienation, mental illness, and death. It is a shrine to the living past, and the sealed upstairs bedroom is her macabre trophy room where she preserves the man she would not allow to leave her. As when the group of men sprinkled lime along the foundation to counteract the stench of rotting flesh, the townspeople skulk along the edges of Emilys life and property. The house, like its owner, is an object of fascination for them. They project their own lurid fantasies and interpretations onto the crumbling edifice and mysterious figure inside. Emilys death is a chance for them to gain access to this forbidden realm and confirm their wildest notions and most sensationalistic suppositions about what had occurred on the inside.

The Strand of Hair The strand of hair is a reminder of love lost and the often perverse things people do in their pursuit of happiness. The strand of hair also reveals the inner life of a woman who, despite her eccentricities, was committed to living life on her own terms and not submitting her behavior, no matter how shocking, to the approval of others. Emily subscribes to her own moral code and occupies a world of her own invention, where even murder is permissible. The narrator foreshadows the discovery of the long strand of hair on the pillow when he describes the physical transformation that Emily undergoes as she ages. Her hair grows more and more grizzled until it becomes a vigorous iron-gray. The strand of hair ultimately stands as the last vestige of a life left to languish and decay, much like the body of Emilys former lover. Southern Gothic writers were interested in exploring the extreme, antisocial behaviors that were often a reaction against a confining code of social conduct. Southern Gothic often hinged on the belief that daily life and the refined surface of the social order were fragile and illusory, disguising disturbing realities or twisted psyches. Faulkner, with his dense and multilayered prose, traditionally stands outside this group of practitioners. However, A Rose for Emily reveals the influence that Southern Gothic had on his writing: this particular story has a moody and forbidding atmosphere; a crumbling old mansion; and decay, putrefaction, and grotesquerie. Faulkners work uses the sensational elements to highlight an individuals struggle against an oppressive society that is undergoing rapid change. Another aspect of the Southern Gothic style is appropriation and transformation. Faulkner has appropriated the image of the damsel in distress and transformed it into Emily, a psychologically damaged spinster. Her mental instability and necrophilia have made her an emblematic Southern Gothic heroine.

The lottery by Shirley Jackson

Character List
Tessie Hutchinson - The unlucky loser of the lottery. Tessie draws the paper with the black mark on it and is stoned to death. She is excited about the lottery and fully willing to participate every year, but when her familys name is drawn, she protests that the lottery isnt fair. Tessie arrives at the village square late because she forgot what day it was. Read an in-depth analysis of Tessie Hutchinson. Old Man Warner - The oldest man in the village. Old Man Warner has participated in seventy-seven lotteries. He condemns the young people in other villages who have stopped holding lotteries, believing that the lottery keeps people from returning to a barbaric state. Read an in-depth analysis of Old Man Warner. Mr. Summers - The man who conducts the lottery. Mr. Summers prepares the slips of paper that go into the black box and calls the names of the people who draw the papers. The childless owner of a coal company, he is one of the village leaders. Read an in-depth analysis of Mr. Summers. Bill Hutchinson - Tessies husband. Bill first draws the marked paper, but he picks a blank paper during the second drawing. He is fully willing to show everyone that his wife, Tessie, has drawn the marked paper. Mr. Harry Graves - The postmaster. Mr. Graves helps Mr. Summers prepare the papers for the lottery and assists him during the ritual. Tessie Hutchinson When Tessie Hutchinson arrives late to the lottery, admitting that she forgot what day it was, she immediately stands out from the other villagers as someone different and perhaps even threatening. Whereas the other women arrive at the square calmly, chatting with one another and then standing placidly by their husbands, Tessie arrives flustered and out of breath. The crowd must part for her to reach her family, and she and her husband endure good-natured teasing as she makes her way to them. On a day when the villagers single focus is the lottery, this breach of propriety seems inappropriate, even unforgivable; everyone comes to the lottery, and everyone comes on time. The only person absent is a man whose leg is broken. Although Tessie quickly settles into the crowd and joins the lottery like everyone else, Jackson has set her apart as a kind of free spirit who was able to forget about the lottery entirely as she performed her chores. Perhaps because she is a free spirit, Tessie is the only villager to protest against the lottery. When the Hutchinson family draws the marked paper, she exclaims, It wasnt fair! This refrain continues as she is selected and subsequently stoned to death, but instead of listening to her, the villagers ignore her. Even Bill tells her to be quiet. We dont know whether Tessie would have protested the fairness of the lottery if her family had not been selected, but this is a moot point. Whatever her motivation is for speaking out, she is effectively silenced. Old Man Warner Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town, has participated in seventy-seven lotteries and is a staunch advocate for keeping things exactly the way they are. He dismisses the towns and young people who have stopped having lotteries as crazy fools, and he is threatened by the idea of change. He believes, illogically, that the people who want to stop holding lotteries will soon want to live in caves, as though only the lottery keeps society stable. He also holds fast to what seems to be an old wives taleLottery in June, corn be heavy soonand fears that if the lottery

stops, the villagers will be forced to eat chickweed and acorns. Again, this idea suggests that stopping the lottery will lead to a return to a much earlier era, when people hunted and gathered for their food. These illogical, irrational fears reveal that Old Man Warner harbors a strong belief in superstition. He easily accepts the way things are because this is how theyve always been, and he believes any change to the status quo will lead to disaster. This way of thinking shows how dangerous it is to follow tradition blindly, never questioning beliefs that are passed down from one generation to the next. Mr. Summers Despite his breezy, light-hearted name, Mr. Summers wields a frightening amount of power in the village, power that seems to have been assigned to him arbitrarily. A married, childless business owner, Mr. Summers is jovial and pitied by the townspeople for having a nagging wife. No one seems to question his leadership of the lottery, and it seems to have never been challenged. Perhaps he took on the role himself, or perhaps someone offered it to him. Whatever the case, he now has complete control. Mr. Summers not only draws the names on the day of the lottery, but he also makes up the slips of paper that go into the black box. Its up to him to make the black circle th at ultimately condemns someone to death. Jackson never explains why the villagers put such pure faith in Mr. Summers, and the assumption that he will continue to conduct the lottery is just one more inexplicable but universally accepted part of the ritual. Themes The Danger of Blindly Following Tradition The village lottery culminates in a violent murder each year, a bizarre ritual that suggests how dangerous tradition can be when people follow it blindly. Before we know what kind of lottery theyre conduct ing, the villagers and their preparations seem harmless, even quaint: theyve appointed a rather pathetic man to lead the lottery, and children run about gathering stones in the town square. Everyone is seems preoccupied with a funny-looking black box, and the lottery consists of little more than handmade slips of paper. Tradition is endemic to small towns, a way to link families and generations. Jackson, however, pokes holes in the reverence that people have for tradition. She writes that the villagers dont really know much about the lotterys origin but try to preserve the tradition nevertheless. The villagers blind acceptance of the lottery has allowed ritual murder to become part of their town fabric. As they have demonstrated, they feel powerless to changeor even try to changeanything, although there is no one forcing them to keep things the same. Old Man Warner is so faithful to the tradition that he fears the villagers will return to primitive times if they stop holding the lottery. These ordinary people, who have just come from work or from their homes and will soon return home for lunch, easily kill someone when they are told to. And they dont have a reason for doing it other than the fact that theyve always held a lottery to kill someone. If th e villagers stopped to question it, they would be forced to ask themselves why they are committing a murder but no one stops to question. For them, the fact that this is tradition is reason enough and gives them all the justification they need. The Randomness of Persecution Villagers persecute individuals at random, and the victim is guilty of no transgression other than having drawn the wrong slip of paper from a box. The elaborate ritual of the lottery is designed so that all villagers have the same chance of becoming the victimeven children are at risk. Each year, someone new is chosen and killed, and no family is safe. What makes The Lottery so chilling is the swiftness with which the villagers turn against the victim. The instant that Tessie Hutchinson chooses the marked slip of paper, she loses her identity as a popular housewife. Her friends and family participate in the killing with as much enthusiasm as everyone else. Tessie essentially becomes invisible to them in the fervor of persecution. Although she has done nothing wrong, her innocence doesnt matter. She has drawn the marked papershe has herself become markedand according to the logic of the lottery, she therefore must die.

Tessies death is an extreme example of how societies can persec ute innocent people for absurd reasons. Presentday parallels are easy to draw, because all prejudices, whether they are based on race, sex, appearance, religion, economic class, geographical region, family background, or sexual orientation, are essentially random. Those who are persecuted become marked because of a trait or characteristic that is out of their controlfor example, they are the wrong sex or from the wrong part of the country. Just as the villagers in The Lottery blindly follow tradit ion and kill Tessie because that is what they are expected to do, people in real life often persecute others without questioning why. As Jackson suggests, any such persecution is essentially random, which is why Tessies bizarre death is so universal. Motifs Family Family bonds are a significant part of the lottery, but the emphasis on family only heightens the killings cruelty because family members so easily turn against one another. Family ties form the lotterys basic structure and execution. In the town square, families stand together in groups, and every family member must be present. Elaborate lists of heads of families, heads of households within those families, and household members are created, and these lists determine which member draws from the box. Family relationships are essential to how the actions of the lottery are carried out, but these relationships mean nothing the moment its time to stone the unlucky victim. As soon as its clear that Tessie has drawn the marked paper, for example, he r husband and children turn on her just as the other villagers do. Although family relationships determine almost everything about the lottery, they do not guarantee loyalty or love once the lottery is over. Rules The lottery is rife with rules that are arbitrarily followed or disregarded. The intricate rules the villagers follow suggest that the lottery is an efficient, logical ritual and that there is an important purpose behind it, whereas the rules that have lapsed, however, reveal the essential randomness of the lotterys dark conclusion. Mr. Summers follows an elaborate system of rules for creating the slips of paper and making up the lists of families. When the lottery begins, he lays out a series of specific rules for the villagers, including who should draw slips of paper from the black box and when to open those papers. When someone is unable to draw, the lottery rules determine who should be next in line. At the same time, there are ghosts of rules that have been long forgotten or willfully abandoned altogether, such as those for salutes and songs that accompany Mr. Summers induction as the chairman of the lottery. The fact that some rules have remained while others have disappeared underscores the disturbing randomness of the murder at the end of the lottery. Symbols The Black Box The shabby black box represents both the tradition of the lottery and the illogic of the villagers loyalty to it. The black box is nearly falling apart, hardly even black anymore after years of use and storage, but the villagers are unwilling to replace it. They base their attachment on nothing more than a story that claims that this black box was made from pieces of another, older black box. The lottery is filled with similar relics from the past that have supposedly been passed down from earlier days, such as the creation of family lists and use of stones. These are part of the tradition, from which no one wants to deviatethe lottery must take place in just this way because this is how its always been done. However, other lottery traditions have been changed or forgotten. The villagers use slips of paper instead of wood chips, for example. There is no reason why the villagers should be loyal to the black box yet disloyal to other relics and traditions, just as there is no logical reason why the villagers should continue holding the lottery at all.

The Lottery The lottery represents any action, behavior, or idea that is passed down from one generation to the next thats accepted and followed unquestioningly, no matter how illogical, bizarre, or cruel. The lottery has been taking place in the village for as long as anyone can remember. It is a tradition, an annual ritual that no one has thought to question. It is so much a part of the towns culture, in fact, that it is even accompanied by an old adage: Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon. The villagers are fully loyal to it, or, at least, they tell themselves that they are, despite the fact that many parts of the lottery have changed or faded away over the years. Nevertheless, the lottery continues, simply because there has always been a lottery. The result of this tradition is that everyone becomes party to murder on an annual basis. The lottery is an extreme example of what can happen when traditions are not questioned or addressed critically by new generations.

The Guest .......The French title of the story, "L'hte," can be translated as "The Guest" or "The Host." Thus, the title can refer not only to the prisoner (the guest of the English title) but also to the schoolmaster, who "hosts" the prisoner. Historical Background .......In ancient times, the inhabitants of what is now Algeria were called Berbers. They established a kingdom, Numidia, in the third and second centuries, B.C., under the aegis of Rome. In the seventh century, A.D., Muslim Arabs invaded the country and conquered the Berbers, who acceptedArab rule and Islam. By the early 1500s, Spaniards had gained control of key port cities and required the natives to pay tribute (money or valuables). After the natives asked Turkey for help, the Turks drove out the Spaniards and allowed the country to rule itself under Turkish supervision. In the 1830s, France gained control of the country and colonized it. On October 31, 1954, the Algerian Front de Libration Nationale (National Liberation Front) launched a revolution against the French occupiers. The revolution ended in 1962 with a ceasefire followed by a referendum in which Algerians voted to become an independent nation. Half a million people lost their lives in the war. Setting .......The story is set in October of a year in the early 1950s on a desolate plateau in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria after a blizzard. At that time, native Algeriansboth Arabs and Berberswere agitating for independence. Characters Daru: Frenchman born in Algeria. He teaches at a school on a plateau high in Algeria's Atlas Mountains. As a citizen of France, he is expected to cooperate with the colonial authorities in Algeria. But as an Algerian-born resident of the North African country, he feels honor-bound not to turn in theArab villager accused of murder. This predicament isolates him as much as the barren landscape where he lives. Daru reflects the sentiments of the author, who loved both France and Algeria and abhorred the conflict that arose between them. The Arab: Algerian villager accused of murdering his cousin. Balducci: Gendarme who takes the Arab from El Ameur to the school where Daru teaches. He assumes that the Arab is guilty of the alleged murder. Type of Work and Narration .......The Guest is a short story centering on a decision that becomes a turning point in the life of an Algerian-born Frenchman. Camus uses omniscient third-person point of view to reveal the thoughts of the main character, Daru, and limited third-person point of view to conceal the thoughts of the other two characters. Publication Year .......The Guest" was one of six short stories published in a 1957 collection, Lexil et le royaume (Exile and the Kingdom). Themes Self-Determination

.......Until the arrival of Balducci and the Arab, Daru bowed to the will of the French government. First, he accepted a teaching job on a lonely plateau in the Atlas Mountains even though he wanted a post in a foothills village with an ideal climate. Then, as a schoolmaster, he served as an agent of the French government, teaching native children about France even though their families generally opposed foreign rule. The blackboard drawing of the rivers of France illustrates this point. But after authorities in El Ameur order him to escort an Arab prisoner to the police station in Tinguit, Daru refuses to cooperate. His decision to defy officialdom arises from an awakened awareness in himself of an independent spirit, alluded to when Balducci tells him, "Tu as toujours tun peu fl" ("You have always been a little crazy"). To be a manto be fully humanDaru must begin to control his own destiny according to the dictates of his conscience. The arbitrary mandates of Balducci and his superiors no longer hold sway. Daru's life has meaning only if he rebels against authority and does what he believes is morally acceptable to him. He begins his new life of self-determination by treating the Arab humanely and allowing him also to choose his own destiny. Isolation and Loneliness .......Life imposes isolation and loneliness on Daru via the following: 1. His position in society as a citizen of France and resident of Algeria. Siding with either country in a time of upheaval would single him out for retaliation. Thus, he exists in a limbo of ....alienation. 2. His decision to ignore the French order to turn in the Arab prisoner at the police station in Tinguit. His action invites the wrath of the French. At the same time, his agreement to take ....custody of the prisoner risks retaliation from the villagers who support the prisoner. The penultimate sentence of the story sums up Daru's predicament: Daru regardait le ciel, le ....plateau et, au-del, les terres invisibles qui s'tendaient jusqu' la mer . (Daru observed the sky, the plateau and, beyond, the invisible landscape stretching to the sea.) 3. His desolate surroundings. He teaches at a school on a plateau high in the Atlas Mountains. He has no next-door neighbors. There are no taverns, theaters, or markets nearby.Injustice of Colonialism .......Between 1500 and 1900, European powers subdued and occupied other nations to exploit them economically, politically, and strategically. Portugal, Britain, Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and France were among the countries that gained control of parts or all of other nations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Native populations eventually rose up against their occupiers sometimes peacefully, as in the Gandhi-led uprising in India against the Britishbut usually violently, as in the Algerian rebellion against the French. "The Guest" is in part an indictment of the French occupation of Algeria. Even Balducci, a willing cat's-paw of the government, acknowledges that he has mistreated the natives: "Mettre une corde un homme, malgr les annes, on ne s'y habitue pas et mme, oui, on a honte" ("Putting a rope around a man's neck, in spite of years of doing it, well, I can't get used to it. Yes, I am even ashamed.") "The Guest" as a Statement of Camus' Philosophy .......As an atheist, Camus believed that the world was absurd and meaningless, as he argued in his 1942 essay, "Le mythe de sisyphe" ("The Myth of Sisyphus"). However, he later altered his opinion, asserting that a human being can give meaning to his life through self-determination, especially when exercised in humane causes. What a person must do is to make his own free and independent decisions outside the bounds of the herd mentality; he must become a rebel. According to Camus, a rebel is a person who opposes injustice and oppression while treating the downtrodden with compassion. In "The Guest," Daru acts out Camus' views, deciding to defy authorities at El Ameur and to treat the Arab with dignity and respect. After rejecting the colonial government's dictums, he allows the Arab to decide his own fate. Camus' world is thus a world of free choices, of decisions that define a person. It is also a world of alienation, for the decisions that define a person isolate him from the masses that abide by the status quo. .......The idea that free and independent choices can make a person's life meaningful in a meaningless world is an expression ofexistentialism, a philosophical movement.

Climax .......The climax occurs when Daru decides to release his prisoner. This decision becomes his personal declaration of independence from the authority of the state. It also provides the Arab an opportunity to choose his own fate. The Second Prisoner .......After the Arab prisoner arrives, Daru realizes that he too is a prisoner of the French authorities who gave him his job, of the barren environment where the French placed him, and of his own willingness to accept his lot without protest. This realization causes Daru to take the first step toward freeing himself: He refuses to carry out the order to escort the Arab to Tinguit and turn him in there to the French police. The Third Prisoner The old gendarme Balducci is a prisoner of lockstep obedience to French authority. When he receives an order, he believes it is his duty to execute it without questioning it. He expects Daru to do the same. Symbols The following appear to be significant symbols in the story: Blackboard drawing of the rivers of France, symbolizing French colonialism. The drawing suggests that learning about the rivers of France is more important to the children of Algeria than learning about the geography of the their own country. Untying the prisoner's hands, symbolizing a step Daru takes toward freeing himself from bondage to the ideas of others. When he unbinds the prisoner, Daru begins the process of his philosophical revolt against French authorities. Desolate mountain plateau, symbolizing Daru's isolation as an Algerian-born Frenchman caught between belligerent factions. The vast barren landscape (l'immense tendue du haut plateau dsert) may also represent the emotional emptiness resulting from the author's rejection of belief in God. The Problem With "Moral" Atheism: an Opinion .......Camus, an atheist, was said to be a humble man who fought for what he and his supporters deemed noble causes, postulating a secular morality that required him to oppose oppression and injustice. However, his ideology had no adequate explanation for how a moral system can exist without an ultimate arbiter (supreme being). Denial of the existence of such an arbiter enables a person or a group of persons, including a governmentto claim the power of deciding what is right or wrong. Thus, if an atheistic dictator authorizes ethnic cleansing, slavery, or oppressive colonialism, he can enforce his policies as morally rightsimply because he says they are right. Or if an atheistic citizen decides to embezzle money, slander his neighbor, or sexually abuse a child, he can justify his actions to himself on grounds that no absolute moral code exists that prohibits these actions. His only concern is to prevent discovery of his actions by others who subscribe to an absolute moral code. Some societies that ignore or deny the existence of an immutable, overriding moral code have invested citizens with the power to determine morality via the ballot box or via elected representatives. Thus, decisions on moral and ethical issues such as human cloning, abortion, and the use of torture by the military depend on the whims of the electorate and their politically motivated representatives. .......In the world of Camus, a person can attempt to give meaning and nobility to his life through decisive, even rebellious, action to counteract immoral activity. But without an ultimate arbiter, there is no morality or immorality. One ends up confronting the witches' paradox in Shakespeare's Macbeth: "fair is foul, and foul is fair."