Throughout the duration of the quarter, I have discovered the process of analyzing a short story to be much more difficult than I thought. The method of analyzing a short story that influenced my reading and writing process the most was that of Flynn, which is why I based one of my responses to "The Man in the Well" on Flynn's categories of reading. I have learned from Flynn that it is necessary for a reader to achieve a solid balance between detachment and involvement in order to fully comprehend and interpret the meaning of a story. It is difficult to achieve this solid balance, but it can undoubtedly be obtained through practice. By practice, I mean re-reading a story multiple times. The more a story is read, the more likely the reader is to form a constant pattern of meaning. I have also found it helpful in some cases to take notes as I am reading. By doing so, important parts of the text are not forgotten. For the final project, I took notes each time I read the story since the project was a weekly process.
I also gained significant insight from the midterm project. The midterm project was a group project that involved detailed discussion between all group members. I found that it is enlightening to hear other people's thoughts on a particular story. A similar form of discussion was also present in the final project where someone who was not currently enrolled in the class, my mother in my case, read the chosen short story and commented on it. I then compared my ideas to her ideas and discussed what insight I gained from the comparison. Through this course, I also learned how to distinguish a short story from an essay (Hesse) and how to determine if a short story is fiction or nonfiction (Morano). I discovered that a reader has a need to "close" a story (May). For example, if a short story contains a trick-ending or if the writer purposely leaves the ending of a story open for interpretation, the reader has an instinctual need to choose an appropriate ending. Although May introduces the idea of a trick-ending, Lohafer introduces the preclosure experiment as a method of determining the location of an alternate ending. Overall, I learned about many elements of a short story that I have always known to exist, but never fully understood. The insight that I gained from this course will inevitably help me to succeed in future college level courses.
I would like to note that I chose a black template for the blog because it reminded me of what the inside of a well might look like -- nothing but darkness.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
My mother's response and interpretation
The following is my mother's initial response to "The Man in the Well."
"The story started off erratic and I wasn't sure what the children were going to do when they discovered the man in the well. At first, I was full of hope and thought the children would help the man, but I progressively became full of despair and felt the anguish of the man. I could see myself as a nine year old child not knowing what to do or how to act. I could also see myself acting like the narrator by trying to hide myself from the man in the well and imagining what he looked like. It did not seem ethical for the children to lie to the man about getting help, but I do not think they felt as though they were doing anything wrong. When the children brought food and water to the man, it gave them a sense of relief. Although they did not get adult help, they were still helping him in their own way. Along with bringing him food and water, the children continued to lie to him about getting help, which began to seem like some sort of game to them. Even when the first name was spoken, Wendy had broken one of the "rules." The man in the well provided them with temporary amusement that quickly flourished into fear. I think the man in the well started playing the game himself. He used every child's name in hope for a response, any kind of response, yet knowing he had lost the right of survival. It became apparent at the very end that the mother knew of the man in the well and it was her loss too. Do you think the father put him there?"
-Jackie Pakos
In response to my mother's interpretation of the story, I found it very interesting that she viewed the whole situation as a game. I agree with her belief that the children did not feel as though they were not doing anythinig wrong by not getting adult help. Instead, they turned their visits with the man into a game by asking him numerous questions every day. In return, the man asked the children numerous questions. The children often answered the man's questions, but the man never once answered the children's questions. The fact that the man never establishes a real conversation between himself and the children reinforces my idea that he is imaginary.
By further discussing the story, my mother claims to believe that the narrator's mother was having an affair and her husband put the man in the well. My mother fully believes that the man in the well is real. She provides a possible explanation as to why the narrator's mother is crying. In my previous responses to the story, I never established a possible explanation for this critical part of the story. I only asked questions that I could not answer. I do not think there is enough evidence to support her idea, but I believe it to be a definite possibility since there are two particular instances in the story where the mother is upset, one of which consists of the father's stubborn murmur in response to her weeping.
After my mother read the story, I asked her if she enjoyed it and she said, "Yes, but who is the man in the well?" I responded to her question by asking her the same thing. After all, the title of the story is "The Man in the Well." We both had questions about his role in the story. While my mother provided reasons for his actual existence, I stated my belief that he was simply a figure of each child's imagination. Both opinions are plausible, but the major flaw that exists in my idea is the absense of an explanation for why the narrator's mother is upset. The two themes that I identified in my earlier responses can be concluded from both opinions. I previously stated that if the man in the well is imaginary, his purpose in the story is to do nothing more than illustrate the topic of identity that exists in young children; however, if the man in the well is real, the topic of identity still exists in the story. The man's purpose in this case is to create conflicts of indentity within the children by persistently saying each child's name and asking them numerous questions without ever answering their questions. Whether you are a nine year old child, a twenty year old college student, or the parent of a twenty year old college student, you cannot help but wonder throughout the entire story and even after the story has ended, "Who is the man in the well?" Ultimately, it is up to the individual reader to decide.
"The story started off erratic and I wasn't sure what the children were going to do when they discovered the man in the well. At first, I was full of hope and thought the children would help the man, but I progressively became full of despair and felt the anguish of the man. I could see myself as a nine year old child not knowing what to do or how to act. I could also see myself acting like the narrator by trying to hide myself from the man in the well and imagining what he looked like. It did not seem ethical for the children to lie to the man about getting help, but I do not think they felt as though they were doing anything wrong. When the children brought food and water to the man, it gave them a sense of relief. Although they did not get adult help, they were still helping him in their own way. Along with bringing him food and water, the children continued to lie to him about getting help, which began to seem like some sort of game to them. Even when the first name was spoken, Wendy had broken one of the "rules." The man in the well provided them with temporary amusement that quickly flourished into fear. I think the man in the well started playing the game himself. He used every child's name in hope for a response, any kind of response, yet knowing he had lost the right of survival. It became apparent at the very end that the mother knew of the man in the well and it was her loss too. Do you think the father put him there?"
-Jackie Pakos
In response to my mother's interpretation of the story, I found it very interesting that she viewed the whole situation as a game. I agree with her belief that the children did not feel as though they were not doing anythinig wrong by not getting adult help. Instead, they turned their visits with the man into a game by asking him numerous questions every day. In return, the man asked the children numerous questions. The children often answered the man's questions, but the man never once answered the children's questions. The fact that the man never establishes a real conversation between himself and the children reinforces my idea that he is imaginary.
By further discussing the story, my mother claims to believe that the narrator's mother was having an affair and her husband put the man in the well. My mother fully believes that the man in the well is real. She provides a possible explanation as to why the narrator's mother is crying. In my previous responses to the story, I never established a possible explanation for this critical part of the story. I only asked questions that I could not answer. I do not think there is enough evidence to support her idea, but I believe it to be a definite possibility since there are two particular instances in the story where the mother is upset, one of which consists of the father's stubborn murmur in response to her weeping.
After my mother read the story, I asked her if she enjoyed it and she said, "Yes, but who is the man in the well?" I responded to her question by asking her the same thing. After all, the title of the story is "The Man in the Well." We both had questions about his role in the story. While my mother provided reasons for his actual existence, I stated my belief that he was simply a figure of each child's imagination. Both opinions are plausible, but the major flaw that exists in my idea is the absense of an explanation for why the narrator's mother is upset. The two themes that I identified in my earlier responses can be concluded from both opinions. I previously stated that if the man in the well is imaginary, his purpose in the story is to do nothing more than illustrate the topic of identity that exists in young children; however, if the man in the well is real, the topic of identity still exists in the story. The man's purpose in this case is to create conflicts of indentity within the children by persistently saying each child's name and asking them numerous questions without ever answering their questions. Whether you are a nine year old child, a twenty year old college student, or the parent of a twenty year old college student, you cannot help but wonder throughout the entire story and even after the story has ended, "Who is the man in the well?" Ultimately, it is up to the individual reader to decide.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Week 3 Reading - Relation to Lohafer's preclosure experiment
Lohafer's analysis for the thought process of reading a short story is one that is inevitably picked up by readers of any type of literature throughout the course of their lives. It is a process that is not necessarily taught. Rather, it is a process that is invoked, respected, and progressed. Lohafer specifically states that story writing should not be taught to aid story reading. Lohafer's analysis exists solely on the identification of preclosure choices. Once these preclosure choices are identified, it is interesting to look for other ways, other than recognizing the signals that prompted them, to characterize both the sentences themselves and the portion of the text where they presumably end. Ultimately, the text rewards its readers for looking for and examining these means of characterization. It confirms the importance of experience shaped by goals and their outcomes.
I chose only one alternate ending to "The Man in the Well." This story is particularly short, and although the majority of it is repetitive, the second half is the most important part. The first half is mostly repetitive because it consists solely of the man telling the children to get help. The children's response to the man never changes. Although they reassure him that help is on the way, they never actually attempt to get help. Instead, they bring him food and water day after day. As repetitive as it is, the first half of the story still contains value because it establishes the topic of responsibility, which is nonexitent in children of such a young age. I chose sentence 152 as an alternate ending. Sentence 152 states the following: "But we couldn't do anything, none of us did -- because then he would know." Although this sentence precedes a paragraph break, and paragraph breaks are the most common place for an ending to occur, it is not possible for the story to end before this sentence. Up to this point in the story, both major themes have been revealed. It is necessary for the reader to reach the point in the plot where Wendy says Aaron's name. Then, in spite of his name being revealed, Aaron says everyone else's name. Finally, it is necessary to read about the man's persistence with saying each child's name and the reaction each child has when he says it. Each of these points in the story introduce and reinforce conflicts of identity within the children.
I chose only one alternate ending to "The Man in the Well." This story is particularly short, and although the majority of it is repetitive, the second half is the most important part. The first half is mostly repetitive because it consists solely of the man telling the children to get help. The children's response to the man never changes. Although they reassure him that help is on the way, they never actually attempt to get help. Instead, they bring him food and water day after day. As repetitive as it is, the first half of the story still contains value because it establishes the topic of responsibility, which is nonexitent in children of such a young age. I chose sentence 152 as an alternate ending. Sentence 152 states the following: "But we couldn't do anything, none of us did -- because then he would know." Although this sentence precedes a paragraph break, and paragraph breaks are the most common place for an ending to occur, it is not possible for the story to end before this sentence. Up to this point in the story, both major themes have been revealed. It is necessary for the reader to reach the point in the plot where Wendy says Aaron's name. Then, in spite of his name being revealed, Aaron says everyone else's name. Finally, it is necessary to read about the man's persistence with saying each child's name and the reaction each child has when he says it. Each of these points in the story introduce and reinforce conflicts of identity within the children.
Week 2 Reading - Relation to Flynn's categories of reading
According to "Gender and Reading," Flynn believes that the coexistence of reader and text can be displayed in three prominent forms: the reader dominating the text, the text dominating the reader, and the reader dialoguing with the text. I have learned from Flynn that it is important to be able to establish a constant pattern of meaning throughout an entire short story. In doing so, the reader will be able to thoroughly enjoy and understand the story. Flynn explains that a reader is able to engage in different levels of interpretation. The reader's overall goal, however, should be to achieve a solid balance between detachment and involvement.
The following is a short response to my second reading of "The Man in the Well."
It is completely understandable why the children do not want to help the man. They are simply afraid. After all, they are only nine years old. Although they are afraid, they are still intrigued by the idea of a man stuck inside a well, which is why they continue to talk to him and provide him with food and water. Once the man has learned all of their names, the children become exceedingly frightened of him, and eventually leave him alone for good. If the man had never learned their names, would the children persist with their daily visits? The ending also posed some questions in my mind. Why was the narrator's mother crying? Was it her tears that made the narrator decide to never go back to the well? At the close of the story, the narrator declares that it rained that night. The rain is significant because throughout the story, the man in the well continually asks the children if it is going to rain. When it finally does rain, the narrator decides to never return to the well. The ending leads me to believe that the man in the well does not really exist. He is just a figure of each child's imagination that is washed away by the rain. If the man in the well is imaginary, his purpose in the story is to do nothing more than illustrate the topic of identity that exists in young children.
In relation to Flynn's categories of reading, I responded to "The Man in the Well" by primarily summarizng the plot with an attempt to extract some sort of meaning from it. Overall, I successfully interacted with the text of this story. I dialogued with the text in a successful manner because I neither dominated the text by discussing mainly personal experiences nor allowed the text to overpower me and confuse me. I did not judge any of the characters in the story. I understood the purpose each character and therefore understood the text. The two major themes of the story, responsibility and indentity, were easily recognizable. Although I had some questions about the ending, I would not conclude that I was confused. Sher purposely leaves the ending open for interpretation by the reader. In Flynn's perspective, I impressively established an overall consistent pattern of meaning within the text.
The following is a short response to my second reading of "The Man in the Well."
It is completely understandable why the children do not want to help the man. They are simply afraid. After all, they are only nine years old. Although they are afraid, they are still intrigued by the idea of a man stuck inside a well, which is why they continue to talk to him and provide him with food and water. Once the man has learned all of their names, the children become exceedingly frightened of him, and eventually leave him alone for good. If the man had never learned their names, would the children persist with their daily visits? The ending also posed some questions in my mind. Why was the narrator's mother crying? Was it her tears that made the narrator decide to never go back to the well? At the close of the story, the narrator declares that it rained that night. The rain is significant because throughout the story, the man in the well continually asks the children if it is going to rain. When it finally does rain, the narrator decides to never return to the well. The ending leads me to believe that the man in the well does not really exist. He is just a figure of each child's imagination that is washed away by the rain. If the man in the well is imaginary, his purpose in the story is to do nothing more than illustrate the topic of identity that exists in young children.
In relation to Flynn's categories of reading, I responded to "The Man in the Well" by primarily summarizng the plot with an attempt to extract some sort of meaning from it. Overall, I successfully interacted with the text of this story. I dialogued with the text in a successful manner because I neither dominated the text by discussing mainly personal experiences nor allowed the text to overpower me and confuse me. I did not judge any of the characters in the story. I understood the purpose each character and therefore understood the text. The two major themes of the story, responsibility and indentity, were easily recognizable. Although I had some questions about the ending, I would not conclude that I was confused. Sher purposely leaves the ending open for interpretation by the reader. In Flynn's perspective, I impressively established an overall consistent pattern of meaning within the text.
Week 1 Reading - Relation to May's book
In relation to May's categories, "The Man in the Well" is associated with realist literature rather than romantic literature. According to May, the main differences between realism and romanticism are as follows:
Realism focuses on characters that resemble ordinary people. The plot is developed with ordinary events and circumstances. The ending is often unhappy. The writer uses common speech and dialect. The settings actually exist or have actual prototypes. The writer is interested in recent or contemporary life.
Romanticism focuses on "larger than life" characters. The plot contains unusual events, mystery, or adventure. The ending is usually happy. The language used is formal or inflated. The settings are imaginary. If actual settings are used, they are based on qualities such as exotic, strange, and mysterious. The writer is interested in history or legend.
"The Man in the Well" focuses on two very real topics: responsibility and identity. A group of nine year old children discover a man who is stuck in a well. The man asks the children to get adult help, but the children decide to bring him food and water and keep him in the well. The plot thus far suggests realist tones that pertain to responsibility. Nine year old children do not understand the meaning of responsibility, which is what makes this story so true to life. As the man learns each child's name, the children grow afraid and uncomfortable. Ultimately, they abandon the man, leaving him stuck in the well. Although this may seem like an appropriate ending for the story, Sher continues the story by ending with the following passage: "That night it rained, and I listened to the rain on the roof and my mother sobbing, downstairs, until I fell asleep. After that we didn't play by the well anymore; even when we were much older, we didn't go back. I will never go back." This unexpected ending may suggest a trick-ending, as discussed in May's book. Trick-endings are common is realist literature. This story seems to end before its actual conclusion, which gives the reader the freedom to choose an ending. As previously stated, realist literature often consists of an unhappy ending. "The Man in the Well" significantly justifies this component of realism.
Since this post consists of my initial thoughts upon reading the story, it is important to note that the narrator is one of the nine year old children who is telling the story as a recollection from his or her past.
Realism focuses on characters that resemble ordinary people. The plot is developed with ordinary events and circumstances. The ending is often unhappy. The writer uses common speech and dialect. The settings actually exist or have actual prototypes. The writer is interested in recent or contemporary life.
Romanticism focuses on "larger than life" characters. The plot contains unusual events, mystery, or adventure. The ending is usually happy. The language used is formal or inflated. The settings are imaginary. If actual settings are used, they are based on qualities such as exotic, strange, and mysterious. The writer is interested in history or legend.
"The Man in the Well" focuses on two very real topics: responsibility and identity. A group of nine year old children discover a man who is stuck in a well. The man asks the children to get adult help, but the children decide to bring him food and water and keep him in the well. The plot thus far suggests realist tones that pertain to responsibility. Nine year old children do not understand the meaning of responsibility, which is what makes this story so true to life. As the man learns each child's name, the children grow afraid and uncomfortable. Ultimately, they abandon the man, leaving him stuck in the well. Although this may seem like an appropriate ending for the story, Sher continues the story by ending with the following passage: "That night it rained, and I listened to the rain on the roof and my mother sobbing, downstairs, until I fell asleep. After that we didn't play by the well anymore; even when we were much older, we didn't go back. I will never go back." This unexpected ending may suggest a trick-ending, as discussed in May's book. Trick-endings are common is realist literature. This story seems to end before its actual conclusion, which gives the reader the freedom to choose an ending. As previously stated, realist literature often consists of an unhappy ending. "The Man in the Well" significantly justifies this component of realism.
Since this post consists of my initial thoughts upon reading the story, it is important to note that the narrator is one of the nine year old children who is telling the story as a recollection from his or her past.
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