Category: Coffeehouse #2 (Page 1 of 2)

Out of the short stories that we’ve read so far, the one that had captivated me the most would be “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. I chose this short story as my favorite one so far because of its use of irony, conflict and foreshadowing throughout the story. Every year, the community plays an annual game with all of the villagers writing their name in a piece of paper, and someone would pick out one piece of paper with someone’s name on it. Any reader would most likely assume that the person whose name was picked out would win something out of the lottery. Instead, the person would end up getting stoned to death by all of the other villagers. That part really caught me off-guard, and it had me intrigued for what happened afterwards. It was also ironic because Tessie Hutchison, who was chosen in the lottery to get stoned to death, was among those who were excited as to whose name would get picked in the lottery, only for her to be the name picked later in the story. I was intrigued by the surprising turn of events, and I wouldn’t have thought that she would end up getting picked. It made sense as to why they would do it annually, since it’s seen as a tradition for the villagers, but I felt that they could’ve gone about the lottery in a better way than to kill the chosen villager. Additionally, I liked how they used a sense of foreshadowing in the story by using the children playing with the stones as a form of foreshadowing to the fatal stoning. I also chose this story, since it was interesting to me that they presented it as a person vs. society form of conflict, as it revolves around Tessie Hutchison against the other villagers. Therefore, the use of irony, conflict and foreshadowing made the story fascinating for me to read, and contributed as to why this was the short story that stood out to me the most so far.

Alexha Charles

The short stories I enjoyed reading are ‘Young Goodman Brown’ and ‘The Black Cat’. My reason for liking ‘The Black Cat’ is because it shows a story of reflection and premonition from an abusive drunken man who goes through constant rages. He harms the weak which are his wife and cats. There is one particular cat whose white patch of fur symbolizes the gallows which is the man’s fate. That moment where he was caught for killing his wife and realizing the wrongs he has done, it’s too late. The story has some sort of a dark ending but it was enjoyable to read the main protagonist be his own enemy and that his death was shown in multiple ways, by him hanging his own cat, and the second chat which had a shape of the gallows on his fur. 

In the short story ‘Young Goodman Brown’, I enjoyed this story the most because it focused on making deals with the Devil and seeing the truth of people he knows. Goodman realizes that everyone he knows has done shady deals with the Devil as well as witchcraft which sends him to a fit of fear and gloom. He doesn’t know who to trust and because he has been so close with God and telling his wife to pray and not stray from the Lord, he believes he has seen his wife at this ritual and now is distant with her. To further add my reasons for liking this story, I loved that Goodman Brown’s name reflected who he was ‘good man’. He didn’t accept any deals with the Devil and was the only one that wasn’t swayed by the Devil and by the witchcraft that all the townspeople were a part of. He stuck true to God and didn’t accept the staff given to him.

My favorite story so far would have to be “A Story Told to Me by a Friend” by Lydia Davis. I enjoyed this story for being short but at the same time, it was very captivating. I like the story because two people who never even met each other became friends and later on fell in love with each other. I can relate to this story because I have been in a situation where I have met people at random that have become some of my closest friends. As I continued to read the story I was upset about how the neighbor traveled to see his friend but was met with no one showing up to the airport or hearing from his friend. When the neighbor found out what had happened to his friend, the person with who he had fallen in love, I also was upset with what had happened. The ending to their story was just so devastating. How the friend’s neighbor met the person he thought to be his companion for life was dead and the first time they were face to face with each other was inside of the morgue. This story was so well developed that whilst reading you’re on this rollercoaster of emotions always left wanting more. Within the story itself, you feel yourself become a part of the story creating a bond between you and the character as if you were a part of the story itself. While reading, I found myself sympathizing with the main character and found myself wanting to comfort him before I realized it was just a story. That moment when you’re reading a short story like this and you forget that you’re actually reading, your mind kind of just takes over using the plot and imagery within the story to bring it to life and envelop you completely.

Coffeehouse #2

Out of the 6 stories we have read so far, my favorite would be “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe. When I first heard of the title it just sounded so interesting to me. I did not know it would be the mysterious and murder type of story but the plot and suspense was so unique. From all the 6 stories I have read for this class, this story was the one I found most interesting to me. The way that Edgar Allan Poe went and displayed the man’s problem with alcohol which led him into murdering his wife and his cats. From the title, honestly I did not know and think that this story would be a murder story. I thought it would be symbolizing a black cat from the reference from its title. The way the man character was portrayed in the story intrigued me and how at the end the cops came to check for proof or evidence in his basement, but the man played along with the cops to help them find evidence against him. It just seemed so weird to me, I mean the way this character was insisting to find evidence against himself to the cops just was surprising to me. 

SarkerNoha

My favorite short story has to be “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. It was quite different from all of the other stories we have read, mainly because the mood set by the author throughout was less tense and more calm compared to the other works. The story was suspenseful but it didn’t seem as serious as what it eventually built up to. The mood completely shifts near the end with a surprising reveal.

I was shocked when it was revealed the villagers were basically drawing lots to determine who gets stoned. While I was reading, I didn’t think that the plot twist regarding the lottery was coming at all although the author did hint at it, leaving subtle messages that I only understood after I read the story for the first time. The subtle messages along with knowing the concept of the lottery gives a completely different feel to the story. From the beginning of the story where the kids are collecting stones, to the lottery, where the idea of not upsetting tradition was mentioned; the story appears dark and intense rather than suspenseful and lighthearted over a second read. I was eager to reread it because I knew it would seem like an entirely different experience with my newfound knowledge of the ending. Everything from the dialogue to the actions of characters described by the narrator were put under a different atmosphere. The lines of Tessie Hutchinson, the victim of the horrifying ending; transformed from the depiction of greediness, to desperation at the end. I believe it was very well done and it is part of why I really enjoyed this story.

The ending is night and day with the beginning and middle of the story. The box from which the lottery slips were being drawn was the most suspicious element in the story, but in the end, it only served the purpose of representing how the villagers would continue to carry out their traditions regardless of the times progressing. If stoning your loved ones to death wasn’t proof of that mindset, then I don’t know what would be.

Out of all the short stories we have read in class so far “The lottery” has been my favorite by far. I was super excited when we were assigned this reading as a homework assignment. Mainly because I recall reading the short story my freshman year of high school, which was 5 years ago. I feel as if the story came as such a surprise to me both times reading it.

The introduction of the story does not seem nearly as dark as the ending. I think the story is different from what I am usually reading and the ending was a big plot twist. The author Shirley Jackson was very descriptive, I can envision the scenario taking place just by reading the words on the paper. I also felt it was really suspenseful, being that the purpose of the box and the lottery, in general, was not suspected in the slightest. It felt as if I was going into reading without knowing anything, or having the smallest clue to what will happen next. I think the most interesting about the story was how the lottery took place. Everyone in the small village gathered around, people that have known each other for years on end. People who may have complex relationships, children, wives, and husbands all gathered around in order to complete the tradition.

Another reason that this short story has been my favorite is due to the research that we had to do for another assignment. It was interesting to find out so many facts about the author that I did not suspect. For instance, the fact that she had a collection of witchcraft books and actively partook in the practice.

Overall I think the entire premise of both the author reflects in her work. Writing a story about someone being stoned to death by her own loved ones and close acquaintances is twisted in every way possible.

Of all the short stories, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman mesmerized me and rapidly became my favorite the further I read. Centered on the narrator, this story illustrates the mental deterioration of a woman bounded to the room by her husband. It’s said the woman suffers from depression and possibly anxiety. Gilman effectively narrated this women’s descent into madness, I myself felt her depravity, her hopelessness as she tries to distract herself with her fixation on the wallpaper. The human mind isn’t wired to be idle. I experience headaches when I spend too long in bed staring at a screen, when I finally get up – the headache disappears. During the peak of quarantine, I forced myself into a daily workout routine. – it kept my mind and body active and overall gave me a sense of purpose. I would wake up and plan my day based on what time I wanted to work out. 

The narrator’s husband disapproves of her journal, her only outlet for creativity and productivity and it makes me wonder. Although medical knowledge was limited in that time period, how could they believe this treatment would lead to the betterment of this women’s mental health? Locking her in a room without anything to do, I feel anyone would become fixated on otherwise obsolete things. And even as her husband took notice of his wife’s unhealthy obsession with the wallpaper, he still kept her in that room, dismissing her thoughts and opinions. John is a negative embodiment of men in that time period, he served more as a prison guard than her husband, exhibiting no empathy nor understanding. The narrator wasn’t as unstable before being locked in that; she could’ve gotten better if only her voice was respected. The yellow wallpapered room serves as her prison both – mentally and physically. 

My favorite story so far has been “ A Story Told to Me by a Friend,” by Lydia Davis. It was one of my favorites because I’m not much of a reader and I like short stories that are meaningful in a way. The reason it was meaningful and one of my favorites is because the men started as strangers and it reminds me of how that’s the way everyone starts from being complete strangers to sending  emails or text messages until we decide to meet in person.  It’s exciting to see how two strangers go from exactly that to falling in love because they have the same interests. It’s interesting to read about it and more exciting to read on how one of the men chose to make a flight to see each other one on one. But once reading the middle some many things come to mind and it becomes shocking to keep reading and seeing that their love was there but wouldn’t be able to meet because his friend had died. It’s sad to see that their internet love wasn’t able to meet. I liked this story because it’s like a real life story that people can actually go through, but even though all that they still were friends no matter what and that is how everyone actually starts. It was a happy and sad story at the time  but very romantic. It’s a short story I Would read again. 

We have read 6 stories and out of the 6 my favorite one has to be The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe. To think I wouldn’t like this story because of the murder of the cats I found myself liking the story not because of the murder of the cats but the storyline. I find it interesting how some of these cases happen, for example what drive’s someone to murder someone and the factors that are also in play. In the Black Cat we see the person murder but his alcoholism is also a huge reason behind this. The alcoholism made him murder not one but two cats and his wife out rage off because of the alcohol, of course the alcohol isn’t the only reason as this guy is already crazy because he killed someone but the alcohol also added more into the reason he had committed these murders. This story also was very straight to the point, I say straight to the point in the way that we are introduce to the person, wife and cats and almost instantly it goes to him drinking heavily and causing these murders. Also when I read the title I was expecting a story about a black cat that maybe was bad luck or something negative because of symbolic meaning behind blacks cats but no, it was just a straight murder of two cats and his wife. I had also caught on to something as I kept read this story, I quickly made a connection to this Netflix documentary called “Don’t F*** with cats”, The documentary shows a sicko who murdered kittens on the internet and posted it and later was caught and was responsible for murders on humans as well. I quickly made that connections just because they shared that similarity of them killing cats and then moving into a human like they both did.

-Yamil serrano