A Good Man really is...Hard to Find

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That title says it all I believe. A good man really is hard to find, ha! But that's besides the point. This story is about a grandmother who wants their family vacation to change east to Tennessee instead of Florida. She says that because she knows an escaped convict called "The Misfit" is currently escaped in Florida. She nags, begs, and pleads to the family to change their direction. But the father Bailey, which is her son, is persistent on Florida. He thinks how would they be the most unlucky ones to actually run into the Misfit. On the day of the trip the grandmother hides her cat Pitty Sing, that's an important piece to remember in the story. Later on the grandmother talks and talks, and tells a story about a plantation they pass along the way. Her story that she tells to the grandchild is far more extravagant than the actual house on the plantation. She tells them about a plantation which she thinks is in Georgia and the part they're at, she tells about a secret panel which was in the plantation house. By that time the kids are so amused and really want to go to it. So Bailey the dad turns onto a long dirt road on which she said the plantation was on. The grandmother then startled remembers its actually in Tennessee and jumps which causes Pitty Sing to jump out the basket and escape and causes Bailey to wreck the car. A car with three men passes by and offers help. When the grandmother thinks she notices one of the men, she then screams that its the Misfit!! The other men take the family members into the woods and shoot them. Meanwhile the grandmother is talking the Misfit into realizing that he's a good man and comes from good people. The Misfit says he isn't the best, but he isn't the worst. She offers for him to start praying and he says he's fine without. The story ends with the Misfit saying "She would've been a good women if someone had been around to shoot her every minute of her life." I think that's his moment of grace or clarity...knowing that he would've been a good man if he didn't shoot a good women.

Needless to say good men always need a good women around. Exactly why the grandmother was around to try and stop her son from going to Florida. :)  

The Cast Of Amontillado

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The Cast of Amontillado is about a man named Montresor who wishes to seek revenge on a man name Fortunato. He claims that Fortunato had insulted him. When I read, I guess I skimmed too quickly, and didn't really get or catch why he was insulted. But when we discussed in class we found out that he was insulted because he said hes just a mason, which is meaning a free mason, which began as a secret society composed of wealthy elites who were against two things: royalty and the papacy, and I think its clear that Montresor is not part of the masons so that is why he becomes so insulted by it. Montresor then seeks revenge on Fortunato by using his flaws against him. Which meaning, Fortunato likes to drink heavily so he uses that against him. Fortunato prides himself on his taste for "fine wines" so Montresor says he has one of the best bottles of wine.. A cast of Amontillado. Fortunato is already drunk at this point and says hes going to get another character named Luchesri, which is said to be another expert in fine wine and see if it really is Amontillado. Montresor knows what his plan is and gives him more wine on the way into the catacombs. By Fortunato letting his guard down and getting drunk hes lead to his doom. Then it is not very difficult for Montresor to shackle him up and build the brick wall up around him killing Fortunato. I think the story was dark and wicked. Plus I would never kill someone over something as little as calling me a "mason" but hey I guess that's how it was back in the day.

Thoughts on Hills Like White Elephants.

Thoughts on Hills Like White Elephants

      I thought the story really left you hanging. In the story when I read it did seem like the man was having an affair with the mistress he was at the train station with. The women was a lot younger which they told you in the story. In our class we concluded that she was taking the train to find a doctor for an abortion. I have no idea how we concluded that, my thoughts is she was just crazy and having some sort of operation for that. You can tell throughout the story that she is head over heels for the man but completely brain-washed. She says, "And if I do it you'll be happy and things will be like they were and you'll love me?" It seems like she's only having this "operation" to please the one she loves. I think that's absolutely crazy, I would never set my happiness aside for a man who clearly just wanted to have the abortion to cover up the evidence of his mistress. If the story had an ending of what did happen, I believe the man would've left her and back to his wife or other family that he had. It's completely clear he doesn't really love this girl, he just loves to brainwash her.