Time ana again

Time and again by Breece D’J Pancake is a story about a man who owns a hog farm and during the winter months he plows the street and that is how he makes most of his money. The whole time he is doing this he is also looking for his son who had ran away when his mother had died. This short story takes place in a winter storm while plowing the road. While plowing the roads he picks up a hitchhiker who talks about all the hitch hikers over the years who have died in the area. In the end of the story you figure out that the killer is the main character of the story and that the hitchhiker who gets in the car is actually his son. When they pass MR. Weeks, the hitchhiker must tuck down so that that Mr. Weeks doesn’t see the hitchhiker and figure out it out that the farmer has been killing the hitchhikers for all these years. This story takes place in first person, which is the driver’s point of view whose name you never find out. The point of view Pancake used is very important to the story and makes it that much better. There is a very dark and cold tone around this story. He talks a lot about his hogs dying and how they die a hard death.

"The Reach" by Stephen King

One of the paragraphs that I felt was important to the story was the beginning paragraph on page 379. This paragraph tells of each character which was ghosts later on in the story that Stella had seen. This paragraph allows for the character development of the whole story while allowing the character development of Stella also. The story starts out with Stella telling the story of the mainland to her great grandchildren. This paragraph allows the reader to know that Stella can see ghosts and in fact sees her deceased husband. As the story progresses Stella goes through the story feeling the effects that cancer is taking on her body. She takes a trip over the reach as bill tells her too and she eventually dies. As Stella is dying she is taking to the reach by bill and she is joined by the all the other people from that island that she had known.
The second paragraph that I feel is important is the very last paragraph from 396-397 when Alden is telling the story to his children he does not tell the story to his grandchildren because he does not want them to know of the cancer that had taken their grandmother. Eventually at the end of the paragraph Alden answers the questions if the dead love and if the dead sing because he believes that they do both. Alden believes he can hear the ghost sing in the wind and he knew they loved by the fact that his mother was found wearing his deceased fathers had. These two paragraphs develop the beginning of the story and the last paragraph wraps up the entire story and answers the most important questions asked throughout it.
The mood that these paragraphs is a dark one. talking about all the people that have died and how they died shows that the mood throughout this story is not a lighthearted happy one.

Narrative Conventions of "The Reencounter"

"The Reencounter" was written by Isaac Bashevis Singer. One main thing that the author uses is characterization. More specifically his use of antithesis. His use of antithesis seems to give the story two sides of a situation.

The story revolves around the death of two people that were once in a relationship, but split up and go their separate ways. They meet again at a funeral home where the man in the story, Max, thinks he is going to the viewing of the woman he was in a relationship with, Liza. He is there by himself at first, but then a woman comes in and he thinks its the Liza's sister. He introduces himself and then is informed by the women who comes to the viewing that she is Liza and that he, himself, is also dead.

This is the point where the major display of antithesis begins. Liza has already come to see herself and she tells Max that his body is in one of the other rooms in the building. She asks him if he wants to go see his body. He replies by saying, "No, I'm not curious." They later go to the chapel where a service is being held for Liza. They both sit in on the service and she notes that the chapel is half empty. She asks Max if he wants to stay and see how many people come to his service but again he replies by stating that he doesn't want to find out. She decides to continue on their "walk" rather than sit there and continue to here what else they are going to say about her. They make their way outside to where the limos and the hearse are parked. She sees her coffin being carried out and sees a large and thought to be expensive wreath on it. She thinks its nice and wants to continue on their "walk". He decides to go because he doesn't want to see his coffin or the people who came to pay their respects to him. He takes up Liza's hand and they float off into the sky. He notes that he can see everything except for other people.

These two characters seem to be opposite in their views of their current situation. Liza seems to portray the positive side of death. She goes about this transitional phase with positive energy and attitude. She seems willing to accept her position and move on. On the other hand, Max portrays the negative side of death. He thinks that they are both in this transitional phase, but he almost seems like he regrets dying or isn't ready to accept the fact of death. He doesn't ever want to see the people who came to see him and doesn't even want to see his own body. This may seem a bit out there, but I think maybe that Max committed suicide maybe due to depression. He seems to want to be isolated from other people and trying to isolate himself by not wanting to see his body or the people who came to see him. What really makes me feel like he wanted to isolate himself is when it mentions on how he can see everything except for people. Maybe he killed himself to get away from people. If this is not true, antithesis still plays a major roll as characterization in the story.

Narrative View of The Reencounter

In the Reencounter by Isaac Bashevis Singer, he tells the story of two people, Dr. Max Greitzer and Liza Nestling. It begins when Dr. Greitzer receives a phone call that his once lover Liza Nestling is dead. At first we think that Liza is the only one that is dead, but both of the characters are actually dead. Dr. Greitzer at first does not know this of himself, but is later told by Liza that in fact he is dead too. Though one of many things the story does not prevail is how they both died.

I think this story is written about the in between time of a person death and heading to the afterlife. Singer writes this in a third person objective point of view. Meaning that an outside person is telling the story as it happens with no extra information given about the characters of the events that happen previous or in the future.

Both characters are found at Liza's funeral, where they both finally realize that they are dead and begin to talk about the afterlife in which they are heading. Liza asks, "Is this what they call death. It's the same city, the same streets the same stores. I seem the same, too" Max replies "Yes but without a body" (239). They then continue to talk about the situation at hand, to the end where they seem like they are starting to leave and continue to the next phase. "They began to rise without purpose, without destination" (240-1).

Though through the whole story we are never told anything about the two characters. We know nothing of the previous relationship. Like I mentioned before there is no information on how they both died. Also no information on what happens in the end. We can only assume what happened throughout the story. I think this is exactly why Singer wrote this story in the objective point of view because we do not know what will happen in the end, it is open to our interpretation. If Singer would have wrote this in any other point of view it might make sense, but it would lose the meaning and mystery it has. By knowing all the information about the characters and what they thought or how it ended for them, it would have a different meaning. I think Singer wrote it this way so we could write the ending, make it the way we want it to end.

The Reencounter

In the story “The Re Encounter” by Isaac Singer, Dr. Max Greitzer is woken up to telephone call by an unknown woman telling him Liza Nestling is dead. Max and Liza were once lovers for thirteen years, but after breaking up they have not spoken since. Max goes to Liza’s funeral but has arrived early, he talks to the receptionist and is let inside to see Liza. A woman who resembles Liza walks in a few minutes after Max and Max assumes that the woman is Liza’s younger sister because they look so much alike. Upon talking to each other Max learns the woman who walked in is actually Liza and they are both in fact dead.

The point of view in this story is told from third person. Max and Liza’s thoughts are not revealed to the audience and details are being impressed as they are both going through the motions. The tone of the story seems to me like it doesn’t take place until Max realizes Liza is dead, and you feel a sense of sadness as he goes through his thoughts about when they first got together and how it ended. Liza on the other hand seems to be a bit more vocal about her feelings about what is going on. The setting seemed to be like a normal day, perhaps a Saturday or Sunday since Max was woken up by a phone call. Other than Max being at home, going to the funeral, and floating above the city with Liza, there wasn’t much detail about the setting. The imagery seemed a bit better but not by much. Obviously it’s easy to picture being woken up by a phone call and going to a funeral, but what about everything else? Singer did mention the buildings below as Max and Liza floated away but there was nothing so in depth that I could picture in my head.

The style seemed a bit dry as well. It seemed like I was just reading through the story with nothing to put thoughts into my head, no intense thinking. Also, the way Singer introduces the characters were dead was a little odd as well. One second you think Max is seeing an old friend for the last time and then it hits you in the face that he’s really dead. I had to double read that section just to make sure I wasn’t adding my own ideas to the story.

The “Re Encounter” wasn’t an awful story, I just wish there was a little more detail about what was really going on. Although, with that being said, the conversation with Max and Liza does bring up an interesting point about the belief in the afterlife with religion. Liza and Max being to question if there is a Hell or Heaven, and if they’re going to float somewhere and tell someone lists of all their good deeds. I love Max’s line at the end “Of all my disenchantments immortality is the greatest” (341). Of all my illusions, immortality is the greatest.

Narrative Conventions "The Reencounter"

Narrative Convention

“The Reencounter”

By: Isaac Singer

In this story we have an all knowing narrator or a third person omniscient point of view. I think that this story needs an all knowing narrator who is outside the story. If the story was told from Liza’s or Max’s point of view the reader would have been really confused with the thoughts of the other person. Having someone to explain what they are both thinking really clarified the story for me. For example if the story was told in Liza’s perspective we wouldn’t have answers to all of her questions that she asked Max. We would have known what she had thought. Not what Max really answered.

Seeing the story from the outside in also help me to come up with the conclusion that both of our charters have problems dealing with reality. They both cannot come to grips with the fact that they are no longer living. Max cannot understand why he is with Liza after so many years of being apart. Liza cannot understand why she is alive but still dead at the same time. I think the last line “Of all my disenchantments, immortality is my greatest.” (Page 241, from the story “The Reencounter” By: Isaac Singer) Means that Max doesn’t want to be alive forever. Again if this was told in a first person narrative with Liza’s point of view, we wouldn’t have known that.

Using this point of few, third person omniscient, helped me and I’m sure most of you to understand the story better. If Singer had used another form we would be missing some of the most important details of the story. The way he used this point of view works perfect to easily comprehend the story.

"The Veldt" - Cultural Context

The story “The Veldt” touches on a subject that seems to strike a nerve with the middle aged generation. They feel that children these days are much too engrossed in their video games, IPods, and television shows. Overall, this generation feels that there is much too much emphasis on technology in today’s world. This story focuses, almost solely, on the fear that advances in technology will eventually leave people with no reason to live, and after that it will eliminate people completely. In this story, George and Lydia play the role of the older generation that fears this new technology while their children seem to embrace in fully. This fear is manifest in the form of the children’s nursery room that changes the scenery to what the children want it to look like. George and Lydia grow scared when they feel that the lions in the African dessert scene are too real. George feels that the house, which does all of their everyday chores for them, has left the children spoiled. Lydia begins to feel unimportant because she is no longer in charge of taking care of her children. She feels as though she has been replaced by this house. The story seems to take a very strong stance on the subject of advancing technology. The story makes a point to show all of the negative things that could potentially befall the human race if we allow our beloved technology to take over our lives. It makes the children perfect examples of what can go wrong when we become desensitized to the real world and begin to focus more and more on mechanical things to give us happiness. The children cannot bare to live without their various gadgets that are installed throughout the house. They would rather kill off their parents then live without the technology. It’s almost as if the house has replaced their parents.

- MJF