Identity, voice or self-image story- Bigfoot stole my wife by Ron Carlson

The story is about a man who believes his wife to be kidnapped by Bigfoot. One day, after coming home from the Race Tracks, the narrator finds that his wife, her dog, and half of her clothes gone, hairy smell left behind. Everything else in the house seems normal except a spilled Dr. Pepper on the counter and the fridge left open. The man believes that, because of the smell and the sign of a struggle, Bigfoot stole his wife. The man told other people and tried explaining that his wife was stolen by Bigfoot. The people thought he was crazy and no one believed him. It seems pretty obvious that the man is using Bigfoot as the reason of his wife leaving. He explains that he spends quite a lot of time at the Race Tracks. He brought his wife along twice, but she was not really a big fan. The lack of attention and the gambling seem reason enough for the wife to leave. Rather than blaming him as he should, he blames it on Bigfoot. The man spends just about half of the entire story talking about the runaway trailer. At the end of the story, he is trying to convince the reader to believe everything you see and hear. He is trying to convince us to believe that Bigfoot did steal his wife. If she had been kidnapped, she would not have taken anything and if she was just leaving, she would have taken more. So you have to put thought to this story and we will not know what happen to the wife. The voice of the story is the narrator (man) and the tries to give us the identity of Bigfoot. We really do not know what really happen to his wife.

 

Weatherly, Chris. Bigfoot Stole My Wife by Ron Carlson. WordPress, 2012. Web. <http://caweatherly.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/bigfoor-stole-my-wife/>.

Food Story-Las Papas by Julio Ortega

The story starts in the kitchen where the man was going to cook a dinner for his son and himself. He was about to try out a new Italian recipe called “Chicken cacciatore” when he received a disapproving remark regarding the dish from his son. Having heard this he suddenly recalls similar event that had happened when he was fifteen and disapproved his father’s cooking by calling it “too spicy”. At the same moment, peeling and chopping potatoes, he realizes that even though he was born and grew up in Peru. As he reflects on his parents, we learn that he is a single parent who has learned how to provide a family atmosphere for his son. As he reflects on his past, we learn about the importance of his own family. Peru the place where papas originated, he doesn’t know much about the history of this magnificent vegetable which grows underground without seeing a light and yet it tastes so good.  The potato had been adopted by different cultures throughout the world and remains one of the main ingredients of dishes. He also tries to explain why varieties of potatoes has been lost and never seen again. The father tries to teach his child about history, culture, and family through his cultural food by cooking the papas (potatoes). The Potato in his hand is a symbol of his past and that connects to his childhood. The potatoes represent an unfinished history, a link with his father, an awareness of the inevitable cycle of parental love and parent/child conflict.

 

Ye, Ilyssa. Las Papas. Studymode, 2013. Web. <http://www.studymode.com/essays/Las-Papas-1523257.html>.

 

 

Obstacles, barriers or boundaries Story- the Other Wife by Colette

Alice has never meet or seen Marc’s ex-wife. They encounter her in a restaurant, when the maître d' is trying to seat the married couple very close to the small table where the other woman is seated. Marc recognizing the ex-wife and wishing to avoid any unpleasantness tells the maître d' they'd rather sit in another table. Right after they finished ordering, Marc explained to her why he did not want to sit in the other table. Since the moment Marc explained to Alice about his ex-wife.  All Alice does is staring at the ex-wife continuously. Marc insists that his marriage with his ex-wife was doomed from the start. Marc is just sorry that this encounter has made Alice feel uncomfortable. Alice states that this encounter has not made her feel uncomfortable that the ex-wife should feel uncomfortable. The ex-wife sits placidly in her chair, smoking, gazing out the window. Marc characterizes her as a woman who could never be satisfied. On the other hand, he has found his happiness with Alice and has satisfied Alice. Marc handles the situation pretty well by explaining to his wife. Marc feels calm and the obstacle being his ex-wife. Alice did not handle it well because she felt nervous and kept on staring at the ex-wife. The ex-wife felt comfortable and was just minding her own business while Alice looked at all her sudden movements. Alice sees the women more superior then her at the end of the story. Alice feels envy and the ex-wife is a barrier that she has to overcome by the end of the day.

Bernardo, Karen . An Analysis of Colette's "The Other Wife". Storybites, 2011. Web. <http://www.storybites.com/book-reviews/the-other-wife-by-colette.php>.

Narrative Story-Happy Ending by Margaret Atwood

The story has several scenarios; the author creates two main characters, John and Mary. The story is like a journey it can go any way you want it to go. The narrative has planned out the whole story you just have to choose an ending to it. All the scenarios focus on relationship, love, and cheating on their wife. The author is trying to make us understand that the ending will be the same however you slice it. Do not be deluded by any other ending because all endings are deliberately fake. Those other endings are malicious intent to deceive, or just motivated by excessive optimism if not by downright sentimentality. The author states there is only one authentic ending and that is death. After all, at the end of every person's life, regardless of how they lived it or what they experienced, they will encounter death. "So much for endings. Beginnings are always more fun. True connoisseurs, however, are known to favor the stretch in between, since it's the hardest to do anything with." That the beginnings of the story are the life of the story and what makes a story that is what the author is trying to make us understand. The concept of the story is not let life become "a what and a what and a what." Learn to favor the stretch between beginning and end. You chose the way you want your life to go. If you want it you can make your own happy ending.


Woodson, Zach. Literary analysis: Happy Endings, by Margaret Atwood. Helium, 2009. Web. <http://www.helium.com/items/1378403-margaret-atwood-happy-endings>.

Family Story-Blackberries by Leslie Norris

The story begins when the mother decides it was time to give her son a haircut. They go inside Mr. Freshman shop to cut the boys hair. Mr. Freshman tells the boy that he looks exactly as his dad when he was a young man. Then after they leave the shop they were going to do some shopping. The mother buys him an expensive hat that looked round with a little button on top. His father arrives home and tells him that they are going for a walk on Sunday. The boy and his father go out to the woods and end up picking and eating Blackberries. They decide to bring some home for his mother to enjoy as well. There was nowhere to put them in but the boy's new cap bought by the mother which was very expensive. As they arrive home, and instead of the mother being happy gets mad. The cap is full of stains and Blackberry juice. The mother starts fighting because the cap was expensive. He has a great bond with his father and his mother insists on fighting about money and how he does not try his best at getting it. His innocence is taken away when he begins crying over his parents. The child began to understand that they were different people; his father, his mother, he and that he must learn sometimes to be alone. Norris portrays a great deal of character contrast between the young boy's parents and a strong use of symbolism with the blackberries.