Katherine Anne Porter Essay, Research Paper
Rejection in Life
Katherine Anne Porter is regarded as one of the leading modern writers of short stories. Born on May 5, 1890 in Indian Creek, Texas as the great-great-great- granddaughter of the famous American frontiersman Daniel Boone, Porter was educated at various schools. In the 1920’s and 1930’s, she contributed articles to several newspapers while living in New York City, Louisiana, California, and Washington D.C., as well as Mexico and Western Europe. Miss Porter’s first collection of short stories, Flowering Judas (1930) was quickly acclaimed. These stories mostly have Mexican settings. Porter’s other major collections include Hacienda (1934), Noon Wine (1937), Pale Horse, Pale Rider (1939), The Leaning Tower (1944), and Collected Stories (1965), which was awarded the 1966 Pulitzer Prize in fiction. Porter’s only novel, Ship of Fools (1962), depicts an ocean voyage from Mexico to Germany on the eve of World War II. Collected Essays and Occasional Writings of Katherine Anne Porter also appeared in 1970. Many of Porter’s works portray a rejected individual.
The short story “The Circus” tells about a large family’s first visit to the circus. The main character, a young girl named Miranda, gets very upset when she sees a clown, with a horrid expression on his face, almost fall off a thin wire high in the air. Dicey, Miranda’s older relative, is ordered by Miranda’s father to take Miranda home. Dicey is very upset about missing the circus. Later that evening, Miranda’s family returns joyfully. Miranda and Dicey have to hear all about the magnificent circus they missed, which causes Miranda to burst into tears and run to her room. Then Dicey must console Miranda for the horrid nightmare she has during the night, about the clown at the circus. Miranda believes that Dicey is upset with her for missing the circus and pleads with her to not make her stay in the room alone. Dicey is frustrated with Miranda, but stays with her. Porter’s theme of rejection becomes evident towards the middle of the story when Miranda and Dicey return home from the circus. Miranda feels as though Dicey is frustrated with her, since it was the childish actions of Miranda which causes Dicey to miss the circus. After the family arrives home, Miranda feels like a rejected outsider because she was unable to attend the full circus after hearing her family share their enjoyment of it . “Everybody had been enjoying themselves while Miranda was missing her first big circus and spoiling the day for Dicey. Poor Dicey. Poor dear Dicey. The other children who hadn’t thought of Dicey until that moment, mourned over her with sad mouths, their malicious eyes watching Miranda squirm. Dicey had been looking forward for weeks this day! And then Miranda must get scared-’Can you imagine being afraid of that funny old clown?’ each one asked the other, and then they smiled pityingly on Miranda ” (Porter 26). Miranda’s family makes her feel silly by being scared of the clowns and being a foolish child. During the course of the night when Dicey comforts Miranda after the dream, Miranda’s feelings of rejection slowly disintegrate after Dicey’s warm and caring feelings.
“The Downward Path to Wisdom” concerns Stephen, a young boy, who is being moved around by his family because he is a “bad boy”. After Stephen’s mother and father have a dispute over the mistake of having a child, Marjory, the family’s help, whisks him off to his grandmother’s house. While there for a summer, Stephen goes through many changes. His Uncle David, gives him balloons as presents, which interest Stephen greatly because of his deprived childhood. Soon after Stephen arrives at his grandmother’s house, he begins to go to school where he becomes fond of a girl named Frances. Stephen begins to steal balloons and lemonade for her so she will continue to like him. His grandmother’s servant, Old Janet, becomes aware of Stephen’s stealing and reports it to Stephen’s Uncle David and grandmother. Uncle David and Stephen’s grandmother then believe that it is time for Stephen to live with his parents again because they didn’t want Stephen to turn out a thief like his father. On the ride home from his grandmother’s house with his mother, “Stephen began suddenly to sing to himself, a quiet, inside song so Mama would not hear. He sang his new secret; it was a comfortable, sleepy song: ‘I hate Papa, I hate Mama, I hate Grandma, I hate Old Janet, I hate Marjory, I hate Papa, I hate mama ‘” (Porter 110-1) which shows that Stephen feels alone and rejected. Rejection is another focus in Porter’s story. Stephen feels rebuffed by his family and tries to get attention by being belligerent and disobedient by stealing the balloons. Instead of positive attention, Stephen receives negative attention, which causes his family members to reject him more because they do not want to deal with a child who misbehaves and steals from his own flesh and blood. After Stephen is rejected by his relatives and returns to his parents, he sings a song of hatred for his family riding back to his home with his mother. Stephen sings this song, wanting his mother to hear him and wanting her to know that he is hurting inside from being rejected, so he can get the attention he deserves. According to Richard McGhee in The Critical Survey of Short Fiction, “His hatred is understandable, since no one genuinely reaches out to love him and help him with his very real problems of adjustment” (1912). This statement explains how the actions of Porter’s main character, Stephen, are misunderstood, causing everyone around to reject him.
Porter’s portrayal of rejection among her characters is very evident in these stories. Porter’s stories cause the reader to sympathize with her characters and actually allow the reader to relate the story to personal life experiences of rejection.
Works Cited
Porter, Katherine Anne. “The Circus.” The Leaning Tower and Other Stories. New York: Dell, 1934. 21-9.
- – -. “The Downward Path to Wisdom.” The Leaning Tower and Other Stories. New York: Dell, 1934. 81-111.
McGhee, Richard D. “Katherine Anne Porter.” Critical Survey of Short Fiction. Ed. Frank N. Magill. Vol. 5. Boston: Salem, 1993.
Другие работы по теме:
Anne Frank Essay Research Paper What do
Anne Frank Essay, Research Paper What do you know about Anne Frank? If you don?t know a lot about her I will help you. Anne Frank lived from 1929-1945. She was a young adult who kept an account of everything that went on from 1943-1945 when she was in hiding. Her diary was later published a year after her death, the name of the book was Diary of a Young Girl.
Narrator Description Essay Research Paper What is
Narrator Description Essay, Research Paper What is narrator? Narrator is the voice the author creates to tell the story. The possible ways of telling a story are many, and more than one way can be
Narrator Essay Research Paper What is narrator
Narrator Essay, Research Paper What is narrator? Narrator is the voice the author creates to tell the story. The possible ways of telling a story are many, and more than one way can be worked into a single story. Conventionally, the various narrators that storytellers draw upon can be grouped into four broad groups: the third-person narrator, the first-person narrator, the omniscient narrator and the witness narrator.
Anne Hutchinson Essay Research Paper Andrew D
Anne Hutchinson Essay, Research Paper Andrew D. Dugan Anne Hutchinson Although Anne Hutchinson is historically documented to have been banished as a religious dissenter, the real motive for her persecution was that she challenged the traditional subordinate role of women in Puritan society by expressing her own religious convictions.
Katherine Anne Porter Master Of The
“Carpe Diem” Theme Essay, Research Paper Coleman 1 Katherine Anne Porter: Master of the “Carpe Diem” Theme Katherine Anne Porter’s writings demonstrate several predominant themes that occur throughout many of her stories. Porter’s writings all encompass her personal ideas regarding death and dying, mourning, loss and loneliness, injustice and rejection.
Henry VIII By William Shakespeare 15641616 Essay
, Research Paper From the start, this play seemed scourged. It closed after its debut because a fire burned down the theater where it was being performed. Critics have lambasted Henry VIII for its lack
Huckelberry And Finn Essay Research Paper Anne
Huckelberry And Finn Essay, Research Paper Anne Sullivan: A Great Teacher A teacher effects eternity (Henry B. Adams). A teacher does many things that affect her students. Even though at the time, the student does not understand the wisdom of the teachings. Anne Sullivan is one of those remarkable teachers.
Ann Frank Essay Research Paper Anne Frank
Ann Frank Essay, Research Paper Anne Frank was a Jewish girl who lived in Amsterdam during the time of the Holocaust. Her life is pretty normal. Her father is a successful buisness man, she has good
Coonardoo Essay Research Paper CoonardooKatherine Prichard
Coonardoo Essay, Research Paper Coonardoo Katherine Prichard’s family saga Coonardoo is set on the vast expanse of North-Western Australia. Coonardoo, an Aboriginal native, and her extended family work on Wytaliba, the million-acre station owned by Hugh, the white son who inherits the land where he and Coonardoo grew up together.
Life In The 20Th Century As Shown
In The Storm A Clean,Well-Lighted Place And Magic Essay, Research Paper Life in the twentieth century is different through each decade but also much different than life in a century before. The short story Magic , written by Katherine Anne Porter in 1930, shows how people think they have choices in life but their future is actually already planned out for them.
Untitled Essay Research Paper Lisa WilsonEnglish 101Story
Untitled Essay, Research Paper Lisa Wilson English 101 Story Outline 1 December 2000 1. Intro A.The story of ?The Jilting of Granny Weatherall? by Katherine Ann Porter is portrayed in two different ways by the video and story version.
The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall And Worn
Path: Compare And Contrast Essay, Research Paper The short stories, ?The Jilting of Granny Weatherall? by Catherine Anne Porter and ?A Worn Path? by Eudora Welty, have many similarities as well as differences. Both stories have a simple plot with a theme that is symbolic of their lives. These stories include great characterization, description of elements in the stories, and the point of view.
Porter Essay Research Paper I Organizational Pattern
Porter Essay, Research Paper I: Organizational Pattern: Rogerian Christa Porter examines what a true friend is. She does this by establishing a presentation with a Rogerian pattern as it?s basis. This pattern is seen in several aspects mentioned by Porter, the more obvious aspect is when she invites the audience to give their opinion of what a true friend is.
O Henry Essay Research Paper O Henry
O. Henry Essay, Research Paper O. Henry was the pen name for William Sydney Porter an American short story writer. Porter was born on September 11, 1862, in Greensboro, North Carolina, the son of Dr. Algernon Sidney and Mary Jane Virginia Porter. When Porter was three, his mother died, and his father, his brother, and he moved into the house of his grandmother and his Aunt.
Anne Rice Essay Research Paper Anne RiceAnne
Anne Rice Essay, Research Paper Anne Rice Anne Rice s life experiences and intellectual inquisitiveness provide her with constant inspiration for her writing. She was brought up in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was the second of four daughters in her family. She was born Howard Ellen O Brien. Her mother thought that Howard was a suiting name that would bring her good fortune.
Anne Sullivan Macy Essay Research Paper TeacherAnne
Anne Sullivan Macy Essay, Research Paper Teacher Anne Sullivan Macy By: Helen Keller Year of Publication: 1955 Anne Sullivan Macy Anne Sullivan Macy was born on April 4, 1866 in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts. Her parents were poor Irish immigrants. Anne had trouble with her eyes her whole life. When Anne was eight years old her mother died and two years later her father left.
Anne Frank Essay Research Paper Diary of
Anne Frank Essay, Research Paper Diary of Anne Frank The story Diary of Anne Frank was a very interesting book which showed the ways a group of Jewish people during the 1940’s went about trying to conceal their identity and themselves. This story was a true story taken from a diary of a young girl during the incident.
Bio Of Anne Frank Essay Research Paper
The Diary of Anne Frank Anne Frank s Diary is sometimes considered by most people to be a novel. Frank s diary is not a novel, but a true diary kept by a young Jewish girl for two years that she was forced to be in hiding by the Nazi persecution of the Jews of Europe. The event recounted in Anne Frank s diary take place during World War II.
Anne Frank 3 Essay Research Paper Anne
Anne Frank 3 Essay, Research Paper Anne Frank Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl going through hard times during World War II, writes in her diary about her thoughts and feelings relating to her life from her own prospective. Anne writes from an attic where she is hiding from the Nazi s. This is a book report on Anne Frank, Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank.
Anne Frank Essay Research Paper In 1942
Anne Frank Essay, Research Paper In 1942, when the Nazi?s began to invade their country, the Frank family went into hiding in an attic of a warehouse. The Franks? daughter, Anne,
The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall Vs A
Worn Path Essay, Research Paper Death is not something to be feared, but faced with awe. Although, by nature, aging and death are merely facts of life; a loss of hope, the frustration of all aspirations, a leap into a great darkness, and the feelings of fear and anguish. Phoneix Jackson of Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” and Granny of Katherine Anne Porter’s “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” face these inevitable signs of aging and death.
The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall By Katherine
Porter Essay, Research Paper In the story, “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall”, written by Katherine Porter, Granny Weatherall is a character of depth. Her name is synomonous with her character. Three main qualities of her character are her strength, her endurance, and her vulnerability.
The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall Essay Research
Paper Having read “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” by Katherine Anne Porter once before, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit the short story. With more understanding of the story now, it is much easier to consider the how Granny’s actions are acceptable rather than rash at times. Granny’s character is one where everyone can relate to because each one of us manages to feel sorry for her through the problems she must face along her long road to death.
Scene Analysis Essay Research Paper Scene AnalysisThe
Scene Analysis Essay, Research Paper Scene Analysis The intent of this paper is to analyze a few points in Shakespeare’s Play, “The Taming of the Shrew.” During scenes i and iii of Act IV, Petruchio has taken Katherine to his country estate. It is here that Petruchio will manage to transform and conform Katherine to playing the role of a benevolent wife.
About The Witch Of Blackbird Pond Essay
, Research Paper The Witch of Blackbird Pond The book, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, is about a young girl named Katherine who is forced to leave her elegant home in Barbados to live with relatives in puritan New England after her grandfather s death. Katherine has a hard time accepting the dramatic difference between the two cultures.
The Grave Essay Research Paper The short
The Grave Essay, Research Paper The short story, ” The Grave,” by Katherine Anne Porter began in a secluded area that had once been the family cemetery. The cemetery was owned by the grandmother who had just passed away. In her will she had requested the land be sold and this required the family cemetery to be moved.
Anne Bradstreet Vs Anne Saxto Essay Research
Paper Anne Bradstreet vs. Anne Sexton When one thinks about women in literature, the names Anne Bradstreet and Anne Sexton come to mind. They are two very passionate women who wrote about everyday life while making it seem extraordinary. However, they didn t quite express themselves in the same way. These women were different in the way they wrote about family life and the pattern in which they wrote their poetry.
The Taming Of The Shrew Katherine Essay
, Research Paper The Taming of the Shrew: Katherine In William Shakespeare’s play, The Taming of the Shrew, the shrew played by Katherine, had a terrible outlook on life and just about everything else. Her
Helen Keller Essay Research Paper Helen Keller
Helen Keller Essay, Research Paper Helen Keller This novel is about the amazing accomplishments Helen Keller has achieved. Her appearance was not much different from others even though she was blind and deaf. Helen had long light brown hair that was always tied up in a bun, with very thin lips. When Helen was a little girl she was very smart, greedy, and stubborn.
The Graduate Essay Research Paper Veronica CombsThis
The Graduate Essay, Research Paper Veronica Combs This paper will be both a critique as well as an analysis of the relationships between both my generation and the time period in which the movie took place. In the critique, I which to look at the movie score and the dependency that I felt Ben and Katherine had for each other.
Funny Story Essay Research Paper
There I was, enjoying my holiday in our families holiday flat. Things couldn t get better until 2 girls moved into the flat above ours. I soon introduced myself find out their names were Julie
Anne Frank Essay Research Paper The Diary
Anne Frank Essay, Research Paper The Diary of Anne Frank Anne Frank lived with her family in a pleasant house. For Anne and her sister, Margot, their early childhood was a sucure place inhabited by loving parents, relatives and nurses.
The Taiming Of The ShrewCharacter Analisis Essay
, Research Paper The Taming Of The Shrew Character Analyses: Katherine: She is called the shrew, even by her father. She is always put second in her fathers eyes, next to her sister. She alters dramatically from an ill mannered shrew to a obedient and happy wife when she discovers her husband cares enough to try to change her for her own good, as well as his own.
Anne Frank Journal Essay Research Paper Journal
Anne Frank Journal Essay, Research Paper Journal #1 I think that when Mr. Frank, Mrs. Frank, Anne, and Margot needed to hide from the Nazis in Mr. Kraler loft in his factory the living conditions were so appalling. They only had two rooms and one space for Peter to sleep in. I feel it is amazing how two families, the Franks and the Van Daans, and one dentist, Mr.