Life Differences “The Semplica-Girl Diaries” is a short story in which George Saunders, the author, presents unique ideas of the way people live their life and what each person does to be able to live. The dad, Saunders’ main character, writes in a diary and explains to the readers what he experiences almost every day with his family. He wants to be there for his family and provide for them the best that he can, but it is difficult when he has young children who have desires as any children do. The dad mentions status throughout the short story, and the children are aware that they do not have money like some other people who are around them. Not everyone in the world has the best job and life, because it is not always up to people to make the choices that need to be made for their family. The main character writes in his diary that the setting takes place around “crabgrass and no red Oriental bridge with ancient hoof prints and no outbuildings and not a single SG, but only Ferber, who we’d kind of forgotten about” (Saunders). The main character mentions SG’s, who are girls that are a metaphor for all the underprivileged immigrants and refugees who come to this country to work, survive and support families back home. The reason that SG’s are mentioned by the main character when he is writing in his diary is because unlike his daughter’s friend’s yard, theirs is not as exciting and does not have the SG girls. The immigrant and refugee girls who are outside peoples house
As a child, Jeannette’s sense of wonder and curiosity in the world undermine the need for money. During her young adult years, a new wave of insecurity associated with her poor past infects her. Finally, as an experienced and aged woman, Jeannette finds joy and nostalgia in cherishing her poverty- stricken past. It must be noted that no story goes without a couple twists and turns, especiallydefinitely not Jeannette Walls’. The fact of the matter is that growing up in poverty effectively craftsed, and transformsed her into the person she becomeshas become. While statistics and research show that living in poverty can be detrimental to a child’s self-esteem, Jeannette Walls encourages children living in poverty to have ownership over their temporary situation, and never to feel inferior because of past or present socio-economic
The American dream is an example of a national spirit that represents different ideologies. The set of ideas may be of democracy, equality matters, liberty, rights, and opportunities. The American dream believes in freedom for prosperity and success for its citizens. The idea suggests that upward social mobility for individuals can be achieved only through hard work. In a story done by George Saunders, the American dream is exemplified in several instances. The author, George, tells the story of contemporary America through a diary. The main character in the story is a father to three daughters. The family’s struggles are examples of how individuals will go extra miles just to provide for their families and also
During life, birth, and death, a family is one of the few natures of life that are present throughout. Often times, the value of family is taken for granted, and people tend to disregard the importance it carries. Due to the power present in the nature of a man, often times it is challenging for women to establish a firm independence, in distinction of the common norms inaugurated in society and in family. In both A Thousand Splendid Suns and Pride and Prejudice, men are the dominant figures in all households, as they have control over their financial status, who their children marry, where they live, and create means in which the females of the family must follow. The inferiority that women face leads to an inquiry of an immense pride
Sandra Cisnero grew up in a large family; she was the only daughter with six brothers. She had to try extraordinarily hard to prove that she was worthy and not only a girl but a human being. “Being only a daughter for my father meant my destiny would lead me to become someone’s wife.” When Cisnero was in grade five she informed her father that she was going to go to school. Surprisingly Sandra’s father approved of this notion but not because he was proud of her, but because he figured it was an ideal place to find a husband. Sandra worked hard in her studies and became a published author, but to her father’s dismay she was still unwed. Her father felt that she had wasted her education.” I wanted my father to understand what it was I was scribbling,
He will avoid buying clothes for himself so his children are able to have new clothes, and thus are not to seem impoverished and have his family face societal criticism. (20) The text clearly displays the father as a man who puts the needs of his family above all, however, in this he makes missteps and causes a disastrous financial pitfall. His spending is close to erratic, but shows love as his reasoning for this. When the father wins the ten-thousand dollars off the scratch-off, he discusses with his wife what to with it, and in this he turns down a possibility to pay off debts and allow a more secure financial position to give Lilly a splendid birthday. (15) All in all, this irrational fiscal behavior is the unfortunate side-effect of his drive to achieve a life of comfort and luxury for his family, and this is most clearly displayed in the Semplica Girls. The father purchases the Semplica Girls not out of interest for himself, but to help his daughter Lilly’s social perception, as they want her to “enter high school as confident young woman, feeling her family as good/affluent as any other family”. (24) He glances over the morality and the frivolous nature of the purchase to aid his daughter’s self-development.
In the story “The Semplica Girl Diaries” the narrator who is a father of three, consistently faces the struggle of trying to fit in and keep up with society. He does this by constantly pursuing to become wealthier so he can flaunt and show others he too can be amongst them. This is the on-going struggle he faces and one he believes is the key to being socially accepted. For he isn’t necessarily neglected by society, but he definitely isn’t seen as someone special either, which is what he strives for. This is the constant battle he fights throughout the story, whether he is well off or not. The belief that by attaining this wealth, he will not only be socially accepted better but will also live a better life. By attaining this, he therefore does more for that place in society as appose to bettering himself and his family. This is shown when he wins the lottery and spends a good chunk of it on his daughter Lilly’s birthday
In the story “Semplica Girl Diaries” by George Saunders the narrator speaks of various struggles his family faces, where they are dragged into their society's conceptions with huge financial problems. He begins writing a journal on September 3rd where he explains how he has set a project to write every day for a whole year. The journal began by explaining the narrator's first altercation with society, where he is picking up his kids and out of the blue the bumper of his car falls off. At this time, the reader is introduced to two of his kids: Eva, who is the youngest, and Lily who is the oldest. The reader learns that in a couple of days it is the older daughter’s birthday and it is coming by fast. As the reading continuous we discover how
Reading and comparing two essays, “Dear Sugar” and “Only Daughter”, they both are about women’s life, but there are so many differences between two. Sandra Cisnero’s novella, “Only Daughter”, indicates a more effective discrimination of older women’s power in their life than Sugar’s essay “Dear Sugar” through family relationship, symbolism, and conflict with others.
In Phoebe Gloeckner’s “The Diary of a Teenage Girl” we are introduced to the titular character, Minnie Goetze who presents her narrative in diary form and illustrates her interactions, observations and feelings about the world around her, which is a libertine society in 1976, in San Francisco. Minnie’s person is sometimes used a lens as through which we view the events in the story and other times, it is her experiencing the events. Her narrative offers a lot of varying factors that are all a part of her teenage life as she matures and comes to understand the others around her, especially the adults she often views as not quite brilliant as she had initially thought.
In “Girl”, by Jamaica Kincaid, the mother is warning her daughter about what to expect, and how to act, in society. The story represents a time when the daughter knew that her mother loved her enough to spend the time to give her the advice, but is also emotionally distant. I believe this to be representative of Kincaid’s life, and how after her brother’s were born she felt that her mother did not have enough time for her.
In “The Semplica-Girl Diaries”, George Saunders makes an important statement about the role of materialism in the American Dream, and how this materialism may not be the key to happiness many believe it to be. Saunders tells of a middle class family that strives to meet the standards of their peers and find a happier life. The father, who acts as the narrator, believes that acquiring and spending money on material objects, specifically the Semplica Girls, will improve the family’s life by improving how the family’s financial situation appears to others. The father’s primary values are that wealth and social standing are crucial to attaining the good life, and he believes the purchase of the Semplica Girls will fulfill these values. However, it is clear from the family’s ultimate situation and the disapproval of the mother’s successful father, that the narrator’s beliefs are misguided and potentially damaging to the family.
The story I chose to analyze is “Why I Live at the P.O.” by Eudora Welty. The author, Eudora Wetly, is originally from Mississippi from a prosperous family, she was born in 1909 and passed away in 2001.During her early days she worked at small places involved with writing until she launched her literary career. ‘Why I Live at the P.O’ is about sibling rivalry and favoritism among family. My thesis states that this story shows a good example of favoritism among families and good insight from the outcast.
Throughout the history, in all cultures the roles of males and females are different. Relating to the piece of literature “Girl” written by Jamaica Kincaid for the time, when women’s roles were to work in the home. By examining
The society has never failed to construct outrageous expectations for every individual as perceived by many. We as individuals are a part of the society, so those of us who sense the need to make a difference not a part of the society? In the short story, “A Shameful Affair” by Katie Chopin allows its reader to visualize the life of a young women, Mildred who obtains feelings for a young man working in a farm. Today in 2018, society reinforces these serotypes of women, gender roles and expectations which produces a pool with no water. Mildred seems to represent the women who weren’t fortunate enough into an effective access to happiness.
From a young age, our interactions with our parents play an instrumental role in how we perceive ourselves and the world around us. The short story “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid exhibits the relationship between an Antiguan mother and her daughter in a patriarchal society where the list of rules and regulations for women is exhaustive and almost never-ending. By analyzing the unique and often tense dynamic between the mother and daughter, “Girl” showcases the direct influence mothers have on their children, and how traditional and patriarchal customs can influence that relationship. The main themes are represented by the subjects the mother spends the most time on as well as the overall tone of the piece and how it relates to the mother-daughter