Grace Paley

Francis1 Samuel lessons learned The story “Samuel” by Grace Paley takes place on a moving subway headed towards the Bronx. The passengers introduce Samuel and friends as tough little boys that are not afraid of anything. “The boys are just being boys” is also used. Many of the passengers had opportunities to tell them to calm down or even to tell them to stop. This could of have prevented the death of Samuel. Some men relive their childhood through the boy’s and many of the ladies shaking

Defining Grace Paley is hard since she is called many things. In short, she could be portrayed as a political activist fighting war and injustice, a proud Jewish-American, a creator of a better world through listening, reading and teaching literature, a divorcee of two failed marriages, a hard core feminist, a mother of a son and a daughter, a pacifist disapproving of war and nuclear weapons, a woman, and both a postmodernist as a traditional realistic writer. Above all, her literary work as well

Grace Paley is an American writer and poet that is best known for her short stories that portray the everyday life of ordinary people. The short stories that are to be analyzed are Samuel, Mother, and A Conversation with my Father. The common component shared between these three stories is the history of everyday life and how individuals deal with it. Grace Paley lived through some of the world's most historic events, and watched society and the people around her gradually change as she got older

Fathers, Grace Paley tells the changing nature of the relationship between fathers and their children. She juxtapositions the role of fathers during the wars and after the war to highlight the difference in between the old and new fathers. The author is able to efficiently convey the meaning of the poem through the use of various poetic devices. However, I will be specifically analyzing the intentional usage of alliteration and irony in this poem. Irony is one of the many poetic devices Paley introduces

This is my response to Grace Paley’s short story titled “Samuel.” Throughout the story, Paley uses language to generate a healthy dialogue about the fragility of life by comparing the thoughts and reactions of all the characters in the story leading up to and following Samuel’s tragic death. The story conveys the story of four young boys and their adventure on a subway one day. The story chronicles the thoughts of the passengers on the train in New York City, and their actions leading up and following

Racial Barriers in Grace Paley's Short Story Samuel It is hard to distinguish the difference between which race is more important. One might ask themselves if white is superior over colored skin. There have been numerous struggles and much success in the fight towards equality between the races. Although many large steps have been made, there are still existing racial barriers. One particular struggle is whether or not people of different races should interact with each other. Should Caucasian

The Open Destiny of Life In the short story “A Conversation with My Father,” written by Grace Paley, there are two stories intertwined. The main story is about a visit between a middle-aged woman and her elderly, bedridden father. It is during this visit that the two of them discuss fiction and give their opinion towards tragedy in literature and in life. The second is a story that the daughter creates for her father at his request. She proceeds to tell him a story about a mother who, in order

the power to provoke, calm or even inspire. In “Travelling” by Grace Paley, the author’s mom and sister are on the bus going to Virginia. They were laws that allowed segregation on buses during this era, the blacks sat in the back and the whites sat in front. At one point in the story, the bus came to a stop and they were asked to move since they were in the “black” section of the bus. In silent protest, “My mother said no” (Paley 335). Later on in the story, those characteristics are passed on

Samuel by Grace Paley: An Analysis The things we do as children are often irresponsible and reckless. Yet we do them for fun, and because others are watching, judging, and expecting us to fulfill our 'friendly,' peer-pressure driven responsibilities. There are times, however, when these things lead to something bad, something unexpected. During such times, it is difficult to get over what once was, and to go on with life, especially if the said occurrence is a tragedy, which often times, it may

Throughout the story “Samuel,” Grace Paley uses language to generate a healthy dialogue about the fragility of life by comparing the thoughts and reactions of all the characters in the story leading up to and following Samuel’s tragic death. The text leads the reader through four young boys’ adventures on a train. The story chronicles the thoughts of the passengers on the train in New York City, and their actions leading up to and following the unfortunate death of the main character, Samuel.