And Summer Is Gone

People change all the time, and sometimes they change for the worse, thus ruining friendships. Susie Kretschmer's short story "And Summer Is Gone" depicts the loss of a friendship between two people, Amy and David. Amy falls into the hole of desiring to be a part of the popular crowd at school. She is an egocentric and insecure person, while David is meticulous and sensitive.

As time passes by, Amy changes into a completely different individual whom David does not recognize. She becomes self-absorbed and "always [wants] to talk about the people in [their] grade" (2), the ones that David barely associates with. Amy "doesn't want to see [David's art] anymore" (2) even though she knows the significance art has on her friend. Another side of Amy is that she is a very insecure girl. She feels the need to impress others, even if it is at the risk of losing her best friend. She is the type of teenager who "gets invited to every party... who [carries] gossip" (2), and is always around the popular youngsters at school. She has "stopped eating" (2) for she feels overweight. She has refrained herself from enjoying the large portions of snacks she would have with David. Her insecurities have brought her to become the stereotypical popular girl who "[goes] to every party [and] every football game" (3). The compulsion she has to try to fit in is due to the lack of self-confidence. In exchange for her popularity, she looses her friend, who has always been there for her. Amy has become a stranger to David.

David is the artist of the pair and is very attentive to details. He remembers the days when they went to the creek. To this day, he still has the memories of Amy's "long, tanned legs half wet and shiny, half dry with the cracking clay stripes and dots of an Aztec king" (1). As Amy becomes unfamiliar to him, he notices that she has become a woman, that her body is now curvy and lithe" (2) rather than the carefree, scrawny girl. He discovers that Amy "[has] not spoken to [him] at school, or dared to associate with him in public" (2). At first, David thinks he is being immature and paranoid, but he is in fact right, and admits that "he [lives] in the worlds that [he draws]" (3)

Amy and David’s personalities can be described as the opposites of the spectrum. Amy’s egocentric and insecure attitude leads to the loss of a friend who cares and loves her. David’s meticulous and sensitive personality makes him the mature one of the two, but unfortunately, he is also the one who is hurt the most.

The Lottery

Traditions vary amongst different groups of people, and some of these traditions are as bizarre as they can be. Shirley Jackson's short story "The Lottery" revolves around a village's annual ritual of sacrificing one's life. Tessie Hutchinson is chosen as the unfortunate one this year, and is stoned to death by her fellow villagers. Although it appears the lottery will continue indefinitely, there is evidence that the tradition will not last.

The ritual of having the lottery has always been there, even before the birth of "Old Man Warner, the oldest man in town" (2). In everyone's eyes, "there's always been a lottery" (4) and the idea of the village without its annual tradition is strange. Old Man Warner, who is seventy-seven years old, participates in the Lottery for the "seventy-seventh time" (4). Children are brought up in relation to this event. When the Hutchinson family's name is drawn, even the youngest boy of the household has to "take a paper out of the box" (5). As the time of stoning arrives, the children are prepared to take part in what they are expected to do. Someone even "[gives] little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles" (5) to throw at his mother. There is no doubt that this tradition is being passed from generation to generation, and the youngsters of the village are accustomed to this ritual.

Though the tradition has always been a part of this town, this odd custom may be at risk of disappearing. Many things revolving around this tradition are absent, both the idea of the practice, and the physical aspect of it. The villagers are not aware of its purpose anymore as "so much of the ritual has been forgotten [and] discarded" (2). The town now uses a black wooden box as "the original paraphernalia for the lottery [has] been lost long ago" (2). When the box is not in usage, it is kept in places with no importance, such as the post office or the grocery store. The practice of the lottery has become more of a burden rather than a tradition. Many of the families just want to "get this over with" (3) so they can return to working. The tradition has lost its significance, therefore "some places [nearby] have already quit lotteries" (4). Some villagers feel that the ritual "isn't fair [and] isn't right" (5). Old Man Warner, who has been through decades of this practice, senses that "people [aren’t] the way they used to be" (5). As time goes on, more and more of this ritual is going to be forgotten and ignored.

Whether or not the tradition of the lottery lives on depends on the people in this village. The children of the next generation are surrounded by the idea of stone throwing, but they do not understand the reason for this ritual.

The Painted Door

Being in a marriage means one is committed to the spouse, and when one is not engaged in it, the relationship may become a failure. Sinclair Ross' short story "The Painted Door" describes the life of a married couple living on a farm. Ann, feeling abandoned by her husband, John, falls for their friend, Steven, which eventually leads to the tragic ending. Although it may seem that Ann should be exclusively blamed as the cause of John's death, John is also partially responsible for his morbidity.

Ann, who many may think is the primary cause of John’s death, is an insecure woman. Ann often feels isolated and lonely; she seeks for attention from John. Her attitude indirectly results in the death of her partner. She feels as if she is “as important as [his] father” (1), and expects John to stay home with her. Ann equivocally tells John how she feels. Instead of communicating and solving the problem, she tells John to “pay no attention to [her]” (1). The lack of engrossment in this marriage causes the couple to grow apart. Ann constantly makes comparisons between her husband and Steven. She feels that any other man “would have put his wife first” (5). She notes how John is “responsible for her unhappiness” (4). She is very judgmental of her partner’s personality and appearance. Steven’s “handsome,..., young and clean-shaven” face (7) is a comparison she makes regularly to John’s unsettled appearance. Ann has always “been afraid to see them side by side” (7) because she has always known that Steven is the more attractive one. She blames John’s personality in order “to justify her rebellious thoughts” (4) of having an affair. If John is more sensitive instead of working for fifteen hours every day, her unhappiness would not exist. Ann purposely changes to another dress and rearranges her hair with “a little flush of colour in her face” (6). This partially leads to Ann’s betrayal with Steven. She knows “[John] always comes” (7), yet she still commits adultery. Ann knows she is at wrong; she has the “sense of guilt” (9) that she tries to accuse John of causing.

As the man of this marriage, John is insensitive to how Ann feels, and therefore indirectly causes the problems this marriage encounters. He is a man who is simple-minded and is “content with his farm and cattle” (1). His loyalty to Ann brings him home despite the blizzard. He treats this marriage as if it is an occupation. Instead of taking care of his physical appearance, John is more of a practical man who needs “to spend a little time on [himself]” (2). His personality bores his wife. He is introverted, and feels “it [is] easier to stay at home” (4). Even though John’s intention is to provide the best for Ann, it never occurs to him that what Ann ultimately wants is his companionship, “not pretty clothes” (3). John’s stubborn personality is also one of the causes of his death. He comes home even in “the wildest, coldest nights” (8). He knows the danger of his action, yet he still leaves the house after seeing his wife with another man.

Both parties in this marriage fail to understand the needs of each other. They choose not to discuss their problems; they choose not to solve them. Ann’s dependant personality causes her unhappiness, but John’s stubborn and ignorant personality leads to his death.