A Perfect Start

It was a clear, mid summer day, in the early month of July. The air was the right temperature for a refreshing swim. I was fortunate enough to have friends in the neighborhood that I could walk over to. The day started like any other day, waking up close to lunch, wolfing down a meal, and heading out the door. Wet grass engulfed my feet as I walked through the backyard. Cutting through houses I made the journey to one of my buddy’s house. Branches crunched when I made my way into the yard, I could hear sounds in the distance. At last, the clear blue pool surround with rocks and seating areas came into view. I made my way in, calling out to everyone that was there. My walking pace turned into a jog as I made my way around the crystal blue water, until I reached the deeper end. Water hit me from all angles as kids jumped into the pool. I climbed onto the diving board. Walking to the end I looked out into the distance, the sun was at its peak shinning it’s brightest. The grips of the diving board lead me to the end. People were shouting and waiting for what I was about to do. I took a bounce to get some momentum, I came back down, I took another to get even more, falling back down the third time my left foot came out. My knees tumbled over the end and my body threw itself head first into the water. Sinking under, I felt a throbbing pain coming from my knees. Underwater I felt as if I was in slow motion, opening my eyes to see the surrounding. My breath was becoming short and I broke back to the surface. Using my arms I picked my self out of the water and examined my knees. Blood gushed, as both kneecaps had been cut open from the diving board. The kids stopped what they were doing and I could feel that all eyes were on me. I made my way to a chair and cleaned my knees off. This once perfect day had turned into one of my biggest nightmares. The water that had seemed so inviting had broken me down. Swimming was put on pause as I rested my knees, but in the back of my mind I knew that one day I would dive back into that pool and feel the rush of water roll through my hair.

"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place”

Throughout the short story the young waiter and old waiter are waiting for the drunken old man to leave a café. They both talk about how he doesn’t need anymore to drink, that he tried to kill himself, and how they just want to go home. However, at the end of the story the old waiter thinks about his life and wondering if other people have insomnia. He also has an epiphany of how is life is similar to the old man and how he does not have much time to live. He relates to the old man with age and how his life is also coming to an end.

Isolation: The need to break free

The steller story I told is about the isolation in the life of three characters.  This project consisted of three stories, Paul’s Case by Willa Cather, The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck, and Barn Burning by William Faulkner.  The story consists of three main characters and describing how they are isolated in the stories. Paul is a young kid who goes through life focusing on a fantasy world. The life he has is not satisfying to him, he dreams of living in the city and having a luxurious lifestyle.  On another note Elsa is trapped in a male dominated society where she does not have much opportunity. However, her passion is gardening which she is very good at.  Elsa is constantly wondering why women cannot complete the same tasks as men. She is isolated because she cannot break out of her every day routine to try new things. The third character I looked at was Sarty, a young southern boy. Sarty was the main character in Barn Burning, his life is unlike the other two. His father is a criminal who burns a barn and the family has to move elsewhere. He is conflicted with telling the truth at court against his dad but covers it up instead. He is also isolated because his father and the actions he commits confine him. Sarty wants to tell the truth but is worried that his father will punish him for it. In order for him to escape this he tells the people of his father’s action and in the end his father dies. All three characters are confined by emotions and the situations they are in. They are all trying to escape their isolated life.

Link to steller…

https://steller.co/stories/362407303657293164

References

http://www.deviantart.com/art/Isolation-168178614

https://www.google.com/search?q=black+and+white&client=safari&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=AjpAVJfGGM_bsASb4YDQDA&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=320&bih=460#facrc=_&imgrc=2ae7VEs9XZN1XM%253A%3BgLWStIb7OiKv2M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.matejmichalik.com%252Fblack-and-white-photography%252Fgalleries%252Fpost-427%252Ffull%252FBlack-and-white-photo-Breitenbrunn-Austria.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fprezi.com%252Fu4rvl55tsvnj%252Fblack-and-white-photography%252F%3B1200%3B801

http://favim.com/image/16356/

http://www.freeoboi.ru/eng/wallpaper/395.html

http://cmshawstudios.blogspot.com/2012/10/celebrating-columbus-day-at-maynes-tree.html?m=1

Paul/ Elisa

            Paul is troubled teenager in which his life is declining, by getting in trouble at school, to lying to his father about his where about, the progression of his life is tumbling down. Early on there are signs that Paul is rebelling against his father and faculty to get more out of life. In short team he was successful in living the way he wanted to but it was bitter sweet. He was always looking for something more in life and never was grateful for what he had. Cather does a nice job in showing how a normal teenager embarks on a journey to live a lavish life style.  However he falls short in accomplishing happiness in life.

Elisa is a hardworking gardener on a ranch that is owned by her husband Henry. Her passion is flowers and planting. Henry on the other hand is the leader of the ranch and dictates what goes on. Elisa struggles to figure out why she can’t do the same tasks that men do. One day a traveling handyman comes to the ranch. He offers the services of sharping scissors and fixing pots. He tells her that he travels across the country providing a service to people. Elisa explains how she wants to experience that but is shut down by the man, telling her it’s not a women’s job. She wants to experience new opportunities but never gets a chance to. Henry is passionate about fights but Elisa never wants to watch them. One night she asks if women can fight in them. Although she is interested about them she never wants to go. Steinbeck's reveals how women want to experience the same things as men and how they do not get the opportunity. Elisa wants more out of life but will never be able to accomplish it because it is a male dominated society.