We each have different ideas on what the right or wrong thing to do during a difficult situation is. In David Foster Wallace’s short story “Good People” a young religious couple are hesitant on a decision of abortion when discovering they are expecting an unplanned baby. Not only are they struggling with the situation, they are also having a problem within their relationship. The couple has to face their fears and thoughts on what they were going to do. This is very similar to when I had to make a difficult decision, when I became pregnant with my son at a young age.
“It was summertime, and the park’s grass was very green and the air suffused with honeysuckle and lilacs both, which was almost too much” Although springtime and the park they sat at created a peaceful picture, what Lane A. Dean and Sheri were feeling internally was heavy and emotional. For Lane, his internal feelings were a bit deeper and secretive. Not only did he have his unborn baby in mind he was also questioning his feelings toward his girlfriend, as well as his faith. “He rarely before now had thought of damnation and Hell…and in worship services he more just turned himself out and tolerated Hell when it came up, the same way you tolerate the job you’ve got to have to save up for what it is you want” These thoughts about Hell was a starting point for Lane when he begins to question his own faith. Unlike Sheri, this situation made Lane question how much he actually cared for his religion. He also
The short story is set at a park by a lake. “They were up on a picnic table at that park by the lake, by the edge of the lake, with part of a downed tree in the shallows half hidden by the bank.”1 The downed tree sets the mood to be sad and dark. We also learn that the main characters Lane A. Dean, Jr. and his girlfriend Sheri Fisher are sitting very still on the picnic table2, which tells us that the atmosphere is quite intense. It does not say for how long they sit by the lake, but it says that the right sides of their faces get shaded so it can be assumed that they sit there for a while.3
A few good men starring Jack Nicholson Tom Cruise and Demi Moore is about ethic in the marines. Many characters in the movie are faced with moral dillemas Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholsons characters are faced with moral dillemas. The movie is about two marines who are accused of murdering there fellow officer, during the incestigation it is discovered that there is a practice called “code red” this is a unethical and unofficial disciplinary measure by the marine squad when a member goes against the unit. The offender is gagged, beaten, and then they are killed by their fellow officers. The accused put the blame on someone they said was higher up from them. They carried out the “code red” order because the officer was not living up to the
Sheri arrived at Lane’s house early that morning to discuss with mixed feelings about what she was about to endure. They left Lane’s house in attempt to discuss it, but for much of the story, Lane A. Dean Jr., the boyfriend, and Sheri Fisher, the girlfriend, sat in silence at a picnic table hoping the other spoke first. While Sheri Fisher was seen as “good people” by
The story begins with Lane A. Dean, Jr. sitting in a park with his newly pregnant girlfriend, Sheri. Struggling with their moral values and religious beliefs, the couple sits in silence as they look out over the water, neither able to face the other. They have been “praying and talking about how to deal with an unspecified calamity that has befallen them” (Derbyshire 44). They have already scheduled the appointment, but neither knows for certain that this is what they want to do. When Lane
Numerous authors and their stories are distinctive, but few authors compare to Flannery O'Connor. What sets O'Connor apart from other authors is her use of religion and violence. A majority, possibly all, of O'Connor’s stories contain some element of religion and/or violence. Not only is O'Connor’s stories unusual, but her characters are also unlike other author’s characters. Flannery O'Connor's unique stories contain characters that have an "evil intelligence determined on its own supremacy" that are often central to the conflict of the story.
Morality and Duties: There are many reasons women choose to seek an abortion but “one of the most common reasons is that they do not have room in their life just then to be a mother, [and] they know if they continue the pregnancy they will not be able to give it up” (p. 312). Little strongly believes that this is a “perfectly sensible, and often wise,” decision (p. 312). Before morally judging a woman based on her decision, one must learn to “appreciate the different moral contours involved with entering, existing in and exiting a relationship” (p. 312). A woman’s morals cannot be judged given she “may have good reason to decline,” gestation — for example a woman can argue that her reason is “more [of] a refusal to create than a decision to destroy” (p. 30). It must be recognized that “ [being] asked
The story “Good People”, written by a maximalist writer David Foster Wallace, focus on a young boy name Lane A. Dean, Jr. and his girlfriend Sheri Fisher. We see Lane in a park by a picnic table looking at the lake with his girlfriend by his side. They sat on the table, they were silent the entire time. Being as it may that we only encounter Lane’s thoughts we see that he is fearful of what might become of “the appointment”. The appointment is vague but is consistent throughout the story. Neither of the characters gives us a hit to what the appointment consists of.
There is a saying, “expect the unexpected.” This turns out to be true in many works of literature, and to some, it may seem so in “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” However, the author, Flannery O’ Connor, subtly provides hints that foreshadows the tragic demise of the family. Through the grandma choosing to have the vacation in Tennessee instead of Florida, the grandma’s fancy ladylike outfit, the descriptive scenery, and the drive during the trip, O’Connor foreshadows the family’s fatal encounter with The Misfit.
David Foster Wallace’s “Good People,” is a very touching, powerful story about a young, unwed, Christian couple facing an extremely difficult decision and the moral and religious implications that may result. As the story begins, we are allowed into the head of Lane Dean, a college student, as he sits on a park bench with his girlfriend, Sheri. Lane and Sheri find themselves faced with an unplanned pregnancy, which causes them to battle with several moral and religious dilemmas. Both of them are devout Christians who have built their moral beliefs upon God and their religious upbringing. Although torn Sheri schedules an abortion, which weighs on Lane deeply. Lane, frozen in fear and not having the courage to freely talk to Sheri about
It was first published in 1953 in the anthology The Avon Book of Modern Writing. In 1960, it was collected in the anthology The House of Fiction, published by Charles Scribner's Sons. "A Good Man Is Hard to Find," One of O’Connors most famous short stories is titled after a song recorded in 1927-28 by Bessie Smith a blues singer, that informed women that had a faithful man at home to follow her advice and give him a lot of affection; because “A Good man was hard to find”. After finding out that her man was cheating on her (Kirk).
When I was only 15 years old, a close friend of mine got pregnant. After spending a few days talking it over with her parents and now ex-boyfriend, she elected to have an abortion. At first I was totally appalled that she had reasoned to kill her newborn child. “How could someone find it so easy to take away another life?” I thought. Now, three years older and more mature me is finally able to process the reasoning behind not keeping the child.
There is a concern among many, that it is not the woman’s decision to terminate the life of their unborn child. Fetuses are advocated for because decision making is out of their control. One of the main arguments is that the unborn child will not have the opportunity to live the life it deserves and because of that, women that go through the process of abortion will regret their decision. This is understandable, because it is a difficult option to pursue, not health-wise, but emotionally a devastation for some. Along
“Good People” by David Foster Wallace is a short story about a Christian couple that are facing a difficult decision that had both moral and religious implications. Lane and Sheri face themselves with an unplanned pregnancy. Both of them are devout Christians who built their beliefs around God and Christian Principles. That being said, Sheri schedules an abortion. Throughout the story they both go back and forth about the abortion and Lane even questions whether or not he loves her. Lane decides to break free from the fear, and ultimately makes a leap of faith of his own and decides to give loving her a try and they both decide not to have an abortion.
Sometimes life can be really harsh on us. Many people believe that abortion can be the only option for them. Soon to be mothers might not want to take care of a child, so they go towards abortion. Many women think that they don’t have what it takes to raise a child of their own, while others do. Many people are against abortion, so they go through with the pregnancy even if they don’t think they can raise the child.
Being a mother is one of the best gifts from a life. A mother gives her children unconditional love without expecting anything in return. Being a mother means more than having given birth to a child. It is an invisible connection between mother and child; it is a blessing, a relationship that never ends and the love that never dies. However, for some women, motherhood might be challenging in ways they did not expect, forcing them to choose between having an abortion and keeping the child. The debate over abortion is an ardent and polarizing issue as there are those who believe that all humans including those unborn should have a right to life, and on the other side of the spectrum are those who believe it should a woman's right to choose whether she wants an abortion or not. This topic relates to Gwendolyn Brooks's poem, "The Mother", where the author describes the painful thoughts, heartbreak, and awful feelings that a woman experiences after having an abortion. Brooks lays out a helpful framework for understanding the difficult situation of facing unplanned pregnancy. In "The Mother", a woman recollects her inner conflicts as she laments over the guilt of having had an abortion and the future she never gave her would be child. Brooks's poem provides insight into the research which reveals how abortion affects women morally, psychologically, and religiously.