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Jordan's Ashes Chapter Summaries

Decent Essays

Summary • Chapter takes place in the summer, Jordan is taking care of Mrs. Humphrey. • Dora has left, since Mrs. Humphrey can’t afford her. • Mrs. Humphrey’s husband has left • Jordan now cleans and cooks for Mrs. Humphrey, who is ill • Chapter starts off with Simon reflecting on his trip to the Market • Jordan goes shopping for food, which he finds more difficult then it appears to be • Jordan say he is not accustom to purchasing food and that it is a servants job • Jordan comes back and cooks chicken for Mrs. Humphrey • The chicken is not thoroughly cleans, so Jordan thinks about asking Grace or help but quickly drops the idea. • We see that Jordan is moody, and is losing interesting in Grace • When having breakfast with Mrs. Humphrey, his …show more content…

Close Reading With Dora gone, Mrs. Humphrey becomes ill, and Simon must buy items to cook. Simon states that he does know where to but certain ingredients and, says it was a servants job. We can see how dependent the upper middle class are on the middle lower class. Although they have power over them due to their wealth, the upper middle class is dependent on them. The middle lower class seem to have more power than it appears. The chapter is called Hearts and Gizzards, which refers to body part, specifically the organs of a chicken. In this chapter Jordan buy chicken and attempt to cook it, however it is not cleaned properly, and doesn’t want to dirty his hands. He thinks about asking Grace for help, however he quickly drops the idea, since he wants to remain in authority. We can see that, Simon has the need to maintain power over Grace, and refuses to risk losing authority by asking Grace for help. The chapter also tells us that Simon is reaching the crucial moments before the murder This chapter also develops character …show more content…

Theme: Feminist Lens Men have power over women. When Dr. Simon is nearly about to physically abuse Mrs. Humphrey, but resists the urge. This event portrays who even sane men, who are not under the influence of alcohol (Grace’s father), think it is fine to beat a women. The idea that at the time, women are supposed to cook and clean, and men keep women because of this. This is apparent when Simon goes to buy food at the Market. He is clueless on where to buy things, and says that the maids (who were all women) did all the shopping when he was young. This is also seen when he his clueless on how to clean a chicken, he thinks about asking Grace, but abandons the idea, as he will lose some authority. Literary Devices “Like a fly snarled in a web”, this simile represents how Simon feels because Mrs. Humphrey is suffocating him with her unnecessary and irritating concern. “The tulips turned inside out ad if yawning” personification and a simile. Which is used to signify the sorrow and mellow tone of this

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