June Lévesque: The Snake Lady

Two more pertinent points are made by the author, in regards to the grandmother, follow in quick succession; both allude to further yet-to-be seen gloom within the story. O’Connor writes of the grandmother “[s]he didn’t intend for the cat to be left alone in the house for three days because he would miss her too much and she was afraid he might brush against one of the gas burners and accidentally asphyxiate himself” (1043) and of the way she is dressed “[i]n case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady” (1043). These two observations are innocent enough on the surface but provide true intent on the foreshadowing that O’Connor uses throughout the story. It is these two devices, irony and foreshadowing, that I feel are prominent and important aspects of the story and are evidenced in my quest to decipher this story.

Sally Thomas family is given an opportunity to make a name for herself by being given social and business opportunities. While the southernmost states have a different outtake on slavery, Sally and her family are treated with much more respect. Sally is able to own her own business as a laundress and comes to be popular in the town for her kindness and fairness.

Throughout the course of Coming of Age in Mississippi, readers observe as Anne Moody undergoes a rigorous transformation – the period of adolescence proves to be years of growth and exposure for Moody. As a child, she is aware of the difference in treatment between whites and blacks – however, she is oblivious to the reason why. It is not until Emmett Till’s murder that Moody really becomes aware of what is happening in the world around her. Prior to August of 1955, Moody had been so consumed with school, work and family that she didn’t pay very much attention to race relations. It’s a point of awakening when she finally grasps the hatred that whites in Mississippi have for blacks – she now begins to understand why her family had lived through such inhumane conditions. As Moody begins to understand the concept of race and equality, she thus realizes which side of the spectrum black people are placed on. On the other hand, Moody’s mama Toosweet, has long endured the brutal callousness of Chattel Slavery -- as a result she holds a different perspective than Moody. Their differing viewpoints often lead to tension between the two characters; this essay will examine and compare the psychological effects of Chattel Slavery on Moody and her mother.

Laurie Halse Anderson’s historical fiction novel, Fever 1793, depicts the life of Mattie Cook, a young girl growing up in Philadelphia. After yellow fever strikes, Mattie flees Philadelphia only to learn that the fever epidemic is everywhere and she must learn to survive in a city turned frantic with disease. She finds herself caring for others all while keeping herself alive. Anderson creates the lesson that while becoming independent can be difficult, it is an important part of every person's life by using symbolism and terminology from the time period.

She always says how when she dies she wants to become a Green Mamba snake. The quote is explaining how the so called snake slithers through the trees. It says how they are always watching the person, always there. The quote says something about a daughter. The snake is the mother’s daughter in the quote and the snake is also a sister. Ruth May is both of these. The quote is talking about being hungry, which goes back to the Congo. They were all hungry in the Congo and so are the

The way the grandmother sneaks the cat into the car and lies about the secret panel brings irony to her beliefs of what it is to be a lady. Her views on the “old south” is established when she calls an African American boy a “cute little pickaninny.” June Star’s remark upon the boy not having britches on leads on to the grandmother’s remark on how he might not be able to afford shows her lack of sympathy towards the less fortunate. This also makes the reader wonder why she even says such a thing in the first place. Instead of reaching out to lend a hand the grandmother ends her statement by simply saying that she would like to “paint a picture” of the scene.

realizes that the people of the town are so afraid of the devil, she can use

realizes that the people of the town are so afraid of the devil, she can use

When a young author from New York City decides to take a trip to the southern city of Savannah, he finds himself falling in love with the town and ends up renting an apartment. He encounters many different characters, including Danny Hansford and Jim Williams, that gives the reader a good look into the aura of Savannah. The main conflict in the book occurs when a murder happens in an old mansion located in the town. The book follows the progression of the trial and the outcome following the court’s decision.

On September 14,1998, a young lady by the name of Antionette Marion Lavine, also known by her friends and family as Ante was born. She has an older sister and a twin sister. She is the youngest but she always acted as if she was the boss of them. Growing up in Ville Platte, Louisiana she was always free sprited and curious about taking risk. And although growing up in a small town she always dreamed about living in a big city. Even though she currently deployed overseas she is making the best out her situation,making new friends along the way, and plan on moving to New Orleans when she returns to the states.So whenever she comes back to the states from her deployment she will make a huge step and move to New Orleans. She is a little

Bellocq’s Ophelia, by Natasha Trethewey is a collection of poems highlighting the complexities of being a black female sex worker in the early 20th century. The work is inspired by the image of a young prostitute in New Orleans originally taken by photographer E.J. Bellocq. Trethewey 's protagonist is Ophelia, and the poems serve as letters depicting her experience while working in the brothel. Thematically, the poems center largely around objectification .Countess P---’s Advice for New Girls and August 1911 are examples of how Tretheway uses language, tone, and structure to reflect Ophelia’s internal feelings of oppression while being both racially and sexually objectified.

This excerpt of Swamplandia, a novel by Karen Russell focuses on Hilola Bigtree, a performer who races alligators as she is watched by an audience and her family. It is in the point of view of the performer’s daughter, who has seen her mother perform before and is newly captivated each time. Since it is in her point of view, she is able to create an atmosphere where she can elevate her mother as an exquisite being. She has an admiration for her mother, both as a performer and in general, that is extremely clear. The tense narrative in the excerpt contributes to Hilola’s portrayal as indestructible. Russell portrays the narrator’s exaltation of her mother through the combination of generated and real tension by use of dark imagery and the contrast between her and the audience through sublime diction.

Valerie Martin’s Novel Property is an engrossing story of the wife of a slave owner and a slave, whom a mistress of the slave owner, during the late 18th century in New Orleans. Martin guides you through both, Manon Guadet and her servant Sarah’s lives, as Ms. Gaudet unhappily lives married on a plantation and Sarah unhappily lives on the plantation. Ms. Gaudet’s misserableness is derived from the misfortune of being married to a man that she despises and does not love. Sarah, the slave, is solely unhappy due to the fact that she is a slave, and has unwillingly conceived to children by Ms. Gaudiest husband, which rightfully makes Sarah a mistress. Throughout the book, Martin captivates the reader and enables you to place yourself in the

In “The Possibility of Evil,” Shirley Jackson gives us a character who may seem to be the town’s most respected and longest established resident, but who actually

Early in their lives, two young sisters, Ruth and Lucille, experience loss and abandonment from the men in the family. Their grandfather had died in a train derailment into Lake Fingerbone before they were born, and their father leaves them while they are very young. Then their mother commits suicide, but not before dropping the girls off on their grandmother’s porch. Moreover, then, “she sailed in Bernice’s Ford from the top of a cliff named Whiskey Rock into the blackest depth of the lake (23), again into Lake Fingerbone. After only a few months their grandmother dies leaving the girls to the remainder of the family, a collection of eccentric females. The girls deal with all of this by relying on each other. Soon, their great Aunt’s,