Summary Of ' The Fine Amenities '

Helen has been a spoiled child for her entire life—especially because her parents often give her whatever she long for to distract Helen from disturbing them. When Helen is taking food from her family’s plates during breakfast, Annie stops her and demands that she is left alone with the child in order to teach her how to properly eat. Before Annie is able to teach Helen how to sit down and have a proper meal, she makes Helen sit in a chair so Annie can eat her breakfast without Helen groping for her plate. However, Helen persists and keeps going for Annie’s food instead of her own. To stop this, Annie must force utensils into Helen’s hands and have her eat from her own plate, rather than one of her family’s. Annie is eventually able to get Helen to eat her own food. The drama shows, “HELEN swallows involuntarily… ANNIE forced her palm open , throws four swift letters into it, then another four, and bows toward her with devastating pleasantness. ‘Good Girl’” (Gibson 523). Since Helen had never been taught how to properly sit down at a table and eat with manners, this task was cumbersome for Annie. She was able to get Helen to swallow her food and fold a napkin—which Helen’s mother, Kate, emphasised. When Helen’s father, Captain Keller, would talk about how Annie was making no progress and only ruining the child, she would bring up that Annie had gotten Helen to fold her napkin for the first time. Despite Helen persisting to get her way and the Keller family not approving of Annie’s teaching methods, Annie was able to teach Helen a lot more than what she knew before tutoring had

Sally is not a proficient cook, and is dependent on her husband’s income for her lifestyle, which appears to be very mundane, and she worries about things that seem insignificant, like being able to make breakfast for her husband, or the fact that he will not learn how to play cards. Her husband is self-centered, more concerned about how his wife dotes on him, expecting her to be able to react to his whims. Admonishing her for suggesting that he eat breakfast downtown, as remarking that a good wife would never send her husband out to work hungry. Sally self blames herself as her maid Mary Elizabeth is late arriving to work and she has to try to prepare breakfast which turns

In Edith Wharton’s book Summer the main character Charity Royall is the daughter of the most influential man in town and yet she doesn’t want anything more than to escape from her small town of North Dormer and her lonely father figure that inhabits it. Mr. Royall took her down from the Mountain when she was a child and has raised her as his own since she was young, but after the death of his wife he has resorted to drinking to heal his loneliness, and later in his weakened state turns to Charity to cure his loneliness. Though his first proposal could be seen as “disgusting” and “incest” in that he tries to enter Charity’s room while he is drunk, when he later asks her to marry him for the third time, he is clear headed and believes this is the best option for Charity. At first Charity is disgusted by herself for giving in to Mr. Royall’s advances, after a silent agreement between her and Mr. Royall in which she realizes he has no intention of making her do anything she doesn’t want to do, she realizes that this is the best outcome for her and accepts her fate.

Williams came out of the cabin. Mr. Williams was walking toward Charity, holding something out to her. It was a smaller book; he called it a journal. This one was blank. He told her to write things she felt were important in it and then smiled as though he was handing her the world. Although Charity did not know it right then, he was.

He told her that in the middle of June they were sent to a place called Gettysburg where they were involved in a large campaign and took part in a battle that took place the first few days of July. He said that in all the campaigns and battles he’d been involved in, Gettysburg was by far the most intense- thousands lost their lives there… He also told her that he and John knew about their father’s death and that he was sorry she had to go through the loss without her entire family around her. He did not want her to worry about him and John; he said that they would make it through. Charity was glad that Charles sounded so positive. She often wondered why she could see some things and not others. Her ability to foresee events close to her had never been keen; however, it seemed that Charles had inherited that ability along with his ability to walk the winds… and, whatever other abilities he had… She would have to ask her grandfather, about this… Realizing just how little she knew of Charles’ abilities caused her a pang of guilt; it had been years since the two of them had had a real heart to heart

Charity was still piqued that Charles had blatantly disobeyed and followed her out of camp- next time, she would pay better attention when she left camp- However, she was thankful that he was there to help her, else, she would have had a heck of a time, trying to tote the deer back to camp,

“Alright, Mother,” James said as he turned to his beloved sister. James tried to teach Ann what he had learned that day when Father entered the house. He addressed the family and sat down at the table as Mother brought a bowl of terrapin stew for supper. The family began eating the wonderful stew, when Ann interrupted the silence.

When Charity, who has never met Eli or his family, hears that, she threatens to act rude in order to make them not like her so that she can go back home with him, but her grandfather tells her that she cannot go back home with him and assures her that if young Henry doesn’t take a liking to her, he is sure that some young buck down in Fort Charlotte will be looking for a wife.

However, Charity soon discovers that her grandfather is on a mission to get her married off and settled somewhere because of his advanced age. Sensing that his time is near, he doesn’t want to die and leave her alone and desolate.

This allows for people who suffer keep their dignity in difficult times. Although, they don’t consider it charity, they are still being generous to those in need. One of the campers, Annie, who has lived in the camp longer than the Joyce family, had a bad experience with the Salvation Army. Her family was starving and people suggested going to the Salvation Army. While talking about her experience, he eyes grew fierce exclaiming “We was hungry--

Inside the sisters are gossiping and cooking away with ceramic dishes coating the center island. Collared greens sit next to Jeanette’s sweet potato casserole and tart, lemon pie. Smells of freshly cooked rolls and buttered squash invade my senses as two small dogs trot at my feet asking for their helping.

If she were to play with them, she might find out that it is hard and not so romantic being poor. But she wants to be accepted by the neighborhood children and to have fun with them, as anybody might want. She says, “I want to go in the back yard now/ And maybe down the alley,/ To where the charity children play./

Although Charity and Sylvia had family members who did not approve of their relationship, most of their family members were accepting and supportive, especially Charity’s family. Even though Addie was an orphan, Addie became extremely close to members of Rebecca’s family as the two women spent time together. According to Hansen, “Rebecca’s kin embraced Addie in all of her ‘singularity’ and sensuality. Deeply involved in kin dynamics, Addie helped mediate Rebecca’s relations with her family” (166). Although Addie was accepted, Rebecca’s family often attempted to find male suitors for both of the women (168).

He states, “Hey, it’s not my job to make the guests feel welcome. Women are better at that sort of thing, anyway, so why not let them do what they love?” The mother of the groom, Diane, notices the lazy behavior displayed by Joe and has a few words to say about it (out of his hearing of course). “It’s about time that girl of his has a decent man in her life,” says Diane displaying her pride in full force. “My son is just the man she needs to lean on.” As the bride and groom arrive and the supper begins, everyone seems to be having a good time at the reception. The bride and groom glance over to the gift table every now and then, trying to guess who brought what gift by the look of the wrapping. Their avarice cannot be hidden even between glasses of wine, loud laughs, and even louder

“Yes, I’m here to tutor Teresa,” Victor told Teresa’s mother. She nodded and pointed up the stairs. He walked down the narrow hallway and knocked on the door; he walked in and seen Teresa sitting on her bed reading a French book. They studied for two hours, but Teresa wasn’t getting it.