The Shining House Analysis

Growing up on Mango Street, girls had to take two steps backward to take one forward. Just like ballroom dancing, women let men take the lead and sacrifice an extra step to continue moving on the floor. When Sally escaped from her father and married the marshmallow salesman, she had to give up her youth and femininity.

Fullerton and she knew her neighbours might think of her differently but, she felt it was her responsibility as a friend and a neighbour to look out for her. Mary knew that her refusal to sign the petition would not allow Mrs Fullerton to keep her home but she realized that a unified community was all that was needed to make anything happen. “But these are people who win, and they are good people; they want homes for their children, they help each other when there is trouble, they plan a community—saying that word as if they found a modern and well-proportioned magic in it, and no possibility anywhere of a mistake.” She only wished it would be used for the benefit of every single individual in the neighbourhood including Mrs. Fullerton. As individuals, it is our responsibility to ensure that we protect and stand up for each member of our communities. The Shining Houses by Alice Munro further enhances the idea of standing up for the people in our lives. This is demonstrated through Mary who stood up for her neighbour despite the wants of her other neighbours. We can only be stronger as a community when we make sure that the rights of each person are

When she enters the bedroom, her voice changes from present to past tense and she starts to reminisce and begins to talk about her mother and aunts. She seems happy to remember her mother’s room and introduces her aunts to the audiences. Mary delivers her dialogue saying that the dressing table and the small elephant statue figures are all same. When Mary gently touches her mother’s photo, she delivers a sad tone. Her performance conveys to the audiences that she misses her mother. The tone of her voice represents that she is a gentle, innocent and a loving child. Her verbal and non-verbal interactions conveyed the viewers with a message that she is an orphan.

Mary begins the story as a doting housewife going through her daily routine with her husband. She is content to sit in his company silently until he begins a conversation. Everything is going as usual until he goes “ slowly to get himself another drink” while telling Mary to “sit down” (Dahl 1). This shocks Mary as she is used to getting things for him. After downing his second drink, her husband coldly informs her that he is leaving her and the child. This brutal news prompts the first change in Mary, from loving wife to emotionless and detached from everything.

One of the major symbols in the text is the house the narrator and her husband John choose to rent for their vacation. The setting of the story is a symbol of men’s superiority towards women. In the story, the narrator describes the location of the rented house stating how “it is quite alone, standing well back from the road, quite three miles from the village [like the] English places that you read about, for there are hedges and walls and gates that lock, and lots of separate little houses for the gardeners and people” (pg. 34). The location of the

“Born Bad” is the vignette I chose to address from The House on Mango Street. I didn’t find it to be significant at first because of the style of writing the author uses. I’ve not read any books using little vignettes as chapters. This style of writing makes me feel like I am reading about situations that seem random and disconnected. Esperanza was born on the evil day, what does this really have to do with her being a woman and not fitting in on Mango Street? Lucy, Rachel, and Esperanza made fun of Aunt Lupe the day she died, a sad event but what does that have do with her being a foreigner on Mango Street?

The Novel, The House on Mango Street, was based on the writer Sandra Cisneros. She was writing this when she was living in Chicago. She was like Esperanza. She want though poverty. She has been heartbroken and deeply joyous. She inventing for herself who and what she will become. This is the life of Esperanza Cordero and based on Sandra Cisneros to all women out there.

As the women walk through the house, they begin to get a feel for what Mrs. Wright’s life is like. They notice things like the limited kitchen space, the broken stove, and the broken jars of fruit and begin to realize the day-to-day struggles that Mrs. Wright endured. The entire house has a solemn, depressing atmosphere. Mrs. Hale regretfully comments that, for this reason and the fact that Mr. Wright is a difficult man to be around, she never came to visit her old friend, Mrs. Wright.

She possessed a vibrant and vivacious personality and spoke her mind freely from childhood; friendly, sharp-witted and outgoing, she made friends easily, however she never hesitated to express to loved ones exactly what or how she thought they should handle a situation. This of course as everyone knew was regardless of her opinion being was solicited or not. This no doubt was the result of growing up as the baby of the family. Mary grew quite accustomed to getting her own way with her older siblings, Marvin and Corinne and growing up, surrounded by a bounty of loving family members; aunts, uncles and cousins.

In Alice Munro’s feminist story, “The Shining Houses”, she portrays that in society, straying from social norms and ideologies will distort the communities’ perspective conflictingly causing marginalization of nonconformists. Specifically, domesticity and the need for masculine protection are two critical criteria she uses to convey her theme.

Even thought both were working full time and physically absent most of the time, the difference in their parenting style had influenced their kid’s life in different way. Unlike Joy, who was strict and fixed rules and clear expectations for her son, Mary had a permissive and uninvolved parenting style. Mary did not teach her son much discipline, she was lenient and intervened minimally only when she faced serious problem. She even gave her son unclear message about what is inappropriate, by the role model she played. Especially when Wes found the weed on her closet (59).In the contrary, Joy fixed clear rules at home, like her reaction when Wes punched his sister, she said while talking to her husband,<< Wes, he needs to learn what is acceptable and what is not>>

Characterization shows the reader how Mary’s demeanor changes throughout the story. “...Do everything right and natural. Keep things absolutely natural and there'll be no need for any acting at all…(3)” This quote shows that Mary is referring to when she murdered her husband that she has to play the part of an innocent wife. Secondly, “As the wife of a detective, she knew quite well what

The poem, "The Night House" by Billy Collins, is very symbolic and meaningful, and most people can relate to because everyone has something they are not content with in life. Collins is a great, straightforward writer that people can depict with in his poems because he is practical and uses simple things or everyday experiences in an easy way. This poem in particular is very symbolic and effortless to analyze because it is the everyday life--- going to work, coming home, and then going to sleep--- the cycle then repeats over and over. He talks about "the body works" at the beginning (which sets the tone for the rest of the poem), which symbolizes that our hearts and minds are not always into what we are doing. He talks and illustrates figurative parts of the body: the heart, mind, conscience, and soul. When he talks about the woman sleeping, all these figurative body parts are restless and come out at night to do what they really want to do.

In this play all the characters feel trapped. But Travis feels trapped in the house. The reason why is because when he tries doing something he is not aloud to do it. Also his parents have no money so he can not go out and do stuff. His parents are always fighting about the money and what they are going to do with it. That is why Travis feels trapped.

One thing I truly enjoyed about this work is that I can actually related to its content. Having traveled all over the world myself I can relate to Lady Mary’s sense of wonder and imagination. Throughout her letters we see her examine a different part of the culture she experiences for example, the Turkish bath houses. The author goes on to explain the structure of the building’s and how well they were made out of stone yet they were made without windows. I can remember the very first time I witnessed such architecture, the fresh sights and the intricate work that had been placed in each one was truly something I had never seen before.