Part I
1. Physical conflict.
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2. Allegory.
3. Underlying
4, Time & tempo
5. Style
6. Flash forward
7. Death
8. Biblical Allusion
9. He always acted like a Romeo in front of his girlfriend
10. An irony when there is a contradiction between what a character (or characters) knows and what the readers know about things that happen in the story.
Part II
1. The setting of place: The United States (more specifically, in San Fransisco)
The story Two Kinds takes place in The United States because the story mentioned some of the famous cities from The United States, such as San Fransisco (the city where Jing Mei’s mother had come in 1949), Chinatown (the town where Jing Mei and her mother lived), and Sacramento (the street’s name from Chinatown where Jing Mei and her mother reside)
Proofs:
• She had come to San Francisco in 1949 (On the first page)
• All I knew was the capital of California, because Sacramento was the name of the street we lived on in Chinatown. (On the first page)
Setting of time: In the 20th century
The story Two Kinds takes place during the 20th century, because the story mentioned that in 1949, San Fransisco was the city that Jing Mei’s mother had come to. The story also mentioned Shirley Temple, who was a famous child actress during the period of 1935 to 1938. Ed Sullivan Show, which was a famous variety show that was aired in The United States from 1948 to 1971.
Proofs:
• She had come to San Francisco in 1949 (On the first page)
• At first my mother thought I could be a Chinese Shirley Temple. We'd watch Shirley's old movies on TV as though they were training films. (On the first page)
• And then one day my mother was watching the Ed Sullivan Show on TV.
2. The first suspense of the story:
Will the life of the Wheelers become happier after they got an automobile?
It is a suspense because it makes the readers wonder about whether the automobile will make the Wheelers’ life become happier or not.
The first surprise of the story:
The Wheelers’ life became more difficult because the automobile caused problems for them (The people in the town envied them, Herbert Wheelers got accused of defalcation that happened in the bank where he worked, the Wheelers had to live in poverty since they had to spend their money to take care of their car).
It is a surprise since it turns out that the automobile didn’t make the Wheelers’ life become happier, but instead it made the life of the Wheelers to be more difficult since the automobile caused problems for the Wheelers.
The second suspense of the story:
What will the Wheelers do regarding their automobile that had caused problems for them?
It is a suspense because it left the readers wonder about what the Wheelers would do to their automobile that had caused problems for them.
The second surprise of the story
:
The Wheelers chose to sell their automobile.
It is a surprise because it turns out the Wheelers decided to sell their automobile after it cost them many things, from clothing, friends, food, fun, and almost life itself. It answers the suspense about what the Wheelers would do to their automobile that had caused problems for them.
3. The Elephant’s Board and Keep uses third person omniscient point of view.
The narrator uses third person pronouns he, she, they, his, him, her, their, them to address the characters in the story as shown in the quotations below:
• Genial, fun-loving, and hospitable, they had even entertained occasionally; but Brainerd was a modest town, and its Four Hundred was not given to lavish display. (On the first page)
• 'Jessica, we've got one at last,' he cried. (On the first page)
• In each hand she held an egg—she had been selecting two big ones for an omelet. (On the first page)
• 'In the garage on the estate,' returned Herbert, consulting his letter. (On the first page)
• 'And to think how we've wanted an automobile!' she cried, when the impromptu omelet in her lap had been banished into oblivion. (On the first page)
• It had come to him suddenly with overwhelming force that he was responsible not only for the happiness but for the lives of his wife and their friends. (On the third page)
• They could ride while others must plod along behind them on foot, blinded by their dust and sickened by their noisome odor of gasoline. (On the fourth page)
The narrator reveals the thought of more than one character in the story as shown in these quotations:
• When Jessica was pleased she clapped her hands; she clapped them now—or rather she clapped the eggs—and in the resulting disaster even the automobile was for a moment forgotten. (On the first page)
• He was used to this and did not mind it, however—until he went in to dinner at the Lakeside House beside the fresh daintiness of his wife and their friends; then he did mind it. (On the third page)
• 'You bet it will,' exulted Herbert, as he thought of the Arnolds' admiring eyes when their car should sweep up to their door. (On the third page)
• And so the town talked and wagged its head, and back in the tiny house in the midst of its unkept lawn and garden sat the angry, frightened, and appalled Herbert Wheeler, and Jessica, his wife. (On the fourth page)
Part 3
4. Situational irony
Expectation: After Doodle’s brother had succeeded in teaching Doodle how to walk, Doodle’s brother decided to train Doodle in other physical training (Doodle’s brother taught Doodle to climb trees, to fight, to swim, and to run) so Doodle could keep up with the other boys when Doodle started school, it is expected that Doodle would be successful in the physical training)
Fulfillment: In the end, Doodle passed away due to the physical training that his brother had told him to do, because Doodle, who was physically weak, couldn’t withstand the physical training that his brother had instructed him to do.
It is a situational irony because it is expected that Doodle’s brother would be successful in training Doodle to be physically stronger, but in the end, it was the physical training that Doodle’s brother had told Doodle to do which killed Doodle.
Dramatic Irony
In the Scarlet Ibis, the readers know that Doodle would not be able to withstand the physical training that his brother told him to do. The reason for that is because Doodle’s physical condition was very weak and his brother trained him too hard.
However, in the story, Doodle’s brother thought that Doodle would be able to withstand the training program that the narrator had told him to do. As a result, Doodle passed away due to his body would not able to withstand the physical training that his brother had instructed him to do.
It is a dramatic irony because there is a contradiction between what the readers know and what Doodle’s brother knows about Doodle’s physical condition. The readers know that Doodle was too weak and he would not be able to continue doing the physical training that his brother told him to do, while Doodle’s brother kept pushing Doodle to do the physical training. Therefore, Doodle died because his body couldn’t endure the physical training that his brother had instructed him to do.
5. In the story The Scarlet Ibis, the scarlet ibis bird (the bird that has scarlet feathers, which died in the yard Doodle’s family) is the symbolism of Doodle’s death. The reason is because when the scarlet ibis bird died, the neck of the scarlet ibis bird was broken, which is proven in this quotation: “Its long, graceful neck jerked twice into an S, then straightened out, and the bird was still.” (On the third page). When Doodle died, his neck was also broken like the scarlet ibis bird, which is proven in this quotation: “He say very awkwardly, with his head thrown far back, making his vermilion neck appear unusually long and slim.” (On the fourth page). When the scarlet ibis bird died, the position of the bird legs were curved, which is proven in the following quotations: “Its legs were crossed and its clawlike feet were delicately curved at rest.” (On the third page). The position of Doodle’s legs when he died was also similar to the scarlet ibis bird, because the legs of Doodle were also bent sharply like the position of the legs of the scarlet ibis bird when the scarlet ibis died, which is proven in this quotation: “His little legs, bent sharply at the knees, had never before seemed so fragile, so thin.” (On the fourth page). The story describes scarlet ibis as a bird that has scarlet as the color of its feathers, scarlet is the color of red which is brilliant. It is proven in this quotation: “On the topmost branch a bird the size of a chicken, with scarlet feathers and long legs, was precariously.” (On the third page). When Doodle died, the blood which was coming out from his mouth has the same color with the feathers of the scarlet ibis, which was a brilliant red (scarlet). It is proven in the following quotation: “He had been bleeding from the mouth, and his neck and the front of his shirt were stained a brilliant red.” (On the fourth page). In conclusion, the scarlet ibis bird is the symbolism of Doodle’s death, since the positioned of the bird when the bird died and the positioned of Doodle when he died was similar, and the color of the bird’s feather and the color of Doodle’s was similar.
6. Social conflict between the Doodle’s brother and Doodle
Cause: The conflict happened because Doodle’s brother and Doodle had conflicting ideas about whether Doodle should learn how to walk or not.
Doodle’s brother
On one hand, the narrator wanted to teach Doodle how to walk because the narrator sure that Doodle could walk.
Proof:
'I'm going to teach you to walk, Doodle,' I said. (On the second page)
'Oh, you can walk,' I said, and I took him by the arms and stood him up. (On the second page)
On the other hand, Doodle didn’t want to learn to walk because everybody told him that he couldn’t walk.
Proof:
'I can't walk, Brother,' he said. 'Who says so?' I demanded. 'Mama, the doctor--everybody.' (On the second page)
Resolution: The conflict between the narrator and Doodle was resolved because Doodle began practicing to walk with the narrator.
Proofs:
Every day that summer we went to the pine beside the stream of Old Woman Swamp, and I put him on his feet at least a hundred times each afternoon. (On the second page)
Finally one day, after many weeks of practicing, he stood alone for a few seconds. (On the second page)
Social conflict between Doodle’s brother and Doodle
Cause: The conflict happened because Doodle and Doodle’s brother had conflicting ideas about whether Doodle should touch the casket in the barn loft or not.
Doodle’s brother
On one hand, Doodle’s brother wanted Doodle to touch the casket in the barn loft or Doodle’s brother would leave Doodle alone in the barn loft.
Proofs:
One day I took him up to the barn loft and showed him his casket, telling him now we all had believed he would die. 'And before I'll help you down from the loft, you're going to have to touch it.' (On the second page)
'Then I'll leave you here by yourself,' I threatened, and made as if I were going down. (On the second page)
Doodle
On the other hand, Doodle didn’t want to touch the casket, but he also didn’t want to be left by his brother)
Proofs:
'I won't touch it,' he said sullenly. (On the second page)
'Don't go leave me, Brother,' he cried (On the second page)
Resolution: The conflict between Doodle and Doodle’s brother was resolved since Doodle touched the casket and the narrator carried him out of the barn loft.
Proofs:
His hand, trembling, reached out, and when he touched the casket he screamed. (On the second page)
Doodle was paralyzed, so I put him on my shoulder and carried him down the ladder, and even when we were outside in the bright sunshine, he clung to me, crying. (On the second page)
7. Three characteristics of Doodle’s brother:
In the story, Doodle’s brother is shown to be a prideful person (According to Oxford English Dictionary, prideful means having an excessively high opinion of oneself) (Prideful is the characteristic of Doodle’s brother)
It is shown in the story when Doodle’s brother admitted to the readers (but unknown to the narrator’s family) that the narrator only trained Doodle for his own pride, since Doodle’s brother was a slave of pride, and it was shameful for the Doodle’s brother to have a brother who was a cripple, so Doodle’s brother taught Doodle to walk for Doodle’s brother’s own pride. (This is the context of the proof)
They did not know that I did it for myself; that pride, whose slave I was, spoke to me louder than all their voices, and that Doodle walked only because I was ashamed of having a crippled brother. (This is the proof from the story) (On the third page)
Characterization technique (of the proof): Thought
It is also shown in the story when Doodle’s brother thought that he should give up in training Doodle, but his pride prevented Doodle’s brother from giving up. (This is the context of the proof)
It was Saturday noon, just a few days before school was to start. I should have already admitted defeat, but my pride wouldn't let me. (This is the proof from the story) (On the third page)
Characterization technique (Of the proof): Thought
In the story, Doodle’s brother is shown to be a cruel person (According to Oxford English Dictionary, cruel means willfully causing pain or suffering to others, or feeling no concern about it.) (Cruel is the characteristic of Doodle’s brother)
It is proven in the story when Doodle’s brother planned to kill Doodle by smothering Doodle with a pillow, since it was unbearable for Doodle’s brother to have a brother who might not all there. (This is the context of the proof)
It was bad enough having an invalid brother, but having one who possibly was not all there was unbearable, so began to make plans to kill him by smothering him with a pillow. (This is the proof from the story) (On the first page)
Characterization technique (of the proof): Action
It is also proven in the story when Doodle’s brother left Doodle far behind with the rain dividing him and Doodle because Doodle’s brother knew that the plans which he had made for Doodle had failed, so he awakened his cruelty and decided to left Doodle by running as fast as he could. (This is the context of the proof)
The knowledge that Doodle's and my plans had come to naught was bitter, and that streak of cruelty within me awakened. I ran as fast as I could, leaving him far behind with a wall of rain dividing us. (This is the proof from the story) (On the fourth page)
Characterization technique (of the proof): Action
In the story, Doodle’s brother is shown to be an arrogant person (According to Oxford English Dictionary, arrogant means having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities.) (Arrogant is the characteristic of Doodle’s brother)
It is proven in the story when the narrator thought himself to be excellent at many things (This is the context of the proof)
I thought myself pretty smart at many things, like holding my breath, running, jumping, or climbing the vines in Old Woman Swamp (This is the proof from the story) (On the first page)
Characterization technique (of the proof): Thought
It is also proven in the story, after the narrator had succeeded in teaching Doodle to walk, the narrator believed in his inability to be wrong. (This is the context of the proof)
Once I had succeeded in teaching Doodle to walk, I began to believe in my own infallibility (This is the proof from the story) (On the third page)
Characterization technique (of the proof): Thought
8. The theme of the story (based on the characteristics of Doodle’s brother):
Sometimes doing cruel things and continually pushing others to do things for someone’s own pride and arrogance might lead to disaster for someone and others
The connection between the theme and the characteristics of Doodle’s brother: I got the theme from the portrayal of Doodle’s brother. In the story, Doodle’s brother is portrayed as a prideful, cruel, and arrogant person. Doodle’s brother thought himself to be good at many things and he also believed that he had the inability to be wrong. He had planned to kill Doodle by smothering Doodle because he didn’t want to have a brother who was an invalid person. He only taught Doodle to walk because he was ashamed to have a brother who was a cripple and he didn’t want his pride to be hurt. Doodle’s brother’s pride preventing the him to give up when he taught Doodle to walk. He continually teaching Doodle to walk, and after Doodle could walk, he kept training Doodle in other physical activities because he wanted Doodle to be a person that he could be proud of.he left Doodle alone when it was raining by running from Doodle as fast as possible, and as a result, Doodle died because his body couldn’t withstand the pressure from the training that his brother had told him to do. In the end, the characteristics of Doodle’s brother caused disaster for both himself and Doodle. Doodle’s brother lost his brother, Doodle, due to his own pride, arrogance, and cruelty, while Doodle lost his life because the cruelty, pride, and arrogance of his brother caused his brother to keep pushing him to do physical activities which his body could not endure. The portrayal of the narrator shown that sometimes doing cruel things and continually pushing others to do things for someone’s own pride and arrogance might lead to disaster for someone and others.
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