Ismael, Powder Two Boys and a Girl, Welcome to the Monkey House, and Harrison Bergerson - Book Report/Review Example

Story Reviews Review on Ishmael Chapters 1-2. The book Ishmael is written by Daniel Quinn. The first two chapters introduce the two characters in the story and their background. The narrator of the story and Ishmael, the gorilla also get to know each other. The story begins with the narrator responding to a newspaper ad seeking for a pupil. The thoughts of the narrator regarding the ad are interesting to read since they present a conflict of emotion and each emotion has been clearly captured by the writer. When the narrator goes on to meet the teacher, it is not just the narrator who is surprised to see the gorilla as the teacher but the readers are equally surprised. From this point on, the readers realize that they are reading something that would open their eyes to another perspective of the world. The first two chapters of the book are very compelling. After reading these chapters, I felt that the story has something quite interesting to offer. I imagine that the gorilla would give us a unique perspective on human life. In this respect, the writer has been able to draw the reader in through the first two chapters. . While giving accounts of the stories, the writer uses examples such as that of human children imaging their dream land. This makes the story more understandable as at times the ideas presented become quite complex. The first two chapters also explain important concepts that would be used throughout the story such as those of takers and givers. Review on Ishmael Chapters 3-5. In the chapter 3to 5, the story moves forward. The gorilla and the narrator develop an understanding with each other. Ishmael defines the premises of the story. He explains the concept that they will be discussing including why the need for humans was felt when the Earth was just a jungle. The Gorilla communicates about his own beliefs such as those of Gods and Prophets. He tells the narrator that there is something inherently wrong in the takers- the people who rule the world. The narrator easily accepts the gorilla as the teacher. There is no conflict between the two. The tone that the author ascribes to the gorilla makes him a clear authority over the narrator. While there are many concepts that the average reader may not agree with but the ideas are fresh and appealing. The Night in Question Powder The story Powder was written by Tobias Wolff as one short story from a collection, ‘The Night in Question’. The narrator in this story is a young boy belonging to parents who are divorced. The boy lives with his mother but his father wished to spend more time with him. The characters in the story are very relatable. One can imagine why the young boy lives with his mother; his father is portrayed as a reckless and wayward man who cannot assume responsibility of his son. In this short story, the writer has been able to involve the readers in the story. He does this by focusing on little details such as the song that the father sings. Such details make the characters more real and relatable. Another aspect that I particularly liked about the story was that the writer is that the story is written from the mid. There is no proper beginning and no ending. The readers here assume the beginning and the end and what is most interesting is that almost every reader will assume the same beginning and end. In all, the story made me empathize with the father who wishes to stretch the time that he has with his son and yet he does fear crossing the line with the son’s mother. Two Boys and a Girl The story ‘Two Boys and a Girl’ belongs to a collection of short stories, ‘The Night in Question’ written by Tobias Wolff. The author tells the tale of three young people, Gilbert, Rafe and Mary Ann. Gilbert is shown as a man who is jealous of his best friend, Rafe for the apparent advantages that he enjoys in life including a girlfriend, Mary Ann. While Rafe leaves town, Gilbert takes advantage of the situation by hanging out with Mary Ann using Rafe’s car. What Gilbert does not take into account is that Rafe also has his issues which Gilbert never realized such as Rafe’s relationship with his father. When I began reading the story, I developed sympathy for Gilbert but later during the end of the movie, the sympathy shifted for Rafe and I assume that most readers would have felt the same. It is always that narrator of the story that readers usually empathize with but Wolff with his style of writing has been able to shift the empathy from the narrator to a character who is described in the periphery of the story. The story explores raw human emotions and the dreadful consequences of letting such emotions guide one’s actions. Welcome to the Monkey House Welcome to the Monkey House ‘Welcome to the Monkey House’ is a part of a short story collection, ‘Welcome to the Monkey House’ by Kurt Vonnegut. The story is set in a future where drugs have been discovered that suppress sexual desire and stop the process of aging. The people in this world are urged to commit suicide by beautiful women in order to keep the world population down. A gang known as Nothingheads, have revolted to the idea of using such drugs with Billy the Poet as their head. Billy abducts Nancy from the Ethical Suicide Parlor in order to demonstrate to her that such drugs are pointless. In the end, Nancy is a convert. The story presents a bleak view of the future which is only redeemable through people who question the system and rise against it. The author, in my opinion, is quite creative in the way that he paints a picture of the future. He has taken two issues: over population and advancement in drugs to create a society that is not quite difficult to imagine. While the society is advancement, emotions in the people are the same. The author displays a variety of emotions such as anger, fear, love, happiness etc. However, in some areas, the story became a drag for a short story. Harrison Bergeron Harrison Bergerson is a story written by Kurt Vonnegut. It belongs to a collection of stories titled, ‘Welcome to the Monkey House’. In this short story, Vonnegut describes a society where everyone is made equal in terms of their beauty, their intelligence etc. The beautiful and the intelligent have to wear masks and earphones to make them as average as the next person. Those who go against the system are punished brutally. In this society, Harrison Bergeron, a prisoner rises against the system. He is blessed with extra ordinary intelligence. Based on this intelligence, he is able to break the laws but is soon killed for trying so hard. The whole story is narrated from the television of a family whose child has been taken a prisoner by the system. Kurt Vonnegut shows a society that is beyond redemption in the future. He shows the system as an evil creation that if given authority would control man in the most brutal and dehumanizing way. The story leaves the reader a little disturbed. In such a society, man is left to the mercy of the system which though may be just but would be quite callous. Read More