The Story Of Preston 's ' Hell Baby Just Like Sarah ' Preston '

Sometimes our everyday experiences can strike us in ways that will influence our thinking in ways that might forever alter the way that we view our lives. In the short story “Fish Story,” Rick Bass primarily uses conflict, symbols, and the changes in a character to present a central theme reflecting the inevitability of our maturing thoughts and growing responsibilities that come incrementally with age. Gullason (1982) shares, “A short story represents a prose narrative usually concerned with a single aspect of personality changing or revealed as the result of conflict” (p. 222). We might interestingly find both of these dynamics within our weekly discussion’s short story assignment. Pigg (2017) explains, “The theme of a work of fiction is as much a creation of readers as it is for the writer because the user’s knowledge and beliefs play a part in determining the theme(s) they will recognize” (Attend Topic 4 Unit 2 [Video]). The writer of this week’s short story was likely to have known the theme that he intended to communicate while also recognizing the diversity of human thinking that gives us a myriad of perspectives. The “’Fish Story’s’ narrator is a 10-year-old boy in the early 1960’s living in rural Texas with parents who run a service station while their customer brings a 86 pound catfish creating a task to keep the fish alive until time to cook it” (Bass, 2009, pp. 1-2). As we recall our childhoods, most can likely remember how our imagination and fantasies began to collide with the realities of life, and this overreaching concept might allude to the theme of this piece of work. The narrator tells us how “He grew dizzy in the heat and from the strange combination of the unblinking monotony and utter fascination of his task until the trickling from the water hose seemed to be saturating and inflating the clouds as one would water a garden” (Bass, 2009, p. 2). As the narrator embraces the mundane task, his daydreams seem to symbolize the innocence of his youth. Later the story’s narrator “speaks less of childhood than of the general nature of the world in which we live, while contemplating that those days were different – we had more time for such thoughts, that time had not yet been corrupted”

Once Ellen, mother found out she put her son in Saint John’s Orphanage in Washington, which he was constantly mistreated and abused. He was so used to the frequent beatings he found pleasure in physical pain. While living at the orphanage, Fish remarked, “I was there ‘til I was nearly nine, and that’s where I got started wrong” (Montaldo, 2017). The brutality Fish experienced within St. John’s Orphanage, and his lack of a father figure growing up, and his marital issues

In the short story, “Fish Story,” Rick Bass uses suspense and conflict to strengthen the plot. The father advised his ten year old son to keep watering the 86-pound catfish for the barbeque party later that evening. Throughout the day, many people come to see the “swollen, gasping grotesque netherworld” and “monstrosity” of a fish, including the family who caught the fish to repay their debt of $67 (Bass, 2009, pg. 1).

“Gerald, I would much rather you talk to Mrs. Barnes. There is something about her that messes with my mind, I’ll be happy to see Mrs. Lucas, “Detective Johnson said, picking up his keys ready to leave.

"One had always to be mindful, moreover, that being a black scholar did not exempt one from the humiliations and indignities that a society with more than its share of bigots can heap upon a black person, regardless of education or even station in life." (Franklin 716). The reason I chose this quote because it captures what Sarah Jane was exposed to during her childhood. Early on in the film, Sarah Jane uses her whiter complexion to hide from others that she is actually biracial. She does this because she knows that her peers will view her differently. Sarah Jane was able to enjoy white privilege at school, as she was viewed to be white. By hiding who she was from her peers, she was able to be a kid without any racial persecutions. This was

"Oh, nothing much. I just gave you a little welcoming gift." Joseph said with a cocky smirk, jumping away from him.

In between bites of a brownie, he showed me the pictures he had taken throughout the day (all of which were awesome) and answered a number of questions, including whether this was his first time at Pumpkinfest (it was) and where he got his camera (from the adults who were standing nearby, who

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,

Individual vs. self is the most important conflict in “Poor fish.” The narrator believes he is low in society and has no self-confidence whatsoever. The story is told in first person, so the reader knows the narrators thoughts and feelings. Throughout the novel the narrator struggles with how he believes people to perceive him as. He is utterly confused and astonished by the fact Ida, his girlfriends has such adoration for him.

"So, about the mermaid! We've finally found one, and we managed to catch it, thanks to your good eye Elliot!" She said, and clapped at the end for her brother, whose face reddened a bit at all the attention.

She finally looks back at these memories and the decision to stop fishing as a source of inspiration. She points out that despite no longer being able to experience the sport herself, she can still use those memories to deeper think of the people and life around her. She describes, in her own words, that everyone has their own “fishing”. That everyone has their own small change in life that despite some seeming insignificant, weaves a slightly different path that they take throughout life.

“Well, uh... I've got this thing on the back of my neck. It's probably not a big deal or anything, but it's been bothering me for a couple days now. I was wondering if you could just look at it or something.” I realized halfway through asking asking just how odd that sounded.

Preston sensed what felt like nervousness emanating from Sofia when she responded to his question, and put it down to this being her first invitation to one of the legendary Frat parties, and the requirement to spend the night with a crowd that she normally wouldn't associate with. Fortunately, she had her Prince to protect her, and he kept close to the raven-haired girl as as they weaved their way through the crowd, consciously holding the gaze of those jocks and groups of males who started at her for a moment too long, until they looked away. And, it wasn't it wasn't just the guys who stared, but some of the girls as well. At both him, and the woman on his arm, either in jealousy of her looks, or in mockery of the fact that she wasn't dressed like an easy slut, out looking for nothing more than to be able to boast she'd been laid by one of the football team, as they were. Sofia was better than that.

“The Trout” by Sean O’Faolain can be read as a story about a young girl’s desire for mystery and her hope to continue seeing the world with wonderment, in conflict with her maturing realizations of the real world. The fantasies and childhood games are essential for maturity because it teaches the difference between right and wrong, builds independent thinking, and promotes kindness and compassion.

Amelia grabbed her purse and left. A variety of different emotions soared through my mind jealousy, anger, sadness. All I wanted to do was talk to her. I dragged myself back to the bed then just laid there and cried. There was nothing else to do in a situation like that. I cried myself to bed and didn't wake up until the next morning.