What drives me CRAZY about this class is people that complain. Some people are always either complaining about the class, blogs, essays, or their grades. In all honesty, I feel you are being nice to us. You do not have to help us and you do not have to explain every essay. So, it really really really irritates me when people complain. My teacher in Troy was the rudest, blunt, and hardest grader I have ever had for English. She barely explained anything and when she did she would complain that we should already know it. On the contrary, if I have a question you answer it or give me hints. People forget we are not in high school anymore it is college. This summer, I worked, volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club (so I can pledge at Troy), and I took four classes at CVCC. So, when I hear people complain, I really want to fuss them out because I know I have more on my plate than them.

My favorite symbol in “The Storm” was the can of shrimp. This was my favorite because it shows how much love Bobinot had for Calixta. Although, they did not have a lot of money, and their marrige was not perfect Bobinot tried. Bobinot was not a smart man or rich, but he tried. They have not even had sexual intercourse since Bibi was born, but he still tries. This is powerful because it shows how a real man is supposed to be. In society today, it is hard to find a “Bobinot”. A man who is willing to do the simple things just to make his wife happy. A man who is not perfect nor tries to be perfect, but he does his best. The can of shrimp is so simple, but he does Calixta likes them. This nice gesture shows Bobinot love for Calixta through the good and bad of their married.

One object that revealed the ending of the story was when the author talks about Armand’s skin. Although Armand had a last name and had a blood relative, it still gave multiple signs. For example, he never knew his mother. There were no pictures of his mother and all he knew was she died when he was younger. It also states that Armand and his father moved from Paris. During this period of time, slavery was illegal in Paris. In other words, he could have had a darker mother. Not only that, but Desiree even compares her skin with his and says he is darker than her. In conclusion, we should have already known Armand was the one biracial because of his skin told it all.

The can of shrimp played the role of Alcee and Calixta encounter because that was one of the reasons Bobinot and Bibi went to the store. If Bobinot and Bibi did not go to the store then Alcee may have not gone to Calixta house. I mean you could say “How would he have known?”. Although the story does not tell you, how else did Bobinot and Bibi get to the store? Nonetheless, maybe if Bobinot did not spend time thinking about the can of shrimp he might have gotten home before the rain, but Bobinot did not. As a result, Alcee went to Calixta’s house during the rain, and Bobinot was not at home. He flirted multiple times, and Alcee and Calixta ended up in bed together. Then again, the can of shrimp also could have made Calixta realize where her heart really belonged too.

Jada Pinkett Smith compares to Kate Choppin because she is not afraid to tell the truth. Jada Pinkett Smith is married to Will Smith. She started a show called the Red Table Talk with her daughter and mother. In the show, she talks about her personally life. Also, she allows others to come on the show to explain his or her side of the side of the story. For example, Mrs. Smith talked about how her and Will were going through a rough past through the years. She was not happy, and she felt like she did not have anything to call her own. Furthermore, her open married her and her husband had. She told her viewers how they also had to go to therapy during a period of time. Another example, Mrs. Smith allowed Jordyn Woods to come on Red Table Talk to talk about her scandal with Khole Kardashian’s husband. Although, Mrs. Smith knew it would give her show some negative comments, she still allowed Jordyn to come on the show.

Chopin’s life that sounds similar to my life was when I come to realize serious matters. For example, my twin brother Andrew has a heart condition. A couple of years ago, we had to do Christmas early because my brother had to have surgery. On the first day, we took my brother to the hospital and the whole time I was on my phone. My brother had to spend the night, and we went to our hotel. The next day, I saw my brother in his hospital clothes, but all I was thinking was that I could get my belly button pierced while I was there. Then, later on that day, I was fussing at my mom because my brother was getting on my nerves. Then she said “Alyssa! Shut up, your brother could die!”. I never thought about my brother and the situation he was in. What my mom was said was negative, but it was the truth. Chopin’s writing is based on reality, and maybe when her father died that helped her come to reality. This situation made me start thinking realistically and take it more serious.

One event in the story that I think caused the story to end the way it did was Bailey allowing the grandmother to get her way to see the house. The whole time in the story, Bailey did not give the grandmother her way. She wanted to go to Tennessee, but they didn’t. Although, the cat, Pitty Sing, went on the trip to Georgia Bailey never allowed it. The grandmother wanted Bailey to have a different wife because she did not like the way she dressed and the way she did things. The only time the grandmother really got her way was when Bailey finally said yes to taking her to the old house she wanted to see. As a result, they wrecked and ended up meeting The Misfit. In conclusion, if Bailey would have said no like he did about everything else, they would have never died.

Flannery O’Connor and her father suffered from a disease called lupus which was a “significant influences on her writing” (“Flannery O’Connor”). I believe it changed the way O’Connor wrote her story. The disease might have opened O’Connor’s eyes to reality. For example, most of the time when people have a sickness, they usually do things they never thought of doing. I believe that is exactly what O’Connor did. She changed a sweet and cute story into something readers would never think would happen. Not only does this a “jaw dropper” and makes readers want to read it, but it makes them think. It makes readers think “could’ve” instead of “should’ve”. I hate that O’Connor had to deal with lupus, but I love how she used it into a positive instead of a negative.

“Flannery O’Connor.” Novels for Students, Gale, 1998. Literature Resource Center, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ2168100017/GLS?u=avl_cvcc&sid=GLS&xid=f439572b. Accessed 31 May 2018.

No, I did not see it coming. I would have thought everyone would die, but the grandmother would not die. I was shocked because although was the grandmother was a terrible person, I thought the Misfit would have spared her. I expected this story to allow the grandmother’s eyes to be a better person, but she ended up dying and never really changing. O’Connor left me feeling open to seeing multiple sides of life. In other words, I will get to know a person and not just assume by looking at the outside. After I read the last sentence, it gave me a sense of “realness”. In other words, I agree there is no such thing as a happy ending. Actually, I did not realize the grandmother was shot three times, Mrs. Vance told us. I would not think he would do that especially as much as the grandmother tried to spare her life. The Misfit still felt no sympathy at all.

No, I do not believe Flannery O’Connor is the “Queen of Mean”. I believe O’Connor is just realistic. People today are so caught up on how people are “suppose to act” and “suppose to be”, they forget the only way to really know a person is to just get to know the person. For example, when someone sees an African American, he or she assumes the person is either “ghetto” or come from the lower class of society. O’Connor’s ability to “see” people helps opens others’ eyes. Also, it teaches to not judge a book by its cover. Another example, some people expect a Caucasian person to live in a good home, and “All Caucasians are racist”. These stereotypes are killing our society, and we need to stop! Flannery O’Connor is the “Queen of Realism”.