Annotation and responsive question

Annotation and responsive question

Introduction

Goodbye sweet waters, new of selected stories by Henry Pumas Thunder’s mouth press New York, 1998. This book talks about Layton, and his grandma who lives in Hot Springs. Their home place is described to have the freshwaters, the sweet waters which are totally different from other sulfur waters which are hard waters. Their land has been demolished. People have been depopulated so that mining process can take place in the area. Layton’s grandma describes that era as great burn out plain, thirsty and bitter. She says that big companies would eventually move them out. She keeps on advising Layton to move to New York where her biological mother lives so that she can get better care, good education and other better services out there. Although Layton’s grandma describes that era as great pain, of depopulation, of unfavorable environmental condition due to mining, she is a diehard woman, she is described to be stronger and bigger even than the lands. She takes heart in everything and vows that she will flee from the lands when all the entire had crumbled into dust. She is a strong esteemed woman. In context some generations are also revealed. The generation of granny Lincoln is the first generation. This generation where by people were born into slavery and pre civil wars.

Granny bridges were the generation in which Layton’s grandmother grew up during Jim laws and segregation. The last segregation was the generation of Vietnam War and civil rights. The generation in which Layton was .

There are various words, adjectives phrases and adverbs that describe the main characters and settings of the context. This include, wise and resourceful, pessimistic, optimistic, determined, sweet waters, betrayal, sulfur water, faithful, desperate, self-control.

Layton’s granny represents determined, optimistic, resourceful people in the society. Layton represents self-controlled, optimistic, pessimistic, determined people in the society. Mrs. Fields portrays the virtue of friendship in the society. She is a great friend to Layton’s granny. Sweet waters represent the Layton’s home place. The only place where hope can be found, the only exception from the other depleted lands and the only land where there are hot springs with soft water.

Layton is pessimistic. Since people in the other land had been depopulated, due to mining activities he fears that in future they will be demarcated by the government from their land for mining activities.

He is faithful. Layton has great belief in the words of her granny. He takes advice from his granny keenly.

Yul Stencely is egocentric and inhumane. He only b believes and priories his own opinions and words. He doesn’t give heed to Layton’s grandma words. He is inhumane since he does not mind about the economic status of the civilians. He collects tax more often from them.

Layton’s mother is caring. She will send Mr. Stubbs to collect her son or sent Layton a ticket. Holly springs as described to have sweet waters; it is a place of great hope. The train represents the things that were happening in that society, racialism and civil wars. “Layton’s falling and not falling” represents his weak and strong stands in life.

Sweet water is a sign of hope and light to the society according to the story. Sulfur water is a sign of great suffering the people were going through. They come empty but leave full shows how strangers were superior to the civilians. They took the resources for their own personal gain. It is clearly evident on how government betrayed the civilians. They sold their land to companies and corporations and depopulated the people. The mining activities carried out on the lands adversely affected the people who lived around that area.

Layton keeps   packing his suitcase .He want to go to see his mom. Layton mother had gone to live to the New York .His mother got job and even though sent money to his grandmother, her son felt dryness and wanted to himself .This boy thinks that in New York he will enjoy live since there will be no   picking cotton, no more dragging the long sack of cotton .The fact is that in the New York the black are being mistreated by the whites, they are killed. They are referred as Negros and they are being discriminated.

In the short stories of Henry Dumas Layton is a protagonist he is facing conflicts. External conflicts comes where by this character is not pleased with the Whiteman .For instance he is not in good moods when Stencely comes to collect money from them. Layton is in conflict with the government it sold their land to the companies for mining. This led to displacement of common residents. They highly taxed the residents. This was not fair according to the Layton. Internal conflict is also there, this boy is not satisfied by having his mother staying away from him and just sending money, and he wanted to be close to his mother.

The grandma confronts Layton with her mad dog speech “son I recon you see a lot of things in town “Here she is trying to enlighten Layton about what his generation is currently doing. The mad dog symbolizes those people in the society who are unable to make wise decision and is not truthful. For instance those who collaborate with Whiteman and support them in destroying the Negros.

The grandmother decides to stay with Layton at the end of the story because the situation at his mother’s area of work New York Negros are being killed, murdered by the white people. The is no peace for the Negros. It better he stays with his grandmother.

Layton character changes from the beginning he was not familiar with what is the big challenge in their community.in the beginning he thinks that the place where his mother works is better than home. There is more chaos than at home. He climbed trees and weaved to the people and watches train and asks himself weather one day he can travel by train. This shows discrimination.

The climax of the plot is when “Son I reckon you see a lot of things at town and at that plant that your granny don’t see, I recon you got a right to get mad like the young people these days. The granny thinks that Layton has grown has grown up and now can make good decisions.

The white men would drink sulfur water but would not lose his thirst is ironical .the water is on the blacks land. The white men kept depleting the resources in the foreign land. And were not getting satisfied they kept over exploiting their land for mining.

“The government found that it had sweet waters on its plantation. This symbolizes people who are fighting for their rights. Example Layton’s grandma. “by then springs would disappear and come up again from different generations had different stand on the white man.

Civil rights movement and Vietnam is clearly shown when the writer talks about Layton’s brother who was killed in Vietnam war.it is also shown in New York Negroes are being killed. The values of martin Luther king jnr is shown in the third generation, Layton and Vietnam. Values of Malcon ex is shown in granny bridges generation.

“Mad dog “this represented the right truthful and individuals who give their best to all. “Water fall bubble like sound of the spring” this symbolize bold generations to come.

In the short stories of Henry Dumas, the concept of community is both a refuge from a hostile world and a microcosm of that hostility; it is both a reservoir for creativity, social activism, and political consciousness and the very embodiment of destructiveness, social stagnation, and moral conservatism. Some of these communities are rural, others are urban; some are working class and poor, others are middle class and relatively solvent.