‘The unexpected birthday present review
The chapter on people weaves a web of interpersonal relationships and helps any reader to appreciate the differences between different people from various walks of life. The short stories all capture one’s attention in their particular ways because of how the authors use the characters they choose to put across particular intended messages. I mainly found specific characters quite interesting, and this made the reading all the more captivating.
In the story, ‘The unexpected birthday present,’ Dan is the one who steals the show, in my opinion. I find his reasoning to be quite amusing. The author uses him to let us into the intricacies of how the human mind works and how different it is for different people. According to him, sex with a whore is not cheating if it helps one to better their performance in bed. The whole narration is made light and comical because of how he approaches matters and thinks.
Mr. Ram, in ‘Bill,’ is a representation of the unscrupulous nature of human beings and how this can be reflected even years to come. The author portrays sternness in an unforgiving fashion. Some mistakes may follow us to our futures and affect our lives even then.
‘Buried the Jewish way’ is an intriguing story right from its title. The protagonist, Natasha, finds herself having to arrange for her grandfather’s burial ceremony. She insists on the need to follow the Jewish culture and imbibe it in the ceremony. It is, however, ironic that despite her wanting it to be strictly Jewish, she ignores the fact that women were not allowed to shovel into the deceased’s grave. Her disregard for this leads us to see her volatile nature where she hurls insults at the old man who only points out ‘tradition’ and what it entails
Grandma Trilby is one of the characters whose style of narration relays her story with much precision and allows us to relate. The story shows the capability of strong memory despite the effects of old age. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Steve and Pete are brothers who are used by the author to show the enigma that is an addiction and the effects it has on young minds. ‘Mortal fear’ is an invigorating story of how talented individuals can turn into wasted individuals, and these two characters represent a pipe dream quite well.
Sami Karaman’s ‘Counting time’ is a story about the evolution of people and the effects of time. The dialogue about what next after graduation reels in the harsh facts and concerns about what life after school is like. Marco is one of the characters that bring this conflict quite well, and this helps any reader assess the dilemma for themselves.
Letting go, through the eyes of Belinda, is an emotional rollercoaster that captures the sad realities of life with a terminal disease. Annie suffers up to her last. The suffering comes in many forms. She is cheated on while in remission and even after. Also, her illness causes suffering to her and those around her. Belinda takes us through her journey of chemotherapy and her weight fluctuations. Letting go, according to Belinda, is both easy and hard.
Arnie’s closet was as much a metaphor as it was the reality of things. The setting up of the website, as he puts it, is a simplification of how life usually is in general.
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Sami Karaman builds his story by using subtle comedy. The language he chooses is rather vulgar but acceptable because it is in a dialogue that ensues between peers. The title he selected, ‘counting time,’ is very elusive and only comes to life in their conversation at the close of the story. He uses character-driven dialogue to help tell the story and capture the differences in character personalities. The choice to do this makes the narration easier and relatable. He shows what is ensuing rather than telling the story. Almost the entire story takes place in the car. The use of a few scenes is a way in which his storytelling captures the audience because of the simplicity it encapsulates. He uses identity as one of the critical building blocks. Identity issues form the backbone of the story because characters question who they are without school. It is a motivation to find oneself and know how to maneuver the challenges of post-graduation life. One of the most exciting things about the narration is that it seems like the story is about nothing in particular yet; in reality, it is about everything. It is about the entirety of life. Characters are casually presented, and this is what makes Counting time a well-structured story. The reader is not fixated on the characters only but also what the moral of the narration is.
Life has several stages right from birth to death. The story focuses on the stage where people begin and end certain things in life. The end of something means the beginning of something new most times. Graduation, for instance, not only means that college is ending but also that one is now ready for the job market. Transitioning is not always as easy as we might think. It requires preparation because it has its fair share of challenges. Life is full of conflict. It mainly teaches the conflict of what to do with aging and how to navigate the different stages of life. Life is also made more interesting by the relationships that we form along the way. These associations contribute a lot to our thinking and how we address specific issues in our lives. Moving forward may seem hard at first, but those around us can generally ease the process through advice and constructive conversations. Our friends also, to some degree, influence the choices we make and the paths we take. The limits we have in our friendships may determine how far we allow specific conversations to influence our thinking. Counting time prepares one for the passing of time and its effects in various capacities of our lives.
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Arnold enjoys playing football, reading novels, mountain-climbing, cooking, and singing in church.
The teacher came up with, scribbled, mapped out, designed, and enforced the school logo.
The girl sat behind me during the exam.
The children sit still in class whenever they are given treats.
The parent disciplined the child whenever she was mischievous.
Whenever the headteacher passed by, the students kept quiet.
One is always in for a surprise whenever it comes to working with the youth group in the church.
It is essential to check in with someone before you decided to call on them or hang out with them.
Most of his love letters to her were short, illegible, and quite meaningless.
Her hair is always gorgeous and neat whenever it is in a ponytail.
Candace speaks softly but candidly whenever she talks about her experience working with disabled children.
I sauntered briskly but steadily as I made my way home.