A Clean Well-Lighted Place

Describe the setting. Why is the idea of "A Clean, well-Lighted Place" so significant to this short story?

The setting of the story is inside of a cafe in a Spain. The cafe is one know to serve alcohol. The cafe is described to be well-lit and clean.

Why are the characters nameless?

The characters remain nameless in the story because the point of the story is not about who the characters are its about what they represent. The young waiter represents a husband that works to support his family but he is still young so he needs to sleep and spend time with his wife. The deaf man represents a drunk that has money but doesn't have anything else to do besides drink away any of his pains. The older waiter also doesn't have family so working late is not a problem for him because it keeps him occupied.

What is the connection between the old man and the older waiter? What is the purpose of the younger waiter in the story?

In the story there is a connection between the old man and the old waiter. The young waiter has a wife and had other commitments to make than staying at the cafe until three in the morning. Where as the old waiter does not have a problem stay at the cafe until whatever time he wants. The old man likes to stay at the cafe as well until he gets way to drunk and its time for him to leave. The old waiter can relate the old man because he doesnt have family or anything to go home to either. The old waiter has a bottle of alcohol sitting by his bed at all times because just like the old man he is also a drunk. The purpose of the younger waiter to show what both of the old men were like when they were younger. The younger waiter has a wife and both of the old men had wife's at one point and now they have live lonely and drink.

What is the plot?

The story starts out at a cafe where an older and younger waiter both work. Its late in the night and they have one customer left who is a deaf old man probably in his 80's. They sit there and watch him as he drinks quit a few glasses of brandy. Then when the old man asks for more the younger waiter tells the man "no" that their closing up and he was to go home. Then the younger waiter leaves to go home to his wife. The older waiter stays and gets a drink from the barman and finally goes home and lays on his bed waiting for the next days sunrise.

What is the theme of the story?

The theme of the story is solidarity. In the story the young waiter is described as being youthful and confident. His life is going good for him, he doesn't have to worry about getting old and what life will be years from now. Where the old men have already reached a point in their lives where they just don't care anymore. They turn to alcohol to drink away any of their pains and sorrows. They believe that their youthful days are over so being in a lit place takes away some of their depression.

http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-welllightedplace/themes.html

Who is Ernest Hemingway,? What about him is related to the story?

Ernest Hemingway was an American writer and a journalist. He typically writes stories about men who display "grace under pressure." He was also a soldier in World War 1. In the story Hemingway uses the old man to describe himself. The old man had attempted to commit suicide but failed. Just as Hemingway had tried but his wife and sent him to a mental institute. In the story the old man is also an alcoholic who drinks every night just like Hemingway who had been a heavy drinker throughout his whole life.

http://www.biographybase.com/biography/Hemingway_Ernest.html

"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker

What does the term “everyday use” mean in this story? Why did Walker choose this as the title?

I think the reason that Alice choose "Everyday Use" as a title is because she cherished the things that she used form her relatives of the past. Such as the butter churner it meant something to her because it came from the tree that her brother made out of tree and the butter dish that her mom made as well as the chairs that her husband made went the couldnt afford to buy some. Even though the littlest things may not mean some much to one person they could mean the world to another. Things that come from our past we look at as a type of remembrance of those who either made them or gave them to us.

How do Dee, Maggie, and Mama define heritage? Which view does Walker want us to agree with?

The way that Dee is interacted with her heritage is by changing her name. He changed her name to Wangero which she believes to be more of an African name. The way that Maggie and Mama view their heritage is from their ancestry. They claim that their heritage is passed down to them from the mothers and grandmothers and they respect their heritage in a way of living through the past but into the future. Alices agrees with taking what she was taught from her mom and grandmother and passing down the traditions onto her kids so that their heritage will always remain apart of them.

Describe the setting – how does it affect the characters and story?

The setting of the story is set in South in the late 1920's. The story is set at their house which is described as a poorer living house. The house has a tin roof with windows that use raw hide as shutters. The characters are effected because they grew up in poverty and had always accept it. Where as Dee was ashamed to as where she came from and never wanted to bring anyone around her family or to her house. It affects the narrator because she wants to be close to her daughter but knows that Dee will never except where she is from. 

What is ironic about Dee’s name change to Wangero?

The irony in Dee changing her name is that name is more African. She was named Dee after her grandmother and she changed it to Wangero. Wangero was never been involved with her heritage or following the footsteps of her ancestors. She always tried to play more of the classy and stylish girl. She was embarrassed of her family and didnt want much to do with them. She had moved and went to school and lived on her own. Therefore it was ironic for her to change her name to more of an African name because she always tried ways to escape her heritage. 

What is the significance of certain items in the story – the butter churn, dasher, bench and quilt? 

The story talked about many significant items that were in the house. The items were used to represent people form their past. The butter churn was made from Uncle Buddy who widdled it out of a tree that use to be in Mama's backyard. The dasher was whttled by Henry who was Aunt Dee's first husband. The bench was made by the girls father when they couldnt afford to by chairs and the quilts were pieced by Grandma Dee and Big Dee then Mama quilted them. Their meaingful quilts because they contain pieces of clothing from both Grandma Dee, Grandpa Jattell and Great Grandpa Ezra.

How would the story have changed if Mama was not the narrator?

I believe if Mama was not the narrator then Maaggie would be. I believe her side of the story would be much more negative. I thinks he would describe her feelings towards Dee and tell what her heritage means to her. I also think that she was describe what happened to the house when it was burning down. Then how her being burned has effected her life and how the scars has have also scared  a hug part of her life. 

Explore the final scenes in the story and discuss how the narrator changes at the end.

The narrator for once had taken the side of Maggie. All of Maggies life she has always felt that everyones looked down upon her and the answer for everything was always "no." Mama had finally taken up for Maggie and did not give Wangero what she wanted. She said for once in her life she hugged Maggie and took away the quilts from Wangero and gave them back to Maggie. She had finally stood up for both her and Maggie and showed that they are satisfied with what they have and they enjoy living the way God intended them to and their being faithful to their heritage. 

Sonny's Blues Blog

1.) Research the setting of “Sonny’s Blues” – Harlem, NYC. 

Harlem is a neighborhood in New York City that was made up of mostly the African-American population. New York City then started to become popular and houses were being built and Jews, Italians and the Spanish were moving in quit rapidly. In the 1950's a majority of the whites had moved out and a lot of crimes were happening in the Harlem neighborhoods. When the different groups of people were not forming together correctly the city of Harlem started to go down hill. The percentage rate of drugs in Harlem was more than half that it was in New York and twelve times more than it was in the United States as a whole. The use of drugs then increased the rate of murder and it was becoming one of the worst places to live in New York City.

In the story Sonny grew up in a town known as Harlem. It was quit common for someone to use drugs as a way of escapement. Sonny became addicted and it landed him in jail. Not only did he use the drugs but he dealt them as well. He turned to drugs to get help him get away from all the hardships that were occurring in his life. His uncle had been killed by a group of drunk white people and at that times there was a high amount of rate crimes that between occurred the different cultures.

http://harlemworldblog.wordpress.com/new/

http://www.newyorkcity-realestate.com/citytour/NY/Harlem.php

2.) Research the history of African-American men in the military – Pre-Civil 
Rights movement.

In World War 11 there were over a million African-Americans involved in the war. This war had involved had destroyed many lives along with many countries. One positive that came out of the was the break-through for African-Americans. An African-American finally became a general, Army Air Force organized it's first all black squadron of pilots, and black women were accepted into the Womens Auxiliary Army Corps. "In many ways, the destruction of World War ll brought momentous changes to American life and was the catalyst for the early civil rights movement."   

It is ironic that Sonny wants to enlist in the army because of the hard-ships and discrimination that he has seen in Harlem. He was in jail where he still had to go through the everyday discrimination and face the battles that occurred in the jail. When he got out of jail I believe that he wanted to make a change for himself. He didnt want to relive the everyday life that he always did in Harlem. He believed that it was a way for him to get out and make a new discovery for himself. 

http://www.geocities.com/mclane65/black-heroes.html

http://www.oxfordaasc.com/public/features/archive/0608/index.jsp

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1105312/sonnys_blue.html?cat=44

 3.) Research song lyrics by Billie Holiday. Find a song or verse that you feel best 
  represents the suffering of Sonny – his blues.  Include song title and lyrics here.

"Life is bare, gloom and misry everywhere
Stormy weather
Just cant get my poorself together,
Im weary all the time
So weary all the time
When he went away the blues walked in and met me.
If he stays away old rockin chair will get me."

This sends to me the message about the way Sonny lived. Life was not going the way anyone intended it and everywhere you could look on the streets there was misery. People were turning to drugs so because it was their idea of running away from it all. Im weary all the time could be a way that he felt when he was high because your mentally in a different state of mind. He could have easily overdosed and he would never be able to see another sunny day again. Until he got out of jail did he see what it was like outside in the eyes of a real person. 

Billie Holiday "Stormy Weather"

Dont know why theres no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather
Since my man and I aint together,
Keeps rainin all the time

Life is bare, gloom and misry everywhere
Stormy weather
Just cant get my poorself together,
Im weary all the time
So weary all the time
When he went away the blues walked in and met me.
If he stays away old rockin chair will get me.

All I do is pray the lord above will let me walk in the sun once more.
Cant go on, evry thing I had is gone
Stormy weather

Since my man and I aint together,
Keeps rainin all the time

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/billie+holiday/stormy+weather_20018077.html

4.)  Research Bebop.

Bebop is a type of Jazz music that has an unpredictable tune. It was established in the 1940-1950s. It was unlike the other big-band groups, bebop usually contained up to four to six members. It have each member in the group a chance to incorporate their own style into their music. Unlike in large groups where it becomes harder to incorporate everyones style. Bebop incorporates both the blues and swing into their music but the give it their own unique sound. Bebop is to have its own genre and rather then danced to it it just meant to be listened to.

Bebop is a way for Sonny to express himself. He believes that the music his helps him reveal the pain from inside and helps him get away from all the hardships that he had faced in the past in Harlem. As times goes on Sonny's brother comes to one of Sonnys jazz's performances and it makes he realize why Sonny has such a big interest in his music. He saw what how it took away all the pains that they both had occurred and he began to look at jazz in a different light. Jazz was no only used as a type of music to listen to but as a type of expression.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-bebop-music.htm