John Updike's Ex-Basketball Player

Fall River’s High School Basketball team’s point guard was unguarded on the court as well as off of the court. Drug and alcohol use were swept under the rug as long as Durfee High School Basketball team was winning. The pressure in Chris’ early life that led his addictive behaviors came from the town depending on him for winning basketball, his family, and passing the drug tests. Basketball became a runaway train in the Herren house, sports were in the bloodlines of his family. Chris Herren was a very young athlete with pressures seen not only in Fall River but also nationally.

With the support of their families, William’s and Arthur’s motivation to accomplish this goal led them to fantastic high school basketball careers. From viewing the film, I found that I share William’s and Arthur’s determination. William, for his entire high school career, braved a 180 minute round trip commute to school and back. He spent three whole hours almost every day in transit to attend one

Strike one!" the umpire said.” (Line 34-37). Thayer uses this to set the mood as chill and easy, detailing how Casey is confident within his skills and won’t fail. This sets the stage for disappointment to occur following this strike.

This story focuses on the actuality of young men who endure testing accusations, but there is always a way out, basketball, in this demonstration. This book takes place in the 1980s throughout the town of Harlem, New York. The author uncovers that Lonnie lives in the ran-down part of town and that

In the poem, Brooks uses literary devices such as connotation, tone, alliteration, rhymes, and repetition to give us a quick view into the rebellious lives of seven young boys who all seem to have one thing in common-- the struggle of social identity. To begin the poem, Brooks begins the poem by informing the readers who the poem is about and where it takes place. “The Pool Players… Seven at the Golden Shovel.” (891). She begins with this introduction to set the tone for the poem by giving the readers the setting; pool halls known for its dim lights, smoke, and alcohol.

Of course, only Flick is able to imagine them as such, which tells how much Flick is rivetted in the past. Thus, the variety of uses of figurative language show the reader what is going on in Flick’s mind, and the reader sees that Flick is eluding into fantasies about former victories. Updike depicts Former athlete to the current gas station attendant, allowing the reader to sympathize with Flick’s partiality for reminiscing. Updike employs a number of words regularly linked with sports to imply the former athlete’s skill. Words such as “runs,” “bends,” “stops” and “cut off” (Updike) are strong action words often used to express actions in basketball.

Social status is defined as a person's standing or importance in relation to other people within a society. Social status has affected the world for hundreds of years, from where you were allowed to go to the bathroom, to if you were allowed to vote. The way a person is viewed and treated is all caused by what is believed to be their rank in society and in the short story, “A&P”, John Updike uses irony, symbolism, and characterization to show this. Sometimes people dissatisfied with their opportunities get caught up with what others represent, causing rash decisions that lead to disappointment.

Now he came down to earth. I wanted the glory to last forever” (Dillard 102-19). Here she see’s this older adult with a car, a nice suit going to work, but having put all that aside just so he could chase a group a young kids through the snow and yards till he finally caught them. She see’s that even though he has all these things and is an adult he still has exciting moments in his life, she could also tell from how he ran after them that he had glory days in football as well and that chasing them must have been like playing football again. Her style of writing has a fine mixture between narrative writing and expository writing, she tells us a lot about her story, but she also tells us about the people there and what all happened.

Wind, blowing everywhere, making Lutie Johnson’s trip to safety was described by personification and imagery in the story: The Street by Ann Petry. Petry used and showed that the wind was harsh and cruel by using personification and imagery. Ann Petry establishes an uncertain and cruel feeling in the story. There are 2 examples of personification used in the story. The first personification used was in line 2-5.

The Boys of Dunbar written by Alejandro Danois is a compelling narrative about an inner-city Baltimore high school basketball team who became a national powerhouse from 1981-1983. This is “A story of love, hope, and basketball”. Throughout this essay, The Boys of Dunbar will be explained, reviewed and critiqued. The two Dunbar teams from 1981-1983 are regarded as some of the best high school basketball teams that were ever assembled and many of the players on these teams are thought of as some of the most talented basketball players to ever come from Baltimore.

He could imagine his deception of this town “nestled in a paper landscape,” (Collins 534). This image of the speaker shows the first sign of his delusional ideas of the people in his town. Collins create a connection between the speaker’s teacher teaching life and retired life in lines five and six of the poem. These connections are “ chalk dust flurrying down in winter, nights dark as a blackboard,” which compares images that the readers can picture.

The assonance of the o sound in who, looks, to, and floor used here is another way to emphasize how the defender was unprepared for the fast break. Finally Hirsch has a good use of consonance. In line 30, “falling, hitting the floor” (Hirsch 30). The consonance of the ng sound at the end of falling and hitting emphasizes that in the game of basketball you have to be willing to sacrifice your body for the betterment of the team. Hirsch’s use of sound devices are one final reason why “Fast Break” is the best poem ever.

The short story “A&P” by John Updike introduces us to a young teenager named Sammy who worked at the A&P grocery store looking to find his freedom. Throughout reading A&P, I 've noticed the main character Sammy had a very keen eye that spotted every minor detail. When Sammy saw the three teenage girls only wearing bathing suits enter the grocery store, he perceived the girls dressed as if they were going to the beach. Sammy explained to us in detail the different bathing suits that the girls were wearing and their physical appearances. The primary symbol represented in this story is the bathing suits worn by the three teenage girls.

The Corruption of The American Dream in The Great Gatsby In the novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald illustrates society in the 1920’s and the desire for the people with in it to achieve the American Dream, which embodies the hope that one can achieve power, love and a higher economic/social status through one’s commitment and effort. The novel develops the story of a man named Jay Gatsby and his dream of marrying what he describes as his “golden girl”, also known as, Daisy Buchanan, his former lover. Fitzgerald explores the corruption of the American dream through the Characters; Myrtle, Gatsby and Daisy.

In his essay “Here,” Philip Larkin uses many literary devices to convey the speaker’s attitude toward the places he describes. Larkin utilizes imagery and strong diction to depict these feelings of both a large city and the isolated beach surrounding it. In the beginning of the passage, the speaker describes a large town that he passes through while on a train. The people in the town intrigue him, but he is not impressed by the inner-city life.