Reaction to Fiction Packet #1

Thank you for the grace period!! Life is crazy at times.

Of all the short stories in this packet, the most entertaining for me was "Misdemeanors."  This "tough ex-con" who is the subject of the story isn't tough at all.  Of all of the places to rob, he chooses the bowling alley.  The fact that he did no preparation whatsoever is also pretty hilarious.  No gloves for his hands, no bags for the cash, not even a tool to break in.  Honestly, this guy deserved to be busted, for he is a horrible criminal!  I really enjoyed the way the writer portrays how big of an idiot this guy is by first describing how he tells people that he was a big, tough ex-con and following it with the fact that he failed miserably with the crime he committed.  The detail that he was one penny short of a felony charge stressed the fact that he wasn't even in enough trouble to have the title of an ex-con; he didn't even go to prison.  Also, adding the detail that he exited the building with his pants around his ankles and socks on his hands really put the frosting on the cake.  This is an extremely short story and every sentence here is very valuable for the meaning of the story.

The most touching of these stories would probably be "Walking the baby to the liquor store."  The writer starts by describing how stressed the father is and how there are so many things on his mind that could potentially distract him of his fatherly duties.  The story then takes a turn and describes how being a father is the most important thing in life.  By taking the time to do this one small thing that the child absolutely loves to do every day, he finds a purpose in all of the work that he does.  To him, the walk to the store might be a 20 minute walk that is rather dull, but to the child, the writer describes how it is comparable to Cleopatra traveling to Rome.  The world is so big to the little girl, and she finds so much joy in the walk, despite being bothered by the Doberman.  It seems that the father is finding joy in the walk just because she is, and he is also finding the peace he needs to go on.  A child's life may also seem simple, but I feel like adults try to find ways to bring that simplicity back to their own lives vicariously through their children, which is highlighted by the story.