The Cask of Amontillado

The Cask of Amontillado is one of the better stories we read this semester. The story is written by Edgar Allen Poe. This is a tale of revenge, Montresor tells his friend Fortunato that he has purchased some wine that he believes to Amontillado but he needs Fortunato taste the wine to be sure. Montresor leads Fortunato deep into the Montresor family crypt where he then chains Fortunato in a cellar and walls him away to die. Montresor mentions that Fortunato had insulted him and that he could not be forgiven for this. The Amontillado was simply a trick to lead Fortunato to his own death.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven

I found this story interesting mainly because of the title. In the story the main character/narrator is a Native American young man. He leaves his family behind on the reservations and moves to Seattle with his girlfriend. While in Seattle he feels as if he does fit in. He argues with his girlfriend who complains that he is a drunk. Also, he is harassed by the police for being in a neighborhood that is mainly white. When he moves back home to the reservation he finds that does not fit in at home either. In this story the Native American struggles with his race, he feels somewhat inferior because his skin color is not white. Essentially he is Tonto the Native American sidekick but, he wants to be the Lone Ranger and of this he is fighting with himself.

The Chrysanthemums

                                          

When first reading this story I had a difficult time understanding what was going on. The class discussion helped me to understand the story's plot and other aspects. The story's main character is Elisa. She is a lonely woman who is caught up in her life. She finds interest in a traveling stranger but she can't act on her interest because she is married. Her interest in the stranger probably comes from her lack of interest in her marriage. I think she is more interested in what her life would be like if she were a man.