Assignment 3) The flowers by Alice Walker DEADLINE 1st of October
Alice Walker The Flowers
Read Alice Walker's 'The Flowers' and answer one of the following study questions in a proper P.E.E.L. paragraph of approximately 150 words. Don't forget the Conditionals
You can find the (very short!) story here:
Microsoft Word - Flowers.doc (weebly.com)
Study questions:
- How does the author, Alice Walker, use the symbol of flowers to show Myop’s coming-of-age experience?
- What is the significance of the final sentence, according to you?
- What clues in the text allow us to construct a historical context around this story?
Jasmijn,
BeantwoordenVerwijderenWith summer was over they mean that people got to work and get hanged again. Because when the coloured people are working they are seen the most by white people. Because the focus is on them they get more attention in a bad way. In the time this story was written coloured people were discriminated. There were laws called Jim Crow laws that said it was okay to make the white people different from the coloured people. Because of these laws white people started thinking that they were better than coloured people. When white people started hanging people as in the story they mostly needed something to fill their time. The minds changed from: we are better than them, to: if I hang someone, I have entertainment and can use my camera. So that led the coloured people to believe: if I work hard enough, I would be going home without being tortured or stared at. In the summer most people go on vacation or to family thus to busy to think about hanging or burning someone. Thus with summer is over it means people needed some kind of entertainment again.
Michelle,
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI think the meaning in the final sentence adds a sad ending to the story. When you read the first page, you will notice that it describes a nice and fresh start of spring, but it all turns dark once you start reading the second page. When Myop is first introduced, she sounds like your typical ten year old: cheerful, happy, energetic and doesn’t have a single thing to worry about in life. But when she sees the rotten corpse, there is a moment where she’s shocked by the fact that she stepped into someone’s face. From this moment on, she starts to think a bit more differently. If she hadn’t stepped into the dead mans face, then the story wouldn’t end with the sad ending ‘and the summer was over’.
Jasmijn,
VerwijderenI think it's a really good paragraph. you give a clear explanation that really explains your point. the link on the end was also really well made.
Ayden
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI think that the last sentence of the story adds kind of a depressing ending to the story. It shows that the corpse that Myop saw is enough to replace the happy feeling of summer with a sad and depressing tone. it also shows that Myop’s innocence has been ruined. This is because she realises that this could possibly happen to them. If this were to happen to her family or someone close, it would possibly ruin her childhood. It also makes you think. If Myop didn’t step on the corpse, the summer would still have it’s normal, happy feeling and not this sad, depressing feeling. She would’ve stayed the cheerful child of the beginning of the story. so that’s what I believe the significance the sentence: ‘’and the summer was over.’’ holds to the story and what it means.
I totally agree with you. It adds a kind of sad twist to the end. Nice use of conditionals like 'if this were to happen to her family or someone close, it would possibly ruin her childhood.' Well done!
Verwijderensouhail
VerwijderenYour PEEL is great, i agree. Do you think without the last sentence, the story would lose its impact? -Nick
VerwijderenDamian: What is the significance of the final sentence according to you? I think the significance of the final sentence is dark and sad. At the beginning of the story, Myop is very happy because she walks freely singing her song with her knobby stick but later in the story, she saw a corpse that changed the setting of the story because she now thought that this could happen to her family which is very sad. I if was myop, i would be traumatized for a long period. If this event didn’t happen, it would change the point of view at the story and it wouldn’t be so sad a the end. So that is why i think that the significance of this story in the last sentence is dark and sad
BeantwoordenVerwijderenJolijn
BeantwoordenVerwijderenWith the last ‘And the summer was over’ I think they end the story very sadly. On the first page of the story they give you the impression that it would be a happy story about the spring. Myop is then still happy and walking freely. They tell you about how awesome the spring is. When you start reading the second page it started to get a bit darker. If I was Myop, I would be really scared and didn’t know what to do. If I had seen this in real life, I would ran away and never come back. So that is why I think that the last sentence end the story very sadly.
Nica,
BeantwoordenVerwijderen“And the summer was over,” symbolizes Myop’s youth and innocence. She used to be naïve and unaware of what happened in the world, but she lost her innocence after seeing the dead body of a coloured man. The man passed away by lynching, a common death for coloured people at that time. Myop wasn’t really aware of the racism that was happening at that time, because she lived in a secluded area. After “the summer was over” she probably became more cautious, scared that something like that would happen to her or her loved ones. In her youth she lived every day without fear, skipping around the fields, unaware that horrible things were happening in the outside world. Myop losing her innocence would’ve happened soon anyway, even if she didn’t encounter the body. She was ten, most kids will lose their innocence at that age or even younger. It happens to all of us, we all lose our innocence at some point in our live. But it is sad that Myop will never be the same, because her summer is over.
Aryan
BeantwoordenVerwijderenWhat clues in the text hint to the historical context of the story?
Certain words in the text indicate that this story likely took place between the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the text it says that they’re sharecroppers. The most former slaves would, after the abolishment of slavery, become sharecroppers so if they were former slaves, they might have become sharecroppers. Near the end the text describes something which was likely a lynching, When Myop was returning home, her heel got stuck in a skull and she saw a skeleton with a rope around the neck. If this were a lynching, it would likely take place in the late 19th century or early 20th century.
These clues in the text makes us lead to believe that this story took place somewhere between the late 19th century and early 20th century.
Daniel
BeantwoordenVerwijderen‘The Flowers’ by Alice Walker ends with the following sentence “And the summer was over”, which could be interpreted differently depending on the person you ask of course, but I think the ending has more symbolic meaning. It symbolizes that the young Myop has lost her innocence. The reason I believe this is because of the following: When reading the story you will find that she is having fun and that she feels happy, you can see that because the story states that “she felt light and good in the warm sun”. But if, eventually, when the story does to an end you can see that the author wrote the following sentence:” Myop has laid down her flowers and the summer was over”. The author would not have written ‘summer’ if she didn’t imply a deeper meaning . So why would the author write “And the summer was over”? Well summer is often described as a prosperous time, a joyous time. It symbolizes that Myop has lost her innocence, she has now seen the cruel reality of the world that she is living in, this leads me to believe that the final sentence is meant to be symbolic.
Great use of vocabulary. Though i think that your second conditional in this story is not fully correct. I'm not quiet sure what your second part of the conditional sentence is.
Verwijderen-Nick.
Thank you Nick!!!! I will take your feedback into consideration!! thanks mate!
VerwijderenI think they meant by 'the summer was over' that they symbolized the innocence of the young Myop. if you look at the beginning of the story, it starts all happy and how little Myop was playing around. If i only would have read the first part of the story, i could never have imagined that it would end like this. She was happily looking around and when she found something horrifying. But she wasn't afraid and was couriusly looking around. When she found the body it already had rotten away. And when she was walking around that area, she stept in flowers. i would also like to believe that was another symbole of her innocence. so in the end i think ending with that last sentence was kind of sad, but also had a symbolic meaning
BeantwoordenVerwijderenSouhail
VerwijderenDemi,
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThe author uses the flowers to symbolise Myop’s innocence, which has gone away when she puts down the flowers. The beginning of the story shows us that the flowers start to grow. When she goes for a walk Myop decides to choose her own path. On her path, she feels the strangeness of the land. She finds a dead man’s body, with a rose near his head. At the rose’s root, she sees the rotted remains of a noose. Myop then lays down her flowers and the summer is over. If Myop had taken another path, she would have never had to lay down her flowers, so her summer wouldn’t have been over. The growth of the flowers symbolises the start of Myop’s innocent life. On Myop’s path, she feels something is wrong and finds some strange flowers. If I feel like something is wrong, I’ll probably walk miles until that feeling is gone. Her innocence is gone when Myop finds the dead man and the noose remains. She lays down her innocent life, the flowers, and that life is over.
Jasmijn,
VerwijderenIt's a reallly good paragraph with a good structure but I have 1 question(this is probably a little stupid) but what do you mean when you say that her innocent life is gone? why do you think seeing a dead body makes you "not" innocent? but it's a nice use of the conditionals and you have a good point.
Jolijn
VerwijderenThe paragraph i really well written. I would do the same if i would see a dead body. you made really clear what your point is. the conditions were used well.
Nick,
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI think the final sentence of “The Flowers” by Alice Walker is the most important part of the story; it has a great impact and influence. The ending reveals a dark truth and symbolizes the loss of innocence in the story. It begins happily; the main character, Myop, enjoys her summer days. But in the last paragraph, everything changes. She steps into a corpse and it reveals the gruesome world she lives in. This story takes place during the time of slavery. The final sentence, “The summer was over,” basically tells us that their summer ended and they had to go to work again. It also reminds us of the world in which we lived. I think the moral of the story is that we shouldn’t forget the dark times in our history. And that there are still reflections of it. This time may seem full of prosperity and have made countries rich, but the opposite happened for others. As is visible in this story, Myop seems to live happily in an innocent place, but something happens that changes the whole story. If the final sentence was left out, the whole meaning of the story would change. In this story, the final sentence is crucial. Whether people like the ending or not, it will always have an impactful final sentence.
Love your use of vocabulary!!!! For example:" gruesome".
Verwijderen
BeantwoordenVerwijderenAnke
The final phrase of Alice Walker's short story "The Flowers" has an important effect because it changes the course of the story. The entire story would have been different if the phrase "And the summer was over" had not been included. A happy, innocent tale turns into a sad tale in which the girl loses her innocence. Myop learns that not everything in this world is as peaceful as it seems by coming across the body of a person who most likely had committed suicide. Before this event, she would bounce around the woods and fields, having fun and enjoying nature. I think the summer represents the innocence of the little girl Myop. She also laid the flowers on the floor, making it clear that she is in a kind of depressing mood. Thus, I think the final sentence's significance is to change the story from a happy to a sad story.
Rick
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThe last sentence of the story( “And the summer was over” ) has a very deep meaning. This sentence interpretates the whole summer and the emotion. If you read the story, you could see that it started peacefully and happy, but then the story takes a turn. From Myop peacefully having a great time, to her finding something traumatizing that changed up the story. If you think of “summer” you think of a joyful time with no worries, that last sentence shows that that time is now over.
Sannidhi
BeantwoordenVerwijderen"And the summer was over." I think that this as a final sentence means that she is realising what is actually happening in the world and has lost her innocence of being a child.
Summer is for many children a joyful time full of laughter. I feel like many people associate summer vacation with memorable times. If summer is over, the good times are over.
She must have realised that the world is imperfect and is in fact a very dark place. She won’t be the same person she once was. The reason for this is because she has seen a dead man's corpse in the woods. Which is quite terrifying to see. Even if you are an adult, this event can be traumatizing. And in a few situations it can even lead to psychological problems. Like depression the opposite of happiness.
Summer was over. The good times were over.
Neel,
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThere are clues in this story that allows us to construct a historical context. For example, in the 3rd paragraph they talk about a sharecropper which was used in the time period; 1865-1877. in the present-day we collect drinking water from a water tap, however, in the story is told that the family of Myop collects drinking water around the spring. Myop is also keeping an eye out for snakes, which is not very common nowadays. Despite of these examples, the biggest clue is, the noose. Although now only some countries hang criminals in public, in the Middle Ages it was a common punishment for criminals. If people were still hanged in the same way as in the Middle Ages, it would be really terrible. If we put all the clues together, then there are quite a lot of clues that leads us to an historical context.
Sannidhi (correct version)
BeantwoordenVerwijderenAnd the summer was over.’ I think that this as a final sentence means that she is realising what is actually happening in the world and has lost her innocence of being a child.
Summer is, for many children a joyful time full of laughter. I feel like many people associate summer vacation with memorable moments. If summer is over, the good times are over.
She must have realised that the world is imperfect and is in fact a very dark place. She won’t be the same person she once was. The reason for this is because she has seen a dead man's corpse in the woods. Which is quite terrifying to see. Even if you are an adult, this event can be traumatizing. And in a few situations it can even lead to psychological problems. Like depression the opposite of happiness.
Summer was over. The good times were over.
Sannidhi ( correct version)
BeantwoordenVerwijderen"And the summer was over." I think that this as a final sentence means that she is realising what is actually happening in the world and has lost her innocence of being a child.
Summer is, for many children a joyful time full of laughter. I feel like many people associate summer vacation with memorable moments. If summer is over, the good times are over.
She must have realised that the world is imperfect and is in fact a very dark place. She won’t be the same person she once was. The reason for this is because she has seen a dead man's corpse in the woods. Which is quite terrifying to see. Even if you are an adult, this event can be traumatizing. And in a few situations it can even lead to psychological problems. Like depression the opposite of happiness.
Summer was over. The good times were over.
This is the correct version
Verwijderenkamila
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThe story would be less impactful, if the last sentence hadn’t been included. The last sentence means that Myop’s view on life has changed. Summer often symbolises optimism and joy, meaning ‘and the summer was over’ that the joy in her life was over. At the beginning of the story, Myop was described as feeling ‘light ’ and ‘warm’. In the end, however, she noticed the remains and laid down her flowers probably because she felt overwhelmed and didn’t feel as ‘light’ as at the beginning. She was a different girl after she saw the human remains. What she saw there could not be unseen by her ever. If this didn’t had happened, she would have matured later. She laid her flowers down which would rott eventually this might also symbolise her innocence ‘rotting’ away with the flowers. After this Myop’s summer was over, which means that she understood what she saw, if she had not understood what she saw she would just keep on living like she used to. So that's why I think that without the last sentence, the story would be incomplete.
Sannidhi
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI thought that you explained the question really well and I also like the way you ended your story
sophia: The question I thought a lot about was ‘What is the significance of the final sentence, according to you?’. Well according to me the last sentence, ‘And the summer was over’, got me because I think the story ended sadly. Because it all starts fun and very exciting for spring but the further you get in the text the more dark it gets. If I knew this would happen, I would think ‘why?’. They made it look like the story was going to be a really happy story, when it wasn’t. Myop wasn’t aware of what happened around her, what happened in the world, that is what kept her innocence. After the summer was over, I think, she started to understand the world more. That’s the sad part because she used to be happy and all, but now that she knows what is happening, she changed.
BeantwoordenVerwijderen