Ann Petry - Similar A Winding Sail (Overview - Purpose 2)
This 2d installment contains an analysis of the characters that appear inwards the story as well as the indicate of view.
Part 3 discusses the symbols works life inwards the story.
Part 4 deals amongst the story's championship (how it foreshadows the ending) as well as themes.
Don't forget to read other overviews of literary works or notice posts explaining literary terms past times clicking on the motion painting below.
Ann Petry – Like a Winding Sheet
Characters
- Johnson
- manual task takes its terms on him: works inwards shifts at a works life
- monotonous job: pushes cart only about for 10 hours a nighttime + picks upward finished parts from workbenches
- standing work:
- spends hours on his feet ⇒ his legs ache
- has to hold back inwards describe to teach paid: other factories (like the ane Mae works at) deliver pay banking concern tally to workers’ benches, thus they don’t receive got to stand upward waiting for their turn
- has been married for many years
- “They’d been married also long as well as got along also good …”
- tired: non getting plenty sleep
- returns dwelling describe solid inwards the morn as well as daylight doesn’t permit him slumber well
- it’s implied that he doesn’t teach to slumber every bit shortly every bit he comes dwelling describe solid from operate because of Mae: “And he thought if he as well as Mae would teach correct to bed when they got dwelling describe solid from operate they’d choose grip of a few hours of darkness for sleeping. But they never did. They fooled only about – cooking as well as eating as well as listening to the radio as well as he ever stayed inwards a large chair inwards the living room …”
- he sits inwards the chair piece Mae is moving nigh the house, all sprightly
- when he says “They fooled around” he agency 'She fooled only about piece he’s sitting inwards a chair'
- if Mae is all lively, listening to the radio, cooking as well as singing, he can’t teach to sleep
- this is what happens when he gets dwelling describe solid on this day: Mae is already there, listening to the radio turned upward loud as well as singing; he sits downwardly inwards the chair, every bit usual
- Mae’s vivacious personality clashes amongst his exhaustion: what she does is remind him of the bad hateful solar daytime he’s had every bit she fixes her pilus as well as admires herself inwards the mirror, chewing gum, looking thus fresh as well as relaxed (cf. Mae farther downwardly as well as the department on lipstick nether symbolism inwards part iii of this overview)
- clever, inventive
- has skillful ideas how to brand things operate ameliorate at the works life thus workers won’t receive got to suffer
- his chore could endure done on a piffling truck
- he says he’d install to a greater extent than benches
- paychecks could endure given to the workers direct at their benches instead of making them hold back inwards describe
- apparently, this works life doesn't attention nigh its employees (forewoman employed hither proves this; making people stand upward inwards describe every bit if they’re beggars waiting for a handout is demeaning)
- shows constraint:
- has kept himself from hitting Mae
- checks his impulses amongst the forewoman as well as the java girl
- realizes that others are tearing towards women: “… he couldn’t convey himself to speak to her roughly or threaten to strike her similar a lot of men powerfulness receive got done. He wasn’t made that way.”
- character flaw: swallows anger, can’ t teach rid of tension⇒this transforms him into a tearing person
- and no ane helps him produce this either, thus his reactions are also the effect of other people’s apathy / lack of attending / unwillingness to necessitate heed to his problems + respond appropriately to his physical as well as mental difficulties
- after the java incident, he is mad at himself for non taking action, for forcing himself to stand upward tranquillity fifty-fifty when he wanted to “strike out”
- his long wedlock is a reflection of his monotonous work: he goes along as well as never talks dorsum to Mae, but tries to ground amongst her fifty-fifty though deep downwardly he wants “to speak to her roughly”
- making allowances for Mae’s behavior/idiosyncrasies is similar inwards his heed to making concessions to other women inwards accuse of his ‘well-being’
- forewoman dictates whether he volition receive got a job
- the java daughter decides whether he volition teach that loving cup of java that lessens “the fatigue lines” on the faces of the customers that Johnson envies
- biased:
- like Mrs. Scott who is a racist, Johnson is a sexist:
- can’t teach over the thought that his foreman is a woman
- can’t imagine that the daughter past times the java urn was telling the truth nigh at that topographic point non beingness whatsoever java for awhile
- Mae
- lively, buoyant, animated, positive
- is seen upward earlier her husband
- “It’s a prissy morning” clashes amongst Johnson’s grouchy mood inwards the morning
- giggles a lot: Johnson says it’s ane of the things he ever works life pleasant nigh her
- moves rapidly without seeming to endure inwards a hurry: Johnson powerfulness envy this every bit he feels exhausted all the time
- listens as well as sings along to the radio at the cease of her shift turned upward loud
- her jovial deportment creates tension: Johnson lashes out at this lightness of being
- he maybe equates her chirpiness amongst frivolousness (backed past times vanity every bit she looks at herself inwards the mirror, fixes her hair; lipstick on women, mannerism of tossing caput back)
- acts every bit his supervisor
- “ … as well as if you lot don’t jump upward out of at that topographic point you’re going to endure belatedly again.”
- “Twice in conclusion week. Three times the calendar week before. And ane time the calendar week earlier as well as –- ”
- “After 2 years you lot oughtta endure used to it.”
- “Come on, teach up,” she ordered.
- “Aw, come upward on as well as eat.”
- “You’re goose egg but a …”: this is the in conclusion straw for Johnson –
- being told past times his married adult woman what he is (strike 1)
- being called a “nigger” past times his married adult woman (strike 2)
- being told past times his married adult woman that he’s “trying to deed tough” (strike 3, she’s out): Mae attacks his virility (in men’s minds, a basic trait of an adult manlike someone is toughness / uncompromising decision – Johnson has been deprived of this ane also many times this hateful solar daytime when he had to suppress his urge to lash out)
- being taunted past times Mae that he’s alone acting tough, he decides to demo her that he isn’t only acting (cf. reasons for violence inwards the themes department inwards business office 4)
- superstitious
- thinks she should remain dwelling describe solid on Fri the 13th
- ironically, it’s the next morn that bad luck (and Johnson’s fist) strikes her
- her beingness superstitious is the drive of Johnson’s bad hateful solar daytime (in Johnson’s mind)
- this isn’t explicit, but inwards Johnson’s heed it’s the offset spark that got the ball rolling
- if he hadn’t argued for xv minutes amongst her, he wouldn’t receive got been belatedly for work
- his forewoman wouldn’t receive got had drive to upbraid him for his lateness (so wouldn’t receive got sworn at him thus abominably)
- he wouldn’t receive got entered the eating theatre amongst a hostile/biased predisposition
- nonchalant
- radio turned upward loud, she sings
- is chewing gum
- admires her reflection inwards the mirror
- pats “a curl inwards house nigh the side of her head”
- lifts her pilus away shape the dorsum of her neck
- ducks her caput forwards as well as thus back
- answers “complacently”
- giggles
- it’s every bit if goose egg is incorrect for Mae: she sees her married adult man grumpy, tired but non ane time does she enquire what’s wrong, or why he’s acting this way
- she drops the interrogation whether he got bawled out past times his boss, but doesn’t selection upward on whatsoever signals, doesn’t enquire whatsoever other follow-up questions fifty-fifty though he slowly answers “Just tired”
- is angry at him
- puts hands on her hips
- says he’s picking on her
- “… her eyes were angry …”
- “… her sense of humour was struggling amongst her anger …”
- Mrs. Scott
- forewoman at the works life where Johnson works
- abominable deportment towards Johnson: racist linguistic communication
- is angry nigh sth already earlier turning to speak to Johnson: “She was sore nigh something.”
- overgeneralizes: “You guys ever got excuses.”
- speaks earlier she thinks: backs downwardly every bit shortly every bit she is threatened past times Johnson (couldn’t she receive got predicted he would teach angry? Of class she could, but she doesn't think)
- thinks her seat of ability gives her the correct to speak to people whatsoever way she wants to
- female workers at the plant
- reduced to mouths as well as gestures, snapping as well as snarling at each other when it’s closed to quitting fourth dimension
- help give us a clearer motion painting of what Johnson sees as well as feels (he is annoyed past times women’s voices/talking, their mouths moving -- encounter part iii nether Symbolism)
- girl past times the java urn
- scarlet lipstick, blond hair
- tosses caput dorsum a little; lifts pilus away from the dorsum of her neck: Johnson views this every bit a sign of “contempt for him”
- Petry tells us that this is a mannerism of hers, that she does this out of habit because she does it ane time to a greater extent than piece she’s making a fresh pot of coffee
- is telling the truth / isn’t a bigot: she doesn’t pass upward to serve java to Johnson (had he turned only about every bit he was leaving, he would receive got seen he was incorrect nigh her)
Point of View
- third someone omniscient:
- we are able to encounter what Johnson’s thoughts are: nosotros mainly encounter the story through his eyes
- “He saw that her sense of humour was struggling amongst her anger. But her sense of humour won because she giggled.”
- “He watched them walk to the porcelain topped tables carrying steaming cups of java as well as he saw that only the odor of the java lessened the fatigue lines inwards their faces. After the offset gulp their faces softened, they smiled, they began to speak as well as laugh.”
- we also encounter what he doesn't
- “When he went out the door he didn’t await back. If he had he would receive got seen the flickering blueish flaming nether the shiny java urn beingness extinguished. The describe of men who had stood behind him lingered a instant … The daughter behind the counter poured H2O inwards the urn as well as swabbed it out as well as … she began making a fresh lot of coffee.”
