THIS IS ONLY one page reading respond MLA needed to be done in less than 5 hours

Stanicia Boatner

ENGWR 301

Professor Christian Kiefer

15 September 2014

Cultural Studies

There are several stories in the book Tiny Giants: 101 stories under 101 words by Jason Sinclair Long that vary in topics, subjects, and points of view. The stories in this book cross several genres of literary criticisms and provide the reader with an array of topics to ponder. One of the literary criticisms that is recognized among the several stories is cultural studies. One such story is named Inside. According to Janet Gardner’s Reading and Writing about Literature book, other proponents of cultural studies turn their attention to the works of various social “outsiders,” like prisoners, schoolchildren, or mental patients. (p. 171)

The story Inside in Long’s book is from the point of view of a young man whose whole life changed when he turned fourteen. He lost innocence when he killed two men and is now reflecting on how that event has changed his entire life. He is now in prison paying for his decision but to accept the reality of where he is and how much time he will be spending in prison he attempts to look on the bright side. I’m paying for it; I’ll always be paying for it. Free tattoos though, and I’m learning to cook in here. (p. 21) The next story in Long’s book that fits one of Gardner’s descriptions of cultural studies literary works is Feeding Ground. This story describes a mentally ill man that has come to the realization that he is now on his fifth psychiatrist and he still has the same affinity. He now realizes that he is unable to be fixed and is now accepting his condition. In accepting that he is “unfixable” the gentleman has decided to move to an apartment where he could witness car wrecks which in turn appease his fondness for the sight of blood. Both of these stories are examples of the human experience and daily lives of various members of society. Not everyone’s life is “normal” and examining such stories gives insight into how we view and relate to one another.