Professor Kiefer
English Writing 301
15 September 2014
Jason Long’s book, Tiny Giants; 101 Stories under 101 Words, has many stories that focus on culture. Some stories focus on the normal and the not so normal aspects of society. In America the American Dream is something all members of society aims for. Everyone wants the dream life, the beautiful house, the loving spouse, and the comfort and happiness that it comes with. Unfortunately, the American Dream is a hard thing for people to obtain. In one of longs short stories, American Dreamers, he describes a couple that is no sleeping beauty or prince charming but end up getting married, having four children, then getting a divorce and five more to follow (73). It is a sad thing to say when a story like this is closer to the truth here in America then a fairy tale love story.
Out of Gas, By Jason Long, talks about a man over hearing an argument in a gas station. He hears something heavy being thrown then out walks a girl with puffy eyes. She asks him where he is headed and they leave the gas station together (33). This is one aspect of the American dream that is physically obtainable but mentally difficult to obtain. Physical abuse is known to happen all over the States, and escaping a situation similar can be scary. It is possible to leave the situation like the young girl in the gas station and be able to start a new life somewhere else, but being physically or mentally abused takes a toll on the psyche.
Listening to the two short stories many thoughts about America’s society can be conveyed. It can be taken that the American Dream is still alive or that it is all just a fairy tale, yet it is still something people thrive to achieve.
Work Cited
Long, Jason Sinclair. Tiny Giants: 101 Stories under 101 Words. Sacramento: Ad Lumen, 2014. Print.
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