ENG papers

Dalva Church

8 October 2015

ENG142

Accepting the Reality of Life

“I want to know why’’ by Sherwood Anderson is a short story in that different social and cultural practices of the people involved in the story. The story identifies Jerry Till Ford as the outer of horses in Backers Ville. He is involved in gambling at the horse races. Jerry Till Ford is the owner of horses. It seems as though the people in Backers Ville greatly adore horse racing. Till Ford too had a passion for horses. Till Ford is idolized and valued more than his dad. It is clear that people who do not accept the current reality cannot understand their past. At the same time, people who understand the reality become aware of the life they are living which tends to lead to the realization of the unhappiness of their past. The boy has a flooded mind that seeks answers for the questions that he has. The teenage boy recalls past events vividly as if they happened recently. He is unable to forget about the events until he gets the necessary answers. The boy yearns to get the necessary answers for his mysterious past. For instance, he wakes up every day to the racetrack very early in the morning in the hope that he could try to understand some of the things in his past that always seemed unusual to him (Leitch, 152 – 155).

The boy wants to be serious but his reality does not allow him since people who accept their reality are forced to see that reality. Foster explain this reality in his chapter.

The story could be analyzed in different ways to try and unveil the main character’s puzzle. However, some other ways could also be used to show that the puzzle cannot be filled. Foster concepts are used to explain the possibilities in stories with an indirect touch to the reader which makes it difficult for the reader to understand the context and the mind of the characters or the intention of the authors of the stories.

Foster states that “Quest is self – knowledge”. The narrator if the story was born in a town called Kentucky. This is a town that was how different of different races of people. According to the narrator’s are treated differently, he seen how the town is consisted of several black and white people. There is a huge disparity between the social and economic arrangements of the different races that live in this town. Most of the Blacks work as cooks in the gambling sites and the horse stables. Whereas, most of the whites in the area own horses that are used in competitions. The narrator joumey the see the racing horses in another village and has to struggle to get there because he dose not have any money. He realizes that his reality is not what he though, want to experienced what is like for a Black man in Kentucky.

People who accept their reality can make rational decisions. The narrator and three other white boys closed to her age decide to attend the horse races in Saratoga, place far from home. The show their ationality by gathering everything they need to sustain them through the trip. They their tracks clean to ensure that no one from home identifies them the narrator cover is full of expectations, but he is able to make his decision based off expect to see at the races. The reason the narrator goes on the trip is much different from the reason the others had in mind. this is clear as the narrator is the one who convinces the other boys to go on the trip, and he even gives the most contribution of everything that he needed during the winter.

The narrator people who accept their realize the life they are living which upsets them. Sees a truth about his father when his trip is over , He is surprised to realize that the fathers of the other boys are at the races too. Many questions flock into his mind as he cannot figure out the difference between the other boys’ farther and his father. According to him, the other children’s fathers are professional gamblers in the races, and they make a lot of money that enables them to send their children valuable commodities and gifts. However, his father is a mere lawyer in the town, and he earns very little to sustain their family his father appears very content with his state. This bothers the narrator, because he does not like his life. He wans to be a Black man instead.

People who realize their reality are newer happy with want they see the quest for the adventure at the trip diminishes more as the boy gets nostalgic upon seeing the thoroughbred horses. He remembers how he has always wanted to be a horse rider in his life, but he has too bigger that he cannot ride. He even follows a lazy man’s advice to swallow half a cigar that he believed would stop him from growing and make him remain shorter to ride Horses, a try that almost gets him killed. He also remembers wanting to be a stable boy after that, but it turns out that stable boys are jobs for the niggers. He is puzzled about his fate and personality, but he remains strong to carry through the rest of the race (Anderson, 1).

At the trip, the narrator is consoled by different occurrences such as the generosity of Johnson, who gives them food and shows them at one of the stables to spend the night. When the day for the big race comes, the narrator expresses his confidence that the riders from his hometown, especially Sunstreak would win. At the competition, Jerry Tillford was Sun streak’s major competitor, and the narrator notices the competition between the two. The races kick off, and the narrator falls to the biggest disappointment of his trip. Jerry finishes the race in front of Sunstreak marking the end of the quest of the narrator’s trip. Everything comes clear to him that it is not what he expected for the reason that he could not understand (Anderson, 1).

Due to desperation in preparation to head back home, he decides to take to his heels down the road where he sees many people go at night. He approaches an isolated farm house that he moves closer to have a clear look. He is surprised to notice that Jerry is among the people entering the house. When he gets a chance to have a look inside the house, he notices the presence of many unpleasant women poorly dressed and using drugs. Jerry talks t the girls and seats on their laps as he drinks and brags on how he won the race. The narrator is more frustrated by this experience and regrets why such a person like Jerry had to win the race instead of a good person like Sunstreak (Anderson, 1).

The following day, the four boys’ heads back home from the trip as the narrator has lost complete quest for the trip. He, however, keeps the unanswered questions and contradicting outcomes from the trip to himself.

If people accept the way things are expected to be, andin their life he can easier, realize, understand, appreciate and embrace the reality of life. People who make the world a better place by moving on with life and foster positive change can deal with their reality better. This understanding will help people deal with the realization of their unhappiness and lead them to think critically, argue rationally and make practical life decisions.

Work Cited

Foster, T.C. How to Read Literature like a Professor: a Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading between the Lines. Thomas C. Foster Journal Article

Lreitch, V.B. American Literary Criticism since the 1930s. New York: Routledge Publishers, 2009, Print.

Andersson, S. I Want to Know Why. The Setting Bee Journal Article, 2014, Print.