Insert Flap "A" and Throw Away

S. J. Perelman is an American writer known for his many humorous short stories. Insert Flap “A” and Throw Away is one about a father who is gradually becoming
more and more obsessive over the construction of his children’s toy. After much
hard work he turns to complete insanity before he can finish the job.

The short story teaches everyone about the importance of understanding the faults of gender roles. The father in the story cannot break away from the role he believes he has in his house. Being the “man of the house” he feels he has to prove to his kids he can complete any task. The readers get insight to his thoughts when the author writes, “I was determined to show them who was the master,” (189). With the mindset that a father should be “the master” he drives himself crazy trying to complete a task his wife earlier described as “simple,” (187).

Perelman uses diction to achieve his purpose by describing how the task was taking control of him. The readers find the father saying he “was on his hands and knees, bunting the infernal thing,” making the object being constructed a figure of hell for the man (189). At the end, the author writes, “as merciful blackness closed in,” implying that the father was more powerful and dark than black. The readers can see how much the father is affected by the role he believes he must play in his house.

The male gender role plays a huge part in Perelman’s short story Insert Flap “A” and Throw Away. There is a set of attitudes and behaviors a male is “supposed” to have. A man is stereotypically able to work all the science and math in every situation, do the construction and mechanics, and are in charge. In the story, the father believes that the societal norm is almost mandatory and the fact he can’t follow through with the appropriate role makes him go mad.

The stereotypical contrast between the female and male genders

Photo: Tumblr_nkapt2MT0m1uoe2hgo1_500. 2015. Tumblr, n.p.

No Name Woman

Maxine Hong Kingston is a Chinese-American author and professor at University of California. Her essay No Name Woman is a story of a Chinese woman who disobeyed the culture or her people. The woman, whether she wanted to or not, had to give herself to an anonymous lover and now she can never be spoken of. She became a sinner and ended up drowning herself in her sins to her inevitable death.

From the author’s aunt’s story, Kingston’s audience learns a two valuable lessons. First, we learn about Chinese culture and how serious the punishments can be. Not only the causes and effects, but how hard it is to be a Chinese woman because of how much physical appearance matters. Secondly, we learn to think before we act and to beware of the consequences. In her story, the mother tells the daughter to not be like her aunt because she does not want the same to happen to their family. Kingston makes the point for the benefit of everyone. Everyone has something to take away from the story.

Kingston uses color to demonstrate the severity of the consequences of disobeying the customs of culture. She writes, “men and woman we knew well wore white masks… some had tied white bands around their foreheads, arms, and legs,” using white as a symbol of purity (384). The purity of the people contrasts from the vulgar actions of the aunt. The white color emphasizes the awful actions and the effect actions can have when you do not think your actions through.

Her purpose was achieved by her color metaphor and tone. She quotes her mother, “Don’t humiliate us. You wouldn’t like to be forgotten as if you’ve never been born,” (385). Her audience can begin to understand the seriousness of the rules of culture and the effect it can have. Chinese marriage customs are strict and the decision is made by a matchmaker. Marriage is not decided by love but rather decided by the parents. Her aunt seemed to go against custom and was brutally judged for it.

A Chinese couple expressing their gratitude to their parents expressing the importance of their parents and customs in their culture

Photo:  Lim, Louisa. 10_wedding-9e4b0c9e0b69c73b3f87852b03bb017c47c918b2. N.d. Ncpr, n.p.

How It Feels To Be Colored Me

Zora Neale Hurston’s How It Feels To Be Colored Me, is a narrative about how she is labeled depending on her location. The contrast of complexions and her family history plays a great deal to her identity to everyone in her area except her. Her labels do not hurt the author but rather open her eyes.

Her audience develops an understanding for what labels mean. She shows African American people that they should never accept or get depressed over any label they are given, while informing other races that they are not different nor superior to her race and no race should be labeled such. She writes, “No, I do not weep at the world- I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife,” showing her audience that their is no point in weeping about other people's opinions of you on a subject that should have no negative meaning (115). Everyone can benefit from her purpose.

Using a metaphor, she explains her purpose quite well. She uses the idea of colored bags with similar contents to show her audience that all races are the same on the inside. In her conclusion, she further illustrates how they are all similar: “that all might be dumped in a single heap and the bags refilled without altering the content of any greatly,” (117). She succeeds in showing her audience how people of different races have a lot in common.

In 1928 when the essay was published, there were still racial tensions as rights were being given to African Americans. The second Ku Klux Klan was well developed at this time. Hurston, living in Florida, lived in a place of racial bias and segregation. She lived independent from white people and wrote her story with the description of this kind of life. She made us think, connect, and wonder about the purpose behind the idea of a label knowing the author was known as herself in one place and a colored girl in another. Hurston paints a picture using ethos, pathos, and metaphors so her audience can feel the meaning behind her words just like she did the music of the orchestra.

African American man making a statement in a dangerous public area to demonstrate the importance and his passion

Photo: Joshua. Big_18ad7fd21c. 2014. GettyImages, Missouri.