Seasoned authors such as Edgar Allen, Eudora Welty, Ursula LeGuin, Flannery O’Connor, Louise Erdrich, and Raymond Carver have opined what a good story should have. Their comments can be used as criteria to evaluate whether a story is a good one or not. This paper will evaluate The Golden Honeymoon by Ring Lardner, and the Tree Men in America by Julia Fermentto, using the above authors’ opinions.
In the golden honeymoon, there is tension when the protagonist, Charley, reflects on his marriage with his wife, Lucy. “Why, it’s Lucy Frost!” (Lardner 5). The couple is uncertain how much longer they will be able to enjoy their golden years together. Also, the Tree Men in America story meets incorporates a sense of menace and tension. For example, the narrator observes Azi’s knees shaking out of fear as his terrorizing boss approaches (Fermentto). This creates a sense of unease and foreboding. Therefore, both stories meet Raymond Carver’s criteria for a good story.
The elderly couple in the golden honeymoon, John and Emma, demonstrate the capacity to endure change and hold onto what is important. They have been married fifty years, and they were more or less used to each other (Lardner 8). The couple’s love and commitment to each other is the cornerstone of their endurance as they navigate changes in their personal lives and the world around them. In the same way, the tree men in America story portrays characters hanging on to what is important through a time of change. The protagonist is stuck with his boyfriend amid financial challenges. Despite running broke, their union remained strong. They often discussed the matter together, survived on clearance-display items, and eventually jointly became partners in crime. Gershi also suggested that they would return to Tel Aviv if their stay in America was unbearable (Fermentto). The story emphasizes the importance of love and family and shows how characters can endure change by prioritizing their values. Both stories meet Erdrich’s criteria for a good story.
The Golden Honeymoon demonstrates that a story is a unique way to convey meaning and that it is through the experience of reading the story that the meaning becomes clear. No abstract meaning can replace the experience of reading the story itself. Therefore, the story meets Flannery O’Connor’s criteria. Similarly, in the Tree Men in America protagonist’s feelings, thoughts, and professor Michael’s look can only be told better in a story.
According to Ursula LeGuin, a story should create opportunities for exploration and discovery by opening up various avenues of thought through the writing, even if it means the ideas may be challenging or uncomfortable. The Tree Men in America explores the cultural differences between America and Europe. The protagonist offers his opinions on American society and culture, highlighting the distinctive qualities that make America unique (Fermentto). Also, in the golden honeymoon, through Lardner’s vivid descriptions and realistic dialogue, the reader is invited into the world of John and Emma and can empathize with their experiences (Lardner 1). The author’s ability to create relatable characters and situations allows the reader to connect with the story on a personal level.
Eudora Welty believes every story is unique and distinct, and the setting or place where the story occurs is a vital element that gives the story its life and shape. The Tree Men in America provides its setting. The story takes place in the United States of America in the year 2016, and its main characters are from Tel Aviv, Israel. During the time of the story, there is a huge desire for material possessions such as fancy cars and houses. Furthermore, there is immorality, as in illicit sex and drunkardness between students and their tutors (Fermentto). The primary setting for The Golden Honeymoon is a train travelling from Florida to Illinois, where the elderly couple John and Emma reflect on their past, present, and future.
Julia Fermentto’s Tree Men in America meets Edgar Allan Poe’s criteria for a good story, as the story creates a vivid and unsettling effect through its use of a mysterious and foreboding tone. The protagonist’s spendthrift character leads them into a financial challenge, and as a result, she feels uneasy in her new situation. The unsettling tone creates a powerful effect on the reader, making the story both memorable and impactful. In The Golden Honeymoon, Lardner has chosen a simple and relatable premise- an older couple on a trip- and is working to create a specific effect of humour, nostalgia, or a bittersweet sense of aging. The tone is often light and humorous yet tinged with moments of sadness or regret. For example, the narrator reflects on his wife’s changing appearance and behaviour (Lardner 5).
In conclusion, The Golden Honeymoon and the Tree Men in America meet the authors’ criteria for a good story. They have a sense of tension that creates a sense of unease and foreboding. They also demonstrate the capacity to endure change, hold onto what is important, and the idea that a story is a unique way to convey meaning. In addition, they provide opportunities for exploration and discovery by opening up various avenues of thought through their writing, even if it means the ideas may be challenging or uncomfortable. Finally, both stories provide unique and distinct, and the setting or place where the story occurs gives the stories lives and shapes.
Work Cited
Lardner, Ring. “The Golden Honeymoon.” 2001
Fermentto, Julia.“Tree Men in America”
write