Summary on The Standard of Living

There were girls, named Annabel and Midge, who  had prestigious life. They ate as rich women. They lunched on sugar, starches, oils, and butter-fats. Usually they ate sandwiches of spongy new white bread greased with butter and mayonnaise. As alternates, they ate patties, sweating beads of inferior oil, containing bits of bland meat bogged in pale, stiffening sauce, or they ate pastries, limber under rigid icing, filled with an indeterminate yellow sweet stuff, not still solid or not yet liquid.

Their appearance and adormments were conspicous. But, that was excessive. They painted their lips and their nails. Their darkened their ashes and lightened their hair, and scent seemed to shimmer from them. They wore thin, bright dresses, tight over their breast and high on legs. They wore high heels and tilted slippers fancifully strapped. They looked alike because their style of dress, finery, and foods were same.

Annabel and Midge had a good friendship, like comrade. They had same predilection, in style, imagination, and standard of life. Besides, they worked in the same company as stenographer. Annabel worked longer two years than Midge. So, the wages of Annabel was much than Midge as much as eighteen dollars and fifty cents, while Midge was still at sixteen dollars.

On their afternoon, Annabel and Midge always walked across to Fifth Avenue. Sometimes, a grouped of young men awarded them murmurs, exclamation, audible admiration because of their flirt and appearances. They played their favorite game, no more than the ancient sport of what-would-you-do-if-you-had-a-million-dollars? which had set more absorbing and difficult by Annabel.

The rule of the game was the player supposed that somebody dies and leaves a million dollars. But, there is a condition to the bequest. It is stated that the player must spend their money for themselves. The player will lose the turn to other player if they forgot and listed among the expenditures.

Once, Annabel introduced her game to Sylvia, another girl worked in the same office. She explained how to play the game and tantalized the benefit. Unfortunately, Sylvia was not interested. She shown not acceptable and disdain by giving answer to hire somebody shooting Mrs. Gary Cooper if she got a million dollars. It is shown that she has no fun.

But, it did not reduce their interest playing this game. Midge made the game cozier. She set a rule that the eccentric, who died and left the players some money were not anybody they loved, or anybody the players even knew. It was somebody who had seen them somewhere and thought, “That girl ought to have lots of nice things. I’m going to leave her a million dollars when I die.” And the death was to be neither untimely nor painful. The player’s benefactor, full of years and comfortably ready to depart, was to slip softly away during sleep and go right to heaven. This condition made Annabel and Midge to play their game in the luxury of peaceful consciences.

When they played, Annabel said that the first thing she would buy with her million dollars would be a silver-fox coat. It made Midge shock. She did not believe on what Annabel chose. a silver-fox coat was very common which many people had had it. Because of it, Midge and Annabel did not play anymore and their conversation was infrequent.

In the following days, Annabel changed her mind. She would not buy a silver-fox coat, but she wanted to buy a coat of mink if she got a million dollars. Midge was happy. She thought that Annabel’s selection was right. So, they walked in the Fifth Avenue again and played their game. Midge had a same choice to do the first thing as Annabel.

When Annabel and Midge walked across the Fifth Avenue, Midge’s eye was caught by a shop window, she changed her choice. She wanted to get a string of pearls. She guessed that it would need plenty of money to get it. Midge was really fond of getting pearls.

Then, Annabel challenge Midge to go in the shop. The shop was armed at all points by a doorman. After that, they entered to the shop. They acted icily and had no astonishment at their appearance as if they used to go to the luxury shop.

Midge wondered the pearls, double rope, in the window. It cost two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The doorman offered them to try it. Directly, they wanted to go out because they did not have enough money. They are just looking and passing.

The girls were silent and sad going out from the shop. They were being weak as if their dream could not be reach. Then, Midge tried to strengthen her heart. She started their game anymore. Now, what would the first thing you’d do?

By: Siti Lailatul Hajar, a student in English Department

THE STANDARD OF LIVING By Dorothy Parker

Annabel and Midge came out of the tea room with the arrogant slow gait of the leisured, for their Saturday afternoon stretched ahead of them. They had lunched, as was their wont, on sugar, starches, oils, and butter-fats. Usually they ate sandwiches of spongy new white bread greased with butter and mayonnaise; they ate thick wedges of cake lying wet beneath ice cream and whipped cream and melted chocolate gritty with nuts. As alternates, they ate patties, sweating beads of inferior oil, containing bits of bland meat bogged in pale, stiffening sauce; they ate pastries, limber under rigid icing, filled with an indeterminate yellow sweet stuff, not still solid, not yet liquid, like salve that has been left in the sun. They chose no other sort of food, nor did they consider it. And their skin was like the petals of wood anemones, and their bellies were as flat and their flanks as lean as those of young Indian braves.

Annabel and Midge had been best friends almost from the day that Midge had found a job as stenographer with the firm that employed Annabel. By now, Annabel, two years longer in the stenographic department, had worked up to the wages of eighteen dollars and fifty cents a week; Midge was still at sixteen dollars. Each girl lived at home with her family and paid half her salary to its support.

The girls sat side by side at their desks, they lunched together every noon; together they set out for home at the end of the day’s work. Many of their evenings and most of their Sundays were passed in each other’s company. Often they were joined by two young men, but there was no steadiness to any such quartet; the two young men would give place, unlamented, to two other young men, and lament would have been inappropriate, really, since the newcomers were scarcely distinguishable from their predecessors. Invariably the girls spent the fine idle hours of their hot-weather Saturday afternoons together. Constant use had not worn ragged the fabric of their friendship.

They looked alike, though the resemblance did not lie in their features. It was in the shape of their bodies, their movements, their style, and their adornments. Annabel and Midge did, and completely, all that young office workers are besought not to do. They painted their lips and their nails, they darkened their lashes and lightened their hair, and scent seemed to shimmer from them. They wore thin, bright dresses, tight over their breasts and high on their legs, and tilted slippers, fancifully strapped. They looked conspicuous and cheap and charming.

Now, as they walked across to Fifth Avenue with their skirts swirled by the hot wind, they received audible admiration. Young men grouped lethargically about newsstands awarded them murmurs, exclamations, even—the ultimate tribute—whistles. Annabel and Midge passed without the condescension of hurrying their pace; they held their heads higher and set their feet with exquisite precision, as if they stepped over the necks of peasants.

Always the girls went to walk on Fifth Avenue on their free afternoons, for it was the ideal ground for their favorite game. The game could be played anywhere, and indeed, was, but the great shop windows stimulated the two players to their best form.

Annabel had invented the game; or rather she had evolved it from an old one. Basically, it was no more than the ancient sport of what-would-you-do-if-you-had-a-million-dollars? But Annabel had drawn a new set of rules for it, had narrowed it, pointed it, made it stricter. Like all games, it was the more absorbing for being more difficult.[Chucky1] 

Annabel’s version went like this: You must suppose that somebody dies and leaves you a million dollars, cool. But there is a condition to the bequest. It is stated in the will that you must spend every nickel of the money on yourself.

There lay the hazard of the game. If, when playing it, you forgot and listed among your expenditures the rental of a new apartment for your family, for example, you lost your turn to the other player. It was astonishing how many—and some of them among the experts, too—would forfeit all their innings by such slips.

It was essential, of course, that it be played in passionate seriousness. Each purchase must be carefully considered and, if necessary, supported by argument. There was no zest to playing it wildly. Once Annabel had introduced the game to Sylvia, another girl who worked in the office. She explained the rules to Sylvia and then offered her the gambit. “What would be the first thing you’d do?” Sylvia had not shown the decency of even a second of hesitation. “Well,” she said, “the first thing I’d do, I’d go out and hire somebody to shoot Mrs. Gary Cooper, and then . . .” So it is to be seen that she was no fun.

But Annabel and Midge were surely born to be comrades, for Midge played the game like a master from the moment she learned it. It was she who added the touches that made the whole thing cozier. According to Midge’s innovations, the eccentric who died and left you the money was not anybody you loved, or, for the matter of that, anybody you even knew. It was somebody who had seen you somewhere and had thought, “That girl ought to have lots of nice things. I’m going to leave her a million dollars when I die.” And the death was to be neither untimely nor painful. Your benefactor, full of years and comfortably ready to depart, was to slip softly away during sleep and go right to heaven. These embroideries permitted Annabel and Midge to play their game in the luxury of peaceful consciences.[Chucky2] 

Midge played with a seriousness that was not only proper but extreme. The single strain on the girls’ friendship had followed an announcement once made by Annabel that the first thing she would buy with her million dollars would be a silver-fox coat.[Chucky3]  It was as if she had struck Midge across the mouth. When Midge recovered her breath, she cried that she couldn’t imagine how Annabel could do such a thing—silver-fox coats were so common! Annabel defended her taste with the retort that they were not common, either. Midge then said that they were so. She added that everybody had a silver-fox coat. She went on, with perhaps a slight toss of head, to declare that she herself wouldn’t be caught dead in silver fox.

For the next few days, though the girls saw each other as constantly, their conversation was careful and infrequent, and they did not once play their game.[Chucky4]  Then one morning, as soon as Annabel entered the office, she came to Midge and said she had changed her mind. She would not buy a silver-fox coat with any part of her million dollars. Immediately on receiving the legacy, she would select a coat of mink.

Midge smiled and her eyes shone. “I think,” she said, “you’re doing absolutely the right thing.”[Chucky5] 

Now, as they walked along Fifth Avenue, they played the game anew. It was one of those days with which September is repeatedly cursed; hot and glaring, with slivers of dust in the wind. People drooped and shambled, but the girls carried themselves tall and walked a straight line, as befitted young heiresses on their afternoon promenade. There was no longer need for them to start the game at its formal opening. Annabel went direct to the heart of it.[Chucky6] 

“All right,” she said. “So you’ve got this million dollars. So what would be the first thing you’d do?”

“Well, the first thing I’d do,” Midge said, “I’d get a mink coat.” But she said it mechanically, as if she were giving the memorized answer to an expected question.

“Yes,” Annabel said. “I think you ought to. The terribly dark kind of mink.” But she, too, spoke as if by rote. It was too hot; fur, no matter how dark and sleek and supple, was horrid to the thoughts.

They stepped along in silence for a while. Then Midge’s eye was caught by a shop window. Cool, lovely gleamings were there set off by chaste and elegant darkness.

“No,” Midge said, “I take it back. I wouldn’t get a mink coat the first thing. Know what I’d do? I’d get a string of pearls. Real pearls.”

Annabel’s eyes turned to follow Midge’s.

“Yes,” she said, slowly. “I think that’s a kind of a good idea. And it would make sense, too. Because you can wear pearls with anything.” Together they went over to the shop window and stood pressed against it. It contained but one object-a double row of great, even pearls clasped by a deep emerald around a little pink velvet throat.

“What do you suppose they cost?” Annabel said.

“Gee, I don’t know,” Midge said. “Plenty, I guess.”

“Like a thousand dollars?” Annabel said.

“Oh, I guess like more,” Midge said. “On account of the emerald.”

“Well, like ten thousand dollars?” Annabel said.

“Gee, I wouldn’t even know,” Midge said.

The devil nudged Annabel in the ribs. “Dare you to go in and price them,” she said.

“Like fun!” Midge said.

“Dare you,” Annabel said.

“Why, a store like this wouldn’t even be open this afternoon,” Midge said.

“Yes, it is so, too,” Annabel said. “People just came out. And there’s a doorman on. Dare you.”

“Well,” Midge said. “But you’ve got to come too.”

They tendered thanks, icily, to the doorman for ushering them into the shop. It was cool and quiet, a broad, gracious room with paneled walls and soft carpet. But the girls wore expressions of bitter disdain, as if they stood in a sty.

A slim, immaculate clerk came to them and bowed. His neat face showed no astonishment at their appearance.

“Good afternoon,” he said. He implied that he would never forget it if they would grant him the favor of accepting his soft-spoken greeting.

“Good afternoon,” Annabel and Midge said together, and in like freezing accents.

“Is there something—?” the clerk said.

“Oh, we’re just looking,” Annabel said. It was as if she flung the words down from a dais.

The clerk bowed.

“My friend and myself merely happened to be passing,” Midge said, and stopped, seeming to listen to the phrase. “My friend here and myself,” she went on, “merely happened to be wondering how much are those pearls you’ve got in your window.”

“Ah, yes,” the clerk said. “The double rope. That is two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, Madam.”

“I see,” Midge said.

The clerk bowed. “An exceptionally beautiful necklace,” he said. “Would you care to look at it?”

“No, thank you,” Annabel said.

“My friend and myself merely happened to be passing,” Midge said.

They turned to go; to go, from their manner, where the tumbrel awaited them. The clerk sprang ahead and opened the door. He bowed as they swept by him.

The girls went on along the Avenue and disdain was still on their faces.

“Honestly!” Annabel said. “Can you imagine a thing like that?”

“Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars!” Midge said. “That’s a quarter of a million dollars right there!”

“He’s got his nerve!” Annabel said.[Chucky7] 

They walked on. Slowly the disdain went, slowly and completely as if drained from them, and with it went the regal carriage and tread. Their shoulders dropped and they dragged their feet; they bumped against each other, without notice or apology, and caromed away again. They were silent and their eyes were cloudy.[Chucky8] 

Suddenly Midge straightened her back, flung her head high, and spoke, clear and strong.

“Listen, Annabel,” she said. “Look. Suppose there was this terribly rich person, see? You don’t know this person, but this person has seen you somewhere and wants to do something for you. Well, it’s a terribly old person, see? And so this person dies, just like going to sleep, and leaves you ten million dollars. Now, what would be the first thing you’d do?[Chucky9] 

---

 [Chucky1]EXPOSITION which intoduces the characters, describes the place and time of  the events, and suggests the basic lines of the conflict.

 [Chucky2]POINT OF ATTACK

 [Chucky3]COMPLICATION

 [Chucky4]CLIMAX

 [Chucky5]RESOLUTION

 [Chucky6]POINT OF ATTACK

 [Chucky7]COMPLICATION

 [Chucky8]FALLING ACTION

 [Chucky9]COMPLICATION, no resolution

Poem about Mother

POEM

This is a poem that I write for my mother. My mother is full of love and very patient. When I did mistakes, she is never angry. She remind me with a smooth voice, no angry there. If my mom can understand English, I am sure she will hug me and cry.

Mom, I really want to make you happy. This poem is one of my to express my feeling. I really love you mom. You always in my heart.

My Mother

S he always gives me affection

I gnores tired and sighed

T o take care her children

I mmolates her life for her relative

L abours of  love every time

A t night and noon

I n the morning and afternoon

L umbers up all requisties

A lters ego for me and all

T akes under one’s wing to our existance

U nrivalled in this world

L ove- worthy by full meaning of  love

H undreds of mother on the earth

A gain and again dashes against

J uggle with something be better

A nd my mother is the best mother

R espectful love for you mom, from me

Analysis on ‘First Confession’ short story by Frank O’connor

Acknowledgement

First, the writers express grateful feeling to Allah, the Almighty and the most merciful, for his blessing that we are enable to finish analysis on ‘First Confession’ short story.

Second, the writers say thank you very much to the lecturer, Mr. Edy Thoyib, who has guided us in the English Prose course.

This is the analysis of ‘First Confession’ short story by Frank O’connor. The analysis deals on the character, point of view, and plot. Furthermore, we also give the summary to make readers easier to understand the story. It is a very nice a short story.

Below is the name of the analyser:

1.      Siti Lailatul Hajar               (10320018)

2.      Dedi Dawud                      (10320026)

3.      Fais Wahidatul Arifatin       (10320058)

4.      Hanik Fitria Ningrum          (10320061)

5.      Jamilatuz Zahro                  (10320083)

6.      Haikal Kaddafi                   (10320091)

Summary on ‘First Confession’ short story by Frank O’connor

There was a little boy, named Jackie. His life just went fine, untill his Grandfa died and her Grandma moed to live with him. It began when Jackie looked her behavior that was very bothered his life. The Grandma was a fastidious woman. She paid a great attention to detail because she liked everything to be very neat, accurate, and in good order. Also, she acted as a countrywoman that brought some stuffs, jack of porter and a pot of potatoes when she ate. Furthermore, she always gives his sister, Nora, a penny for every Friday and she didn’t it to Jackie. 

One day, when his mother worked, the Grandma cooked for dinner. Jackie did not want to eat and hid under the table. Nora tried to ask him, but Jackie tried to threat her by bread-knife. Then she left him alone. Suddenly, the mother came and Jackie came out from the table then he made his dinner. When his father came, Nora directly complained what Jackie had done in the dinner time. So, his father was angry, but his mother tried to protect Jackie.

Jackie felt very hurt. He had to make the first confession. Unfortunately, the person who was responsible of the confession was an old woman, called Mrs. Ryan. She was very interested in hell, the tortures, and its inhabitants. She also explained to the Jackie that a child should be respect to the mother, father, and also the grandmother. So that, Jackie was scare of what he has did. He wanted to make his first confession as soon as possible. In the following day, Mrs. Ryan introduced a priest to Jackie. She said that he was same situation with Jackie.

It was in the afternoon, Mrs. Ryan asked Jackie to go to the confession on Saturday by himself. When the day came, his mother could not accompany him and sent Nora with him.

Nora confessed her sin in the confession box. For a minute later, she walked out looked like a saint. Then, it was Jackie’s turn to confess his sin. He got a problem with his size because he thought that the confession box just for grow up people. So, he got difficult to communicate with the priest. Thereafter, the priest tried to talk with him and Jackie began his story. He told him everything happened in his life. In addition, he taught that he tried to kill his grandma and his sister because they made his life so awful. The priest felt very poor of him.

His sister looked for Jackie and she found him who still admitted in the confession box. She offended Jackie. The priest knew that happen. He asked Nora to be polite with her brother.

In the next time, the priest invited Jackie to talk. Jackie enjoyed to talk with the priest because he had a kind character which he never found in other person. He realized that what his plan to kill is not good and not benefit.

                                                                                                                                               
Character and Point of View

Jackie is the protagonist of the story. He is a dynamic character because he learned in the end that even though he has had morbid thoughts of killing his grandmother and sister, it is not necessary to dwell on those.

Jackie is a young boy who hates his grandmother and sister. He was afraid for his first confession. So, it showes that Jackie has two personalities, whether it is good or not. He tried to kill the grandmother, but he was also afraid.

Nora was Jackie’s old sister; she got a penny every week from her grandmother

Grandmother who walked around in bare feet and carries porter; she was a lousy cook and favors Nora over Jackie. Nora only has one character (static). She is an antagonist because she against Jackie as protagonist character.

Ryan was an old woman who prepared children for their first communion. She is also static character. Ryan just try to keep a rule without caring the psychology of Jackie.

Priest was heared Jackie’s first confession and takes pity on him. The priest also a flat character. He is a kind priest. He never changed to be a bad or scare people. Besides, the priest is protagonist because he is in the same way with Jackie.

The main characters Jackie transforms form a naïve young boy who was scared of confession to someone who was more understanding of sins and the process of confessions.

The major theme of the story; confession wasn’t as bad as it seems the minor theme; every human has sinful thoughts but we must learn to deal with them sensible.

The point of view used First person point of view as observant. The author didn’t include himself in the story. He just observes the story and knows not all of the characters.

“First Confession” Frank O’Connor used his home land of Ireland as the setting for this story.
To make your understood clear, you can see in the chart below:

	Round	Flat	Antagonist	protagonist
Jackie
Nora
Grandmother
Mother
father
Mrs. Ryan
The priest

Plot Analysis

Exposition:

The story is about a seven-year-old child whose grandfather died. So, he had to live with his grandmother -father’s mother- in one house. That condition made him uncomfortable and depressed because he thought her grandmother badly. Her grandmother has a habit at dinner that she always drank a jug of porter and a pot of potatoes mixed with salt-fish.

Besides, Jacky was also suffered when his sister Nora always got penny from her grandmother while Jacky has never had it even little. Jacky hated her and it was shown by his attitude when Nora made him food, Jacky even put a knife and hid under the dining table. Finally, Nora complained to his father about what Jacky did. So, his father gave him a flaking; he didn’t speak to him for days.

Rising Action:

The conflict continued when Mrs.Ryan explained about hell, the tortures, and its inhabitants. He gave a simple allegory of hell by lighting a candle and asked Jacky to put a finger into the flames to feel the heat for five minutes. It made Jackie feel scared and not dare to put his finger into the flame. 

Later, the grandmother told again that the inhabitants of hell are the people who do badness or evil. If he died, and yet do penance then one day he would be tortured in hell. Finally, Jacky remembered what he had done to Nora. He was scared to death of confession. 

He hopes not to admit. But unfortunately his grandmother firmly and roughly asked Jacky to confession on Saturday at a church. He set out with Nora because her mother could not go with him. That made Jackie felt very miserable. Jacky tried to escape but Nora said that the priest will find him at home. So, Jacky relented and kept going to the church.

Climax:
At church, Jacky felt very sorry about him. He admitted all of his faults, (his plan to kill and mutilate the body of her grandmother and Nora's threat). He really wanted to atone for all sin. He knelt in the sanctuary of the dark and silent room. He begged forgiveness of God. Until the coming of a priest and asked him about what he was doing there. Then, Jacky told him everything. However, his claim must be stopped for a moment when Nora came in and bent down to give Jacky a clip across the ear roughly. Seeing the incident, the priest was furious and called Nora as "little vixen". Nora then cried, her cocking an outraged eye up at the priest. However, when the priest turned to the other patients, Nora took the occasion to denounce Jacky from behind with his words. 

Falling Action:

The priest invited Jacky to the box of confession and questioned him about the name and also the terrible problems he had. Jacky said that he planned to kill his grandmother because he thought grandmother evil. She liked to take a porter which according to Jacky it was a great sin. In addition, Jacky also told about her sister who always gets the money from the grandmother while he did not. Also, his sister always got the defense of the father, but Jacky should be in a flank. That's what led Jacky to feel hurt scald. 

Listening to that, the priest understood the psychological condition of Jacky that he really felt so pressured by his family. So, the priest was trying to make Jacky motivated by telling him kill in a way that is unsatisfactory. The best thing is to be hanging. Knowing this, Jacky felt curious to listen to the speech from the priest for approximately ten minutes. 

Resolution:
After talking with the priest, Jacky became relieved and realized that the intention to kill means nothing. In addition, he also knew that he will not die in the night due to a confession.

The opening of the story focuses on how much Jackie hates his grandmother because she embarrasses him and favors Nora. The end of the story focuses on how Nora was suddenly jealous of Jackie’s small penance and candy he received from the priest. These two characters that Jackie loathes begin and end the story to win over the audience to Jackie’s cause.