Preview

"Death by Scrabble" by Charlie Fish

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
264 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
"Death by Scrabble" by Charlie Fish
“Death by Scrabble” written by Charlie Fish tells a story of a husband who, without a clear explanation, has an extreme hatred for his wife. While playing Scrabble on a hot summer day, he comes to believe that the words he is playing are coming true. After coming to this conclusion, he tries to think of words to play that will cause his wife’s death. But in the end, she ultimately “wins” the game.

The husband, whose point of view the story is written, makes it obvious from the beginning that he hates his wife and blames her for all of his unhappiness in life. Throughout the story, he tries to kill her by playing certain words during their Scrabble game. What he fails to realize, is that she quite possibly has mutual feelings of blame, hatred and death towards him and that blaming someone else for his unhappiness will not get him anywhere. It is this that indicates to me that his character is static.

The central idea of this story is escapist. It was entertaining and I felt sorry for the husband in the end even though he spent the whole story trying to kill his wife. The theme of the story is blame. The husband blames his wife for his unhappiness, so much so that he thinks that he would be better off if she was dead. I think that a lesson from this story would be to not blame others for your unhappiness, because most of the time it is probably something inside yourself causing the
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Neighbor Rosicky Analysis
    • 195 Words
    • 1 Page

    Neighbor Rosicky Analysis

    Another short story that I found very interesting to read was, “Neighbor Rosicky," and the main character Anton Rosicky, who happen to be a farmer from Nebraska, and reflects his sense of values, when he actually finds out that he has a bad heart, then starts to experience troubling thoughts all about what lies ahead for his family given that it’s large, his wife, children, and the crops if he dies. Rosicky, then start to wonder about his big family, who will provide for them, will the children ever have a future one that was prosperous, liked he hoped and how would they cope with everything, after he passes away. He also starts to reflect back on his childhood as he was growing up, mostly the happy times. For a person like Rosicky, who is…

    • 195 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Eaters of the Dead by Michael
    • 1841 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Eaters of the Dead by Michael

    In his novel, Eaters of the Dead, author Michael Crichton shows how the Volga Northmen were able to defeat their foes, the wendol, by using their intellect instead of their weapons. This is seen in four aspects. The theme of the novel is that physical courage is not enough to preserve your culture and lifestyle: intelligence and superior knowledge are absolutely essential. Conflict between the wendol and the Northmen shows which group has the intelligence to eliminate the other. Symbolism of wisdom, knowledge, and the lack of such things are used by Crichton to illustrate this moral. The juxtaposition of characters emphasizes the cleverness of the Volga Northmen compared to the Venden Northmen.…

    • 1841 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Comparison of the Story of an Hour and a Sorrowful Woman
    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Comparison of the Story of an Hour and a Sorrowful Woman

    In "A Sorrowful Woman" the wife is depressed with her life, so much so, "The sight of them made her so sad and sick she did not want to see them ever again"(p.1). This wife and mother has come to detest her life, the sight of her family, and withdraws into a deep depression. The “wife” is unhappy in her life because she wants more than to be just a wife and mother. She wants a life outside the home but doesn’t know how to get it, so she blames her existing life and family. This unhappiness goes against society’s view that a woman should be satisfied being a wife and mother. Proof of the stereotypical relationship is the husband character. It’s not that he is written as dislikeable, but rather likable, strong, and completely in control, “He managed everything"(p.3). He never gets mad; he makes no demands of her to improve. He enables her “sickness” by preparing her “medication,” hiring help, and keeping her child away. He, however, never takes on an active role to help her. He doesn’t communicate with her. He doesn’t get her physiological help. He makes no attempt to prove her value to him, the child, or the house. Clearly he believes he’s in control. Her depression turns into anger with her life. She blames her family and acts out, "After supper several nights later, she hit the child. She had known she was going to do it when the father would see"(p. 2). In the end, she knows her life isn’t enough, but it isn’t the family’s fault. She goes to the kitchen and…

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    A Story of an Hour Character Anazlsis
    • 969 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A Story of an Hour Character Anazlsis

    In the dictionary, character is defined as the aggregate of the features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing. This is what people look for in a person they read about in any kind of genre. There is no perfect character in a story. Every character has some kind of flaw in them that draws us in. This is called a tragic flaw. Tragic flaw is a flaw in the protagonist of a tragedy that brings the protagonist to their down fall. The tragic flaw is what causes the internal turmoil in our character in this particular story. In “Story of an Hour” (p.168-171) by Kate Chopin, the main character Louise Mallard suffers an internal turmoil when she finds out that her husband, Brently has just died. She first sees this as a huge upset then she realizes that she is now free of her husband, who she has never truly loved. Louise also had a heart condition so that “great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.” (p.168) This is a major part of the story. At one point, the condition goes away. She realizes that her husband was part of the heart problem. Not only was the condition physical but also emotional. When she realizes that her husband has died she has a sense of being free physical but also emotional. She has conflicting emotions that she tells us about by her thoughts and actions rather then in dialogue. These are all traits that help us understand who Louise Mallard is and how she feels about the lost of her husband.…

    • 969 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Louise Mallard's The Story Of An Hour
    • 116 Words
    • 1 Page

    Louise Mallard's The Story Of An Hour

    The Story of an Hour is a short story about Louise Mallard's husband passing away, leaving her feeling "free" and living a "life worth living". Throughout the story, Louise doesn’t give much detail on what her marriage was like, she does however describe her husband as being full of love and nothing but nice to her. After reading the story it's easy to feel sympathy for the new widow, but after reading it a few more times and digging deeper, it becomes less easy. Examples of selfishness can be found on every other line, Louise perceives herself as the victim, when in the end she was not justified in feeling free after her caring husband's death.…

    • 116 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Role of Conflict
    • 1349 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Role of Conflict

    The first element to discus is theme. In “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin the theme is the self-independence of women. In the beginning of the story, the main character, Louise Mallard mourns over the death of her husband, Mallard. As the story progresses, Louise Mallard grows as she sees the new found freedom she has been given at the loss of her husband. “… she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence …” Though, at the end of the story it is brought to light that the death of Brent Mallard was false belief, and her idealism of being free is diminished. With this shock along with her heart problem, she died from a heart attack. It seems Louise feels her inner emotions are trapped and confined through her marriage, home and even heart. “She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long.” In the time this story takes place a woman’s independence is frowned upon and she probably felt forced into the marriage and having a man in her life instead of being independent and making her own decisions.…

    • 1349 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Conflict in "The Wife of His Youth"
    • 2110 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Conflict in "The Wife of His Youth"

    In the story by Charles W. Chesnutt, "The Wife of His Youth, there are many different types of conflict. There is internal conflict amongst the characters, internal conflict, and conflict with society. The conflicts that Chesnutt raises in this story are not easy to relate to for everyone, but can easily bring to mind similar problems people face. The struggles that the main character faces are something people face on a daily basis.…

    • 2110 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Sorrowful Women and a Story of an Hour
    • 842 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Sorrowful Women and a Story of an Hour

    The traditional outlook on life has dissipated in modern years. Men were usually the ones who worked to support the family and maintained a steady income to make the family financially stable. On the contrary, women were expected to raise the children, prepare meals and keep a tidy house. For most, this was the ideal life style that worked effectively. Throughout Gail Godwin's short story, "A Sorrowful Woman", the character is a component of a troubled family. Furthermore in the short story, "The Story of an Hour" written by Kate Chopin, the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard is notified with information that is life altering. A characters motivation drives a story towards the authors intended theme through the actions taken and emotions that are depicted.…

    • 842 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    "When Death Comes" by Mary Oliver
    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages

    "When Death Comes" by Mary Oliver

    "When Death Comes" by Mary Oliver is a very moving piece of poetry. One might assume that the poem is going to be sad or morbid simply because of the title, for death isn't the happiest of subjects. However, the author uses the sadness of death to write a poem about life and happiness.…

    • 536 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Themes and Narrative Elements in the Short Story
    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Themes and Narrative Elements in the Short Story

    A plot is a dynamic element in fiction, a sequence of interrelated, conflicting actions and events that typically build to a climax and bring about a resolution (Clugston, 2010). In this story the plot is by no means climatic but it starts with a tragic death, which draws you in, I know morbid but true. Everyone is afraid to tell the young woman about her husband’s death because of her weak heart. They all fear she will die from grief. But when she is told, she locks herself in her room after a crying fit, again, everyone worried that she will make herself ill with grief. But this is not what the young woman is doing. She is realizing something, struggling with something. You have to keep reading because now you want to know…what is she doing? If you understand the metaphors, similes and symbols you can figure it out before the epiphany happens, but you have to read carefully. If you don’t you begin to think her cruel, she’s happy her husband is dead? And the plot thickens until the words escape her mouth, “Free, free, free!” And there is the epiphany, what we have been waiting for. She has struggled with social norms and her husband’s will bending because he was the man and all she wanted was freedom from this problem and she has it! The theme has now become obvious, freedom from social norms.…

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism for 19 Points
    • 662 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Symbolism for 19 Points

    What happens when you hate your wife and you leave her fate in the hands of a game? Imaginative, unexpected, funny and intriguing, Death by Scrabble is appreciated by many readers. Charlie Fish, the author of this short story, uses symbolism to explain a couple’s love statue through a game of scrabble. The story takes place in the couple’s house, while a husband expresses the profound hatred he has for his wife. Although scrabble is usually am amusing game, in this story the game becomes reality. Death by Scrabble is seen as being very symbolic through things, actions and words.…

    • 662 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Story Of An Hour Literary Analysis
    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Story Of An Hour Literary Analysis

    Aristotle once wisely said, “Happiness depends upon ourselves.” However, having to provide for your own happiness is difficult to do, and hard to maintain. Kate Chopin’s short story, The Story of an Hour introduces a character that shows just that. When the protagonist, Mrs. Louise Mallard learns of her husband’s death, she is devastated at first, but then feels a strange sense of relief. She realizes that she can live the life that she wants for herself, and be who she wants to be. Knowing her aforementioned heart troubles, she visualized her husband, Brently, walking through the front door and died of a heart attack. She thought that she could take advantage of the new opportunity that was presented for her with joy, but the guilt from being…

    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Kate Chopin's The Story Of An Hour
    • 494 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Kate Chopin's The Story Of An Hour

    Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” talks about a wife who was afflicted with a heart trouble and felt abused and neglected. Mrs. Mallard was a woman who felt trapped by her husband. She was surprised when she finds out about the death of her husband through a horrible accident and that she was not most often in love with her husband. While most people would have bad emotions about the loss of a husband, Mrs. Mallard felt differently. She felt the death of her husband brought her some source of freedom. This a kind of feeling that she hadn’t felt in a long time.…

    • 494 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Story of an Hour
    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Story of an Hour

    “The story of an Hour.” by Kate Chopin represents a negative picture of marriage. The story narrates to a reader of a woman who is happy and overjoyed when she received the news of her husband’s death. Because of her heart conditions great care was to be taken on how to deliver the news. As it is stated at the beginning of the story; so her sister Josephine is the one selected to break the news having Mr. mallard’s friend, Richards near her since he was there at the newspapers office when intelligence of the rail disaster was received, with Brently Mallard’s name leading the list of “killed “As the narrator says in third paragraph that she did not here the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed ability to accept its significance. She wept at once, with sudden, “wild abandonment” in her sister arms. Then she is away to her room alone. The narrator continues on the fourth paragraph to say that, she stood facing the window, a comfortable room armchair in state of shock. At the point one would have expect Mrs. Ballard to be hysterical but rather she sits facing the open window comfortably and it is at this state that she notices the outside world. It was spring; she could see all that in the open squire before her house she notices the tops of the tree that were all aquiver. The delicious smell of the rain was in the air. These marks a turning point as Mrs. Ballard begin to realize something important about her life, and most likely that she is ready to experience life without her husband.…

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Joke written by Roddy Doyle English assigenment
    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Joke written by Roddy Doyle English assigenment

    1. Summary: The Joke is a short story written by Roddy Doyle. The story is told by an omniscient narrator, and it is told from the male protagonist’s point of view. The story is about a nameless man who is trying to find the point of his thoughts. He remembers how his marriage used to be and how his wife would sit on his lap, how they would watch the TV together. But now he claims that if he leaves his wife, his wife would not care. He does not know what has happened to this marriage or partnership as he refers to it. He is in doubt and he is angry. In the story, he likes to tell his wife a joke and make her laugh like the old times. But he is nervous and does not want to seem desperate, because then he is worried that they would drift even further apart. He also fells very unappreciated.…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More

Related Topics