In Pursuit of the Good Life
The protagonists in both short stories, Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use� and Tom Whitecloud’s “Blue Winds Dancing,� are round characters. The character of Miss Johnson in “Everyday Use� is comfortable with the simple life, while Tom Whitecloud in “Blue Winds Dancing� is attempting to find his niche in the world. Both authors use the first person narrative to give the reader a peek into their characters’ respective worlds and lives. Closer examination of these stories show that a simpler lifestyle promotes contentment. Christmas finds Tom Whitecloud, a young Native American, in college and half a continent away from home. His self-identity conflict develops out of homesickness and self-doubt. Whitecloud decides to make the long journey home by rail without a ticket. On his way home he contemplates his life both at college and home on his reservation. He observes that college life is preparing him for the fast track pace of the white man’s world and is unsure if this is the path his life should follow. Along the way, Whitecloud interacts with hobos and bums, noting that his sociology professor could learn a lot if he would come and listen to these men. As Whitecloud nears home, his thoughts shift to
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Miss Johnson, Native American, Tom Whitecloud, Miss Johnson’s, Grandma Dee, Winds Dancingâ€, Manitou Spirit, Johnson Maggie, Alice Walker, miss johnson, Johnson Whitecloud, simple life, tom whitecloud, “everyday useâ€, “blue winds dancingâ€, “blue winds, winds dancingâ€, simpler lifestyle, daughter college, south 1960s,
Approximate Word count = 1134
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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