AICE Lit Midterm

The Yellow Wallpaper Author

Charlotte Perkins

The Yellow Wallpaper Characters

Narrator and John

The Yellow Wallpaper Setting

Colonial Mansion and the room she is stuck in

The Yellow Wallpaper Themes

Freedom and Control

The Yellow Wallpaper Summary

The narrator is put on a rest treatment by her physician husband, John, for her nervous condition. She is stuck in a nursery room with hideous yellow wallpaper that is streaky and has a pattern that captivates the narrator with annoyance. As time passes on the narrator writes in a journal secretly, not telling her husband or her maid. The narrator notices a shaking and moving of the yellow wallpaper, mainly at night. She does not tell her husband after realizing that he does not like to discuss her condition, and all it does is make him queer. The narrator then figures that there is a woman (herself) trapped behind the wallpaper. On her last night in the colonial mansion, she decides to tear all the wallpaper down and then lock herself in the nursery until her Husband arrives back home from work to open the door. He fainted from the shock as she said she would not be trapped behind the wallpaper again.

The Son’s Veto Author

Thomas Hardy

The Son’s Veto Characters

Sophy, Randolph, Sam, and Mr. Twycott

The Son’s Veto Setting

Gaymead and London

The Son’s Veto Themes

Freedom and Regret

The Son’s Veto Summary

This follows Sophy, a parlor maid who was meant to marry a gardener named Sam at the age of 19. She and Sam got into a fight, and she said she would not marry him. Before this, the vicar of Gaymead (Mr.Twycott), where Sophy and Sam worked, had lost his wife. After Sophy and Sam’s fight, Sophy and Mr. Twycott experienced an accident. Mr. Twycott recovered, but Sophy’s ankle was permanently hurt to the point where she was instructed to never walk and move around via wheelchair. Feeling pity for Sophy, Mr. Twycott told Sophy to never leave him and to marry him. Marrying Sophy killed Mr. Twycott’s reputation in Gaymead, so after their wedding, they moved to London and had a Son, Randolph. Randolph was well educated and looked down upon his mother for her lack of education, and he never let her forget. After a while Mr. Twycott fell ill and passed, leaving Sophy a small home and Randolph an education. Randolph was gone during the majority of the year at school, and during this time, Sam and Sophy reconnected and fell in love. Sam once again asked Sophy to marry him, and she was hesitant due to her son and told Sam to wait for her response. When her son came back home from school she prompted the idea of her getting married again, and he was all for it until he heard that her marriage would not be to a gentleman. For years, she tried to convince him to let her marry Sam, but his answer was always the same; he even forbade it. Sophy died without ever getting to marry Sam.

The Door in the Wall Author

H.G. Wells

The Door in the Wall Characters

Lionel, Redmond, and Wallace’s Father

The Door in the Wall Setting

London and the enchanted garden

The Door in the Wall Themes

Loneliness and Regret

The Door in the Wall Summary

Redmond is recounting a story told to him by his dear friend Lionel. Lionel tells Redmond about the white wall and green door that he has seen since he was a small child. The first time he saw it he was a young boy and he walked through it, when he walked through it he was met by two panthers, a tall woman, and playmen. He was in the enchanted garden and he had a wonderful time until he was reading a story with the tall woman and he saw himself crying outside of a shop, he then “woke up” crying outside of said shop hoping to go back to the enchanted garden. He was taken home and then punished by his absent father for having an overactive imagination. Years passed and he had other moments where he saw the door but he ignored it and regreted it every time. This led him to tell Redmond about his experiences. He told Redmond that the next time he saw the door, he would walk through it. Lionel died after walking through a door into a pit on a construction site. Redmond figured that Lionel thought the door was his door to paradise and walked through to his death.

An Englishman’s Home Author

Evelyn Waugh

An Englishman’s Home Characters

Metcalfe, Peabury, Hodge, and Hargood-hood

An Englishman’s Home Setting

Much Malcock

An Englishman’s Home Themes

Control and Pride

An Englishman’s Home Summary

Metcalfe is a simple man who stumbled upon his wealth as a tradesman. He is living in an English village of Much Malcock. He tries to fit in and join the high society of the English countryside but it met with unwelcomeness from Lady Peabury, Hodge and others. He is scene as someone with a low social status and they want him nowhere near them or their affiliations. Hardgood-Hood brings about issues when he tries to create a modern laboratory/factory for the sixty acres of farmland. This factory would be by Metcalfe, Peabury, and Hodge’s land. There were huge amounts of blame thrown on Metcalfe for not buying all the land. Eventually, Metcalfe and Peabury join forces and buy the land as a joint venture and use it for a real estate project. This is all revealed to be a scam by the Hardgood-Hood brothers as a way to maintain their own land; they never planned to build the laboratory.

The Prison Author

Bernard Malamud

The Prison Characters

Tommy/Tony, Rosa, and Little Girl

The Prison Setting

Candy store

The Prison Themes

Control and Freedom

The Prison Summary

Tommy, who used to be Tony, grew up in a bad neighborhood where he was apart of a gang where he stole all the time. He never got caught until one day when him and his gang got held up at a liquor store. He was let off the hook due to arrangements made by his landlord and later his father arranged for him to marry his now wife Rosa. Rosa’s father bought Tommy and Rosa a candy store to manage, Tommy finds his life boring and unhappy. One day while working the store a little girl came in, she came in every day so Tommy “knew” her and what she wanted. While he went in the back to get what she needed he saw her stealing a candy bar. He was about to punish her but then he remembered how he was when he was younger. He wanted to help her but he did not know how. Eventually, he decided to leave her a not in one of the candy bars, but the day he set up her warning letter in the candy bars, she did not show up. While Tommy was away from the candy store, Rosa worked the store and caught the little girl stealing. Rosa was letting the little girl have it when Tommy came down and slapped her for attacking the girl. Before he could acknowledge what he had done, the little girls mother came in the store threatening to burn the little girl’s hands and drag, her out of the store.

Billennium Author

J.G. Ballard

Billennium Characters

Ward and Henry

Billennium Settings

Cubicle and overpopulated city

Billennium Themes

Freedom and Power

Billennium Summary

John Ward lives in a cramped cubicle in an overpopulated world where foot traffic causes danger and restaurants are always crowded. He discusses space limitations with his friend Rossiter, who warns that the government's new regulation might reduce living space allocations. Their conversation reveals the population growth incentivizing larger families to secure private rooms. After encountering their friends Judith and Helen, recently evicted, Ward learns from Louie, the building manager, that his room can be rented as a double for increased rent. Frustrated, he leaves and moves in with Rossiter, who reveals census data indicating a 4% population growth. They discover a hidden, spacious room and smuggle in furniture. They invite the girls to live with them, but soon, overcrowding resumes, leading Ward to quit his job and reflect on the changes.

The People Before Author

Maurice Shadbolt

The People Before Characters

The narrator, Jim, and the old man

The People Before Setting

Rural New Zealand

The People Before Themes

Control and Pride

The People Before Summary

The narrator reflects on his childhood on a dairy farm in rural New Zealand, where he lived with his father, mother, and younger brother, Jim. Their father, proud of transforming the previously failed sheep farm into a productive dairy operation, involves the boys in daily chores, much to their mother’s dismay. Jim, sickly and often indoor-bound, earns their father's disdain for perceived weakness, while the narrator enjoys working outside and bonding with his father over stories, including those of World War I. Amidst farm duties, the boys explore their land—Jim collects stones, while the narrator hunts rabbits. The discovery of greenstone excites Jim, indicating past Māori habitation, but their father shows indifference. Financial strain leads to Jim being relieved of farm responsibilities. Unexpectedly, a group of Māori, claiming ancestral ties to the land, visit. They share stories, but the next morning, the old man dies, unclaimed by the narrator’s family. As the family moves on and Jim becomes a lecturer, the narrator feels a lost connection to their heritage, especially when Jim shares how he drew strength from their old land during war, leaving the narrator resentful.
Follows Peter, a Pākehā writer who moves with his family to a house on the North Island coast of New Zealand, where he quickly becomes haunted by a powerful sense of the land's history. Through his encounters with an elderly Māori man named Hone Heke, Peter learns the devastating story of a historical tragedy involving the Māori people who previously inhabited the site. The narrative then chronicles Peter's growing spiritual and emotional connection to this past, leading him to feel the enduring presence and suffering of the "people before." The story ultimately explores themes of cultural memory, guilt, and the deep, inescapable relationship between the land and its history for both Māori and Pākehā.

Five-Twenty Author

Patrick White

Five-Twenty Characters

Royal, Ella, and man in Holden

Five-Twenty Setting

N/A

Five-Twenty Themes

Control and Freedom

Five-Twenty Summary

Ella and Royal Natwick have lived together outside Sydney for decades, sharing quiet evenings on their porch. Royal, once vibrant, is now bound to a wheelchair and grows increasingly bitter. Ella reflects on her life with him, recalling their struggles after failing a general store venture and his ambition to start a luxury store, which also fails. Despite their hopes for a child, they never conceive, and Ella hides Royal’s potential infertility from him. As Royal becomes more dependent, he lashes out at Ella. After he dies, she feels guilty yet strangely liberated, allowing her garden to wither while her cineraria flourishes. One evening, the man from a pink Holden—who had intrigued her—reappears in a new car. Their encounter leads to a kiss, and she invites him for coffee. As she prepares, anxiety builds when he’s late, especially amid rumors of a nearby crash. When he finally arrives, he collapses before her after she reaches him. Despite her desperate attempts at reviving him, he dies, leaving Ella devastated, feeling responsible for his death through her affection.

Report on a Threatened City Author

Doris Lessing

Report on a Threatened City Characters

The envoys

Report on a Threatened City Setting

San Francisco

Report on a Threatened City Themes

Control and Fear

Report on a Threatened City Summary

Six alien envoys broadcast a priority message, advising their base that all plans must be halted pending their urgent report. They travel to Earth, specifically to warn a city about an imminent earthquake within five years, using advanced observations. Landing near San Francisco, their attempts to telepathically communicate with locals fail due to human apathy and contradictory thinking. They learn that economic priorities overshadow safety and that warnings are ignored despite awareness. After several failed attempts, including a beach party and a televised debate, the envoys conclude that humans deny reality, and only society's outcasts may survive. They eventually leave Earth.

Games at Twilight Author

Anita Desai

Games at Twilight Characters

Ravi and Raghu

Games at Twilight Setting

The Shed

Games at Twilight Themes

Childhood and Fear

Games at Twilight Summary

On a hot summer day, children persuade their mother to let them play outside on the veranda. While playing hide and seek, Mira determines who will be “It,” resulting in Raghu being chosen. Young Manu is quickly found, but Ravi hides in a locked shed, frightened yet excited. Weeks pass as he navigates darkness and fears of creatures, wanting to win. Eventually realizing he could have escaped sooner, Ravi rushes back to claim victory, only to find the others have forgotten him, leaving him feeling insignificant.

My Greatest Ambition Author

Morris Lurie

My Greatest Ambition Characters

Nu and his father

My Greatest Ambition Setting

N/A

My Greatest Ambition Themes

Childhood and Disappointment

My Greatest Ambition Summary

Nu Lurie aspired to be a comic-strip artist in childhood but faced skepticism from his parents. His ambition set him apart from classmates aspiring to conventional careers. After completing his first comic, a friend's suggestion prompted him to submit it to Boy Magazine, despite his parents' doubts. He anxiously prepared for a meeting with the magazine, only to be disappointed by the mundane office and lack of a job offer. Although his comic gained some popularity, he ultimately lost interest in comics and chose to pursue painting, fearing he had become a “dreamer” like his peers.

To Da-Duh, in Memoriam Author

Paule Marshall

To Da-Duh, in Memoriam Characters

Da-Duh and the narrator

To Da-Duh, in Memoriam Setting

Barbados and New York

To Da-Duh, in Memoriam Themes

Fear and Pride

To Da-Duh, in Memoriam Summary

In 1937, a nine-year-old girl arrives in Barbados with her mother and sister to visit relatives for the first time. The narrator meets her grandmother, Da-duh, who initially favors her sister's beauty but later engages with the narrator. They bond over their cultures, with Da-duh showing exotic fruits and sugarcane, while the narrator shares aspects of New York life. As Da-duh becomes uneasy with modern advancements, she withdraws. After the family returns to New York, Da-duh dies during an airstrike, leading the narrator to become an artist, capturing Barbados' beauty.

Of White Hairs and Cricket Author

Rohinton Mistry

Of White Hairs and Cricket Characters

The Narrator and his father

Of White Hairs and Cricket Setting

Apartment in Bombay

Of White Hairs and Cricket Themes

Pride and Childhood

Of White Hairs and Cricket Summary

In the Firozsha Baag apartment complex, a 14-year-old Parsi boy plucks white hairs from his father’s head every Sunday while Daddy searches for jobs in the newspaper. Moments of discomfort during this ritual reveal the father's pain conflicting with his own teachings of toughness. Previously, they played cricket together, but those days are over. Mamaiji criticizes the boy’s father about the hair-plucking, asserting bad luck awaits, which angers the boy. Daddy finds a promising job ad, yet both parents remain disheartened. Nostalgia for former cricket games and shared morning routines over kerosene stoves fills the narrator with bittersweet memories. When he hears of his friend Viraf’s ailing father, he sees the unsettling similarities to his own father. This coincides with a growing realization of his father's age and weariness, igniting regret for past grievances and a renewed commitment to support Daddy in the future.

Tyres Author

Adam Thrope

Tyres Characters

Raoul and Cecile

Tyres Setting

France and family garage

Tyres Themes

Control and Pride

Tyres Summary

Raoul Paulhan works in his father André's tire repair shop in Vichy France during the Nazi occupation. Born in 1925, Raoul learns the value of their work for a better future. In 1942, a sign bearing André's name is painted, but Nazi occupation begins. André brokers deals with gendarmerie to protect Raoul from conscription and secretly services the resistance. Raoul falls for Cécile Viala, a possible resistance messenger. As tensions rise, Cécile is tragically killed in a crash involving the Gestapo, leaving Raoul guilt-ridden as he inherits the business and erects a memorial, replacing dying flowers with plastic ones.

Real Time Author

Amit Chaudhuri

Real Time Characters

Mr. and Mrs. Mitra

Real Time Setting

N/A

Real Time Themes

Indifference and Selfishness

Real Time Summary

In a late 20th-century Indian city, Mr. and Mrs. Mitra bicker about bringing flowers to a shraddh for a relative, Anjali. Mr. Mitra reflects on Anjali’s life and her affluent husband, Gautam, while they struggle to find directions. Upon arriving, the atmosphere is tense; Anjali’s grieving parents are present. Mr. Mitra feels hunger and awkwardness amidst conversations, ultimately leaving dissatisfied and hungry after the ceremony.