The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck centers on the lives of Elisa Allen, a disgruntled and unfulfilled housewife, and her encounter with a mechanic who values her gardening abilities. In the short novel The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara, Sylvia and her friends meet Miss Moore and understand the differences between money and poverty. A Worn Path, Eudora Welty tells the tale of Phoenix Jackson, an elderly African American lady who travels to the city to get medication for her grandson. In Chinua Achebe’s book Dead Men’s Path, a new headmaster named Michael Obi battles with the cultural expectations of the African hamlet when he takes over a school. Worn Path has the most incredible score for enveloping Action Complexity, while The Lesson has the lowest; nevertheless, when it comes to immersion, Chrysanthemums has the best ranking, and Dead Men’s Path has the least.
The A Worn Path has the highest rating for all-encompassing action complexity because of the volume of outside-world knowledge needed. The narrative occurs during the Jim Crow South’s racial injustice, poverty, and segregation (Welty, 1998). Phoenix Jackson’s roadblocks—such as her age, poverty, and racism—can be better understood in light of this historical background. For readers to fully comprehend the character’s motives, struggles, and difficulties, they must be aware of the social and political setting of the tale. The Lesson, however, is ranked last in terms of encompassing action complexity since understanding it required a vague understanding of circumstances outside the immediate plot. The story revolves around a group of young girls who go to a toy store and encounter a world of success and luxury (Bambara, 1972). No in-depth knowledge of the historical or social backdrop is necessary because the plot is quite simple. In addition, the narrative concentrates on the characters’ experiences and lessons, which makes it simpler for the reader to comprehend without going into the broader cultural backdrop.
The Chrysanthemums get the greatest score for immersion because the reader is sucked into the emotional world of the main character. The protagonist, Elisa, is extensively portrayed, and her interactions with her husband, the tinker, and her garden clearly reveal her challenges and goals (Achebe, 1953). Additionally, the backdrop is well described, allowing the reader to see the park and the little village readily. The least immersive book is Dead Men’s Path, though, because there is not much of a relationship between the reader and the characters. The new headmaster, the main character, is not completely developed in terms of motivations and feelings and is not given a detailed description (Steinbeck, 2007). The dispute resolution also seems unsatisfying, and the tension between the headmaster and the people is not thoroughly explored. These elements make it challenging for the reader to fully immerse themselves in the narrative and develop a deep emotional connection to the characters and the scene.
In conclusion, the four short stories all feature varied degrees of engaging action, intricacy, and immersion. Worn Path contains the most intricate, all-encompassing action, making it the most difficult to comprehend without extensive background knowledge. Conversely, the Lesson has the least intricate, all-encompassing action since it concentrates more on the individuals and their experiences. The maximum level of immersion is found in The Chrysanthemums, where the reader instantly absorbs the main character’s vivid environment and emotional world. The least amount of immersion is there in Dead Men’s Path because it is difficult for the reader to relate to the characters and grasp the context. These four short stories highlight various facets of the human experience and how context and environment affect characters and the storyline.
References
Achebe, C. (1953). Dead Men’s Path. Penguin Book.
Bambara, T. C. (1972). The Lesson. Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Steinbeck, J. (2007). The chrysanthemums. Perfection Learning.
Welty, E. (1998). A worn path. Thomson/Heinle.