Example Of Major Theme And Conflict Essay

A Stroke of Good Fortune is a short story by Flannery O’Connor. It revolves around a woman named Ruby Hill who was unhappy with her life and disappointed when she discovered that she was pregnant. The major theme in the story is denial and discontent. Ruby is discontented with her life and where she lives. She desires to stay in the new subdivisions where she will not have to climb stairs as she goes to her house. Ruby was unhappy because she had to climb the stays each and everyday she goes out in order to reach her house where she stayed with her husband yet there were new subdivisions with no stairs. She left the groceries she had bought downstairs so that her husband could carry them upstairs when he leaves work. Ruby’s discontent can also be seen with his brother Rufus. She considers him as a lay about, she feel unhappy because she was forced to go to the grocery just because het brother asked her to go buy collard green
Ruby is dissatisfied by where she lives and she is also in denial that she is pregnant and therefore, she does not accept the realities of life. The entire story focuses on the theme of denial and discontent of the protagonist Ruby. Ruby is seen sitting on top of the stairs after leaving Laverne’s apartment. She convinces herself that she is just sick and not pregnant. She refuses to accept the fact that she is really pregnant and thinks that when Madame Zoleeda told her “A long illness. It will bring you a stroke of good fortune" meant that she and her husband are going to move to the new subdivisions. The theme in this story is denial and discontent and it is depicted through Ruby.
The Artificial Nigger is one of Flannery O’Connor‘s stories. This story has two main characters, Mr. Head and Nelson, Grandson and son. It talks of their journey and encounters in the city of Atlanta. The main conflict in this story is man versus man .This conflict is between a grandfather and a grandson. O’Connor explains how they were much alike “They looked enough alike to be brothers and brothers not too far apart in age." This quote makes the reader realize that Mr. Head and his grandson Nelson were alike. The man versus man conflict keeps the reader interested in the story because the characters are all full of pride and stubborn and every time the reader would want to know what happens next in their adventure.
The main conflict between them arose when Mr. Head denied knowing his grandson. Nelson was tired and he decided to sleep on the streets. Mr. Head hid behind the trash can and realizing that his grandson was not going to wake up any time soon and they could miss the train, he hit the trash can and the noise woke him up. Since Mr. Head was hiding and Nelson could not see him when he woke up, he started running madly on the streets, he is described as a “wild maddened pony ". While he was running, he knocked a woman carrying groceries on the streets and when his grandfather arrived at the scene and saw a police man, he denied not knowing him. “I have never seen him ". This made Nelson very angry with him but later in the story, the conflict is resolved and they reconcile after meeting the Artificial Nigger which unites them.