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In the two short stories, And of Clay Are We Created by Isabel Allende and Thank You Ma’am by Langston Hughes, we see the main characters unexpected relationship with a stranger develop into something much more, changing their lives forever. Each individual, in each story, brings out the best in one another, teaching the delicacy of life and great measures of empathy one must uphold for society. Rolf and Azucena share a dynamic relationship identifying with one another's suffering. Meanwhile, Mrs. Jones and Roger are both citizens of Harlem who along their journey teach the power of forgiveness and empathy.
As the story And of Clay Are We Created begins, thirteen-year-old Azucena is neck deep in a mud pit.
She is among the thousands of residents living on a mountain slope, facing horrific mudslides in Latin America, caused by volcanic eruptions.
The narrator, is watching the news of the events on television as it is delivered by her lover Rolf Carle.
Carle and his assistant film the rescue attempts as he ends up assisting too, reassuring Azucena that she will be safe soon.
Verified writer
Proficient in: Harlem Renaissance
5 (204)
“ She followed all my directions. It was really easy to contact her and respond very fast as well. ”
Carle tries everything he can to free the girl but remains unsuccessful. He then gives Azucena support and companionship in her plight. Rolf stays with her through the night, telling her stories of traumatic things he has experienced to help keep her calm. Examining the relationship between Rolf and Azucena reveals that Rolf profoundly identifies with Azucena and her suffering, thus making him experience a kind of epiphany where he is forced to confront certain painful memories about his own childhood which he has repressed.
There is much irony within this relationship, Azucena is the girl who is trapped in a hole and in imminent danger of dying, yet it is she who is able to comfort and console Rolf, a man many years older than her who is free and not in the same situation.
After a time of mourning and grieving over Azucena’s death, Rolf Carle confronts his own vulnerability and the fact that he, like Azucena, is only made of ‘clay’ and therefor intensely fragile.
In Thank You, Ma’am by Langston Hughes there is the theme of kindness, dignity, trust, and forgiveness, all of which affect the main characters immensely. Mrs. Jones, an elderly woman is walking home when she is stopped by Roger, a teenage boy who unsuccessfully attempts to steal from her. Rather than looking for vengeance against Roger, Mrs. Jones helps him to understand life a little better by showing him kindness. Many may have sought retribution for what Roger had done, Mrs. Jones certainly does not. At all stages of the story she thinks of Roger in a good light. Though it may appear that she is giving out to Roger for his actions, in reality Mrs. Jones is attempting to show Roger that there is another way to live and there is no need to rob someone in order to obtain something that he wants (blue suede shoes). By bringing Roger home and allowing him to clean himself up, Mrs. Jones is allowing Roger to keep his dignity. She doesn’t pressurize or scorn him in anyway with regard to the attempted robbery. She is more concerned about his well-being. Leaving a genuine impact on Roger. Instead of belittling him, Mrs. Jones understands that Roger must learn a lesson from his mistakes, not be punished.
Each story shows us the exploits of strangers meeting one another but little did they know of the outcomes they would gain. Rolf and Roger both the protagonist of each story, are helped by Azucena and Mrs. Jones. They are taken from whatever emotional or moral state they were previously in and guided in the right direction. Azucena helps Rolf recover from his past trauma and become a man who can truly live his life to the fullest, as Mrs. Jones transforms Roger into a respectful, responsible young man. Both of these characters are moulded like clay into the best form that they can be.
Citizens Of Harlem. (2022, May 23). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/citizens-of-harlem-essay
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