Reading Between the Lines

 Author's Note: This passage is a literary analysis on the short stories “Home” by: Gwendolyn Brooks and “Papa’s Parrot” by: Cynthia Rylant. I feel that even completely different books can have similarities when you read between the lines and challenge yourself; as I tried to do to myself as well.

Imagine if you were on the verge of losing something. Now imagine that something was something you just couldn’t live without, or rather shouldn’t be able to live without unless you were heartless. These are the emotions and situations dealt with by the main characters in two very different, but similar stories. The stories “Home” by: Gwendolyn Brooks and “Papa’s Parrot” by: Cynthia Rylant are both alike in a few ways. Even though the differences are plain and easy to see you can pick out similarities between the two as well based on their plot line within the comedic mode of literature. There are also similarities between the two based on characteristics, such as the main characters being in control.

 Both the stories “Home” and “Papa’s Parrot” perfectly fit the comic literature. Both of the stories have normalcy set in their beginnings. In “Papa’s Parrot” the author portrays the simple and ideal life at the candy shop: “For years, after school, Harry had always stopped in to see his father at work... (p.439). Among the first two paragraphs in the story portray how marvelous life was when Harry was younger and loved being at the candy shop with his friends. The entire first paragraph is dedicated to showing the almost common normal lifestyle in the beginning… “What had been wanted was this always, this always to last…(p.218). Returning to “Papa’s Parrot,” the conflict arises after Harry and his father managed to grow apart. Harry began to care less about his father and more about his friends; then the normal everyday things that he used to do with his father became tremendously infrequent. As a result, Harry’s father bought a parrot in which he talked to more frequently. However, the largest conflicts don’t come into the picture until Papa was working in the candy shop and has an ill-fated heart attack. “Home” also quickly falls to conflict when everyone is so nervous waiting to find the answer to if she would get a loan if they can on the house to allow them to be home owners. Thankfully, in the end of both stories they come to a sense of resolution. In “Papa’s Parrot,” Harry offers to go to the shop and take care his father’s Candy Shop and his bird. “Miss him! Miss him! Where’s Harry you stupid bird!... (p.441) In the end, Harry hears the bird mimicking what his father was saying before, and how much he loved him and missed him. You get that sense of relief when you hear “Then he went to go visit his papa. (p.442). Concluding the resolution to “Home,” papa returns to the family with the news that they’re able to purchase their home. “Everything will be alright” (p 220) is what Mama says, and that brings “Home” to a conclusion of the comic mode.

Beyond the plot line of “Papa’s Parrot” is that the main character, or in this case characters are in control. If Harry were to have kept a tighter bond with his father he may not have been so separated and could have communicated more. Harry shut his father out in a way and moved onto hanging out with friends and going to a burger joint instead of his father’s old candy shop. On the other hand, Harry’s father was also to blame. His way of coping by buying Rocky only pushed his son further away. Throughout the story, Harry’s father could’ve talked to his son more or try to attempt to take him somewhere else besides the candy shop, maybe even whith his friends, where they all could’ve have an excellent time together. He needed to stop being so naive and just understand that his son grew up and that everyone will grow up. “Home” also has a main character in control, which in this case was Mama. Mama was most definitely in control because she is helping her family and herself co-op as well as prepare for the best or worst that could possibly be an outcome from their situation.

Other than the plot lines and main characters being in control the story also has the concept of realism. In the real world, most teenagers grow apart from their parents just as Harry did in “Papa’s Parrot.” Realism is portrayed in “Home” as well because generally in reality in situations such as this family had endured; the family will always come together and support each other through the good and bad times they must face as a family.

In conclusion, “Home” and “Papa’s Parrot” both have similarities between each other even though they have more obvious differentials. Through their plot lines, realism and the character’s control over the potential course of the storyline; they share similarities in ways that are more obviously unrelated. All you have to do is look deeper into the text and read between the lines.