In the story “Beacons Burning Down”, the speaker (Bernard), seems to have a love of the English language and its complexity. He doesn’t really like his name because his mother keeps forgetting it. He doesn’t seem to like the concept behind religion. The speaker also seems to have a problem balancing his family and his own life, his mother wants him to write her book but he wants to finish his own book first. He seems amused by his father’s job as a lawyer. The most amusing story to me was the story of Mrs.Green and headless rooster. Mrs.Green nursed a headless rooster while claiming that the rooster was Lazarus and a benefit to science and mankind. The rooster was taken away from her until the speaker’s father helped her win her case. However after getting the rooster back, it dies after a few months later.
In “Atlantis”, the speaker talks about going to a barbershop. He feels at peace when he is there and knows that his barber will take care of him. Most women feel the same way when they are at the beauty salon, they feel a since of ease and comfort. He describes the blank faces that hold up the hair cuts for the costumers to choose from.
Briana N. Smith 