I know my name

I know my name

Short stories, American

Sprinkle, Holly

2006

Elliott, Deidre

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61758

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I Know My Name is a collection of four short stories and a novella all set in modern times, with the exception of The Sabbath which is set in the not so distant future. Each story centers on a protagonist who has both an external and an internal journey to take as the plot of the story unfolds. These tales are about characters discovering new, and sometimes troubling, things about themselves. Plot serves as the catalyst to character development. In the short story I Know My Name the main character is forced to redefine his values and question his own character when eight foster children are faced with the prospect of being placed in new homes. In Sighters, three men who are passionate about hunting are forced to confront a truth that they do not want to own up to. By keeping themselves convinced of a lie, these three men are meant to become troubling to the reader, as they intentionally choose not to change despite every evidence pointing to their errors. The Sabbath relies more heavily on setting than the other four stories, because in this tale, a young true believer finds herself in a world where religion and anti-terrorism measures have become entangled. Her challenge is to remain true to a set of beliefs that have become discolored by a changed and frightened world. Delivery is about the power of fear. A nurse watches as her best friend slips further and further from reality because of fear. Dealing with her friend's fears causes the protagonist to notice certain changes in herself. Finally, the novella Light History centers on Tom, a scientist very much afraid of failure. When Tom tries to be a hero, he finds that the world does not always necessarily want to be saved. The novella plays with time through Tom's unsettled mental state and through the advances in science serve as part of the novella's premise. Tom's struggle as a character directly results from the unusual set of circumstances he finds himself in. As a collection, I Know My Name follows the implications of the title. By the end of the each of these five stories, the main characters know who they are and are certain of their identities, for better or for worse.

2014-09-17

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