Faith
Cheryl Almy
ENG125
Alessandra Cusimano
March 18, 2013
Faith
I have chosen to write about the short story “The Welcome Table” by Alice Walker. This story touches close to home for me one a lot of levels. There could be an abundance of interpreted themes within this story. I choose to believe the story is about the faith of one lady. A lady who was taken advantage of her entire life. A lady who was overworked and very grossly underpaid. The story is about a lady who, when she knew she was dying, just wanted one last day inside a place of worship and still held her faith when the folks at the church would not welcome her. This essay will show how character, point of view, and setting help mold the theme of one woman’s unwavering faith.
The point of view in this short story really contributes to the theme. Using third person to tell this story is magnificent. It allows the reader to step inside the story and get a grip on what everyone is thinking and feeling. When the pastor told her that she was in the wrong place, when the lady inside the church told her she needed to leave, the feeling of the ladies as they crossed their arms and made their husbands drag her out of the church! We would never know those feelings if they were not told in third person. Also the woman’s undying faith even as she is being told these things, told she doesn’t belong, and dragged by her arms out of the church. She did not give up, she still held her faith and stood singing outside the church.
The people looking in from the outside, her neighbors and general person passing by, also contributed. Their feelings were that the lady was insane. They would see her walking up the road waving her hands and talking to someone that was not there. No one really new this poor little old lady though. She was all alone.
The setting of this story is very interesting in that, it never really talks about the setting. However, in my head I see a southern setting. I see...