Minus the wrong gender assigned to the narrator of "A Conversation with My Father"...this is response which does well to make clear, focused points about the action within the story. And it does a good enough job of explaining the quotes.
Student Example 1:
Stories like "Cathedral" and "A Conversation with My Father" have the ability to make us understand and question the many controversial aspects of life. Though both stories definitely have meaning worth deep inspection, "A Conversation with My Father" creates many thought provoking questions about life, death, hope, and most importantly tragedy. Paley creates a story that questions the "ending" of all stories and whether people can face tragedy, or if a happy end is ultimately more satisfying.
The first part of this story that is worth close analysis is the relationship between the father and son. While the father may be close to death he still has the vigor to demand a "simple" story from his son, who in return cannot refuse his dying father. To the father the end of the story is also the end of this woman, to him she is simply left alone and he explains that she will not recover. The son completely disagrees with this and becomes irritated. This woman was his invention, his story, and he will not leave her to cry in that house. He argues with his father that she could change, while his father wisely explains, "Truth first. She will slide back. A person must have character. She does not"(Paley 36). His son cannot face the fact that sometimes it is as simple as that, this woman is a tragedy and she will not change. The father attempts to show his son that while a happy ending to this woman's life will make one feel reassured and hopeful, a tragedy is much more truthful. The son cannot rap his mind around the idea that this woman might actually spend the rest of her days in that house longing for her son to come back, while also praying for the courage to stay clean. When the father sees that his son cannot comprehend this imminent tragedy he says, "Tragedy! You too. When will you look it in the face?"(Paley 36). Not only is he questioning his son's ability to face the truth but is also questioning the readers.
It is fascinating to see a person's reaction when confronted with tragedy. No one is prepared for the idea that there will be no happy ending and that maybe everything won't be alright. This is the main reason why this story would make for strong classroom analysis and conversation. Paley zooms in on the human need for hope and reassurance, and we see this with the son who when is confronted with tragedy shields himself with a happy ending.
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