1.
Breakfast
John
Steinbeck
Summary
The story
“Breakfast” throws light on the fact that the most important thing is
contentment. If man has contentment, he can be happy even if he has no house,
no permanent job, and no good food to eat.
The story is
a faithful account of the writer’s visit to a family of cotton-pickers. He came
upon this family as he was walking along a lonely road one morning. He sees a
young woman working outside her tent. The writer is feeling cold and hunger. He
goes to the tent. He finds the woman preparing breakfast.
Two men, one
young and the other old, came out of the tent. They welcomed the writer and
invited him to breakfast. They looked very happy and contented with their lot.
They said they were happy because they had got a cotton-picking job. They had
been working in the cotton fields for the past twelve days. As they sat down to
breakfast they told the writer how happy they were with their honest labour.
They offered the writer a job in the cotton fields. He was deeply impressed by
the simple, honest living and hospitality of cotton-pickers.
The sudden
meeting with the simple, honest family of cotton pickers became an everlasting
sweet memory for the writer. At the end, the writer expresses his feelings.
(219 words)
Discuss the
theme of the story “Breakfast”?
The theme of
the story “Breakfast” is that if man has contentment, he can be happy even if
he has no house, no permanent job, and no good food for long.
The writer
relates his personal experience to prove that things do not bring happiness. It
is our attitude towards life and God that ensures it.
This faith
of the poor man in the story is the element of great beauty, which the writer
speaks of. He is impressed by the cheerful, contented life of the poor
cotton-pickers. The breakfast with the cotton-pickers becomes a cherished
memory for him. There is a lesson in the story for those who are not satisfied
with their lot. It teaches them to be thankful for what they have instead of
grumbling against the will of God. The simple, honest cotton-pickers are very
hospitable. They love to share their things with others. They cordially welcome
guests. (152 words)
The story gives us a glimpse of the free, happy and peaceful life
of cotton-pickers. Comment
Yes,
the story gives us a glimpse of the free, happy and peaceful life of
cotton-pickers. These poor people live on occasional day-labour. They have no
permanent source of income. Cotton-picking is occasional employment. Yet the
cotton-pickers can manage to live within their means. They live a simple life.
The
story also shows that the cotton-pickers are deeply religious people. They
never grumble over their hard lot. They thank God for what they get. They are
very generous and hospitable. They love to share their things with others. They
are free from the vices of the rich. They are not selfish, greedy and
dishonest. They love to share their blessings with others. They not only invite
the writer to breakfast, but also offer to help him with a job in the cotton
fields.
From
what we read in the story we can safely conclude that these are the people who
enjoy true happiness and satisfaction in this world of woes and worries. (162
words)
“Breakfast”
is a criticism on the materialistic modern age particularly on city people.
Discuss.
In this
story, the writer has indirectly criticized the people who think that only
things can bring happiness. The writer relates his own personal experience to
prove that things do not bring happiness. It is our attitude towards god and
life that ensures it.
The cotton-pickers
in the story are satisfied fellows. They did not have any complaint or anger
against any person or agency because of their poverty. They were happy with the
little living they had. They had been eating good food just for twelve days,
but they were grateful to God. The older man said while eating, “God Almighty,
it’s good.” Contentment and gratefulness to God was their wealth. They were
able to buy new clothes, after working for twelve days. It was very easy to
them to become happy on little favours from God. They did not need much to be
happy.
Therefore,
the story is a criticism on the materialistic modern age, particularly on city
people who think that things bring happiness. (167 words)
Discuss the
attitude of cotton pickers with the writer.
Why is the
writer so much impressed by the cotton-pickers? Explain
After having
breakfast, the younger man offered the writer to join in their work of cotton
picking, but the writer rejected the offer. However, he thanked for the
breakfast.
The writer
expressed his feelings at the start and at the end of the story. At the start
of the story, the writer says that the remembrance of the offer of work and the
attitude of the cotton pickers fill him with pleasure. He can remember these in
the smallest detail. This memory is so good that he finds himself recalling it
repeatedly. At the end, he thinks that there was a great element of beauty.
That element of great beauty makes him happy whenever he thinks about it.
Therefore,
we see that the offer of work and the attitude of the family of cotton pickers
had a very good effect on the writer. He still remembers it and it appears that
he will always remember it. Whenever he remembers it, he gets happiness.
He is
impressed by the simplicity, contentment, and the sincerity of the cotton
pickers. (177 words)
The story
“Breakfast” is a symbolic story. Discuss.
The story
“Breakfast” has an allegorical interpretation. Discuss.
The
qualities are personified in the story “Breakfast”.
No doubt,
the story “Breakfast” is a symbolic story and it has an allegorical
interpretation. In this story, the good qualities of contentment and
gratefulness to God have been personified as persons. The writer has presented
a family of cotton pickers. They are symbol of contented and grateful village
people.
They are
symbol of kindness and good-heartedness. They are very poor and eating good
food only for twelve days. However, they are not just ordinary people. They are
the symbol of good qualities. The writer has presented them to prove that a
person can be kind even to a stranger if he wants to.
They are the
symbol of contentment. They are contented people. They are so poor that they
live in a tent just like gypsies.
They are
symbol of gratefulness to God. In spite of all their poverty, they are happy
and grateful to God on His favours. Their gratefulness to God is very touching
and impresses the writer very much. Such people are really symbol of good qualities.
(171 words)
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