Ignorance In Dorothy Parker's 'Clothe The Naked'

The best laid schemes of mice and men, go often askew, and leave us nothing but grief and pain for promised joy. There are some factors in life you cannot control or plan for. People make a map of how they want and need to reach your goals, but there is always a stronger or unpredictable power to throw you right off you’re path. This theme from “To a Mouse” is universal. Big Lannie, from the short story “Clothe the Naked”, is a strong, caring and loving woman. Who always makes the brightest of plans for her children and grandson’s, Raymond, futures. But the force that ruins her dreams of Raymond’s joy, is prejudice, due to her African American heritage and ignorance. And then there is Doodle, from the short story “The Scarlet Ibis”, this poor
Poor Big Lannie, all she cares about is the well fare of her children and grandson. But all her children did not live to grow up, except one. Her daughter, Arlene, lives to grow up, but then dies giving birth to a baby boy, Raymond. Big Lannie decides to take care of little Raymond, who was born blind. Big Lannie works at, for lack of better terminology, white middle class women’s homes. She is a very good worker, but is not given any respect due to her black skin. Raymond loves to walk around the streets outside their small apartment. He loves to listen to the children laugh and play, since he cannot see them. But a very cold and harsh winter comes around and there is no clothes to keep Raymond warm enough and go outside and no money to buy clothes. Big Lannie knows this a problem that must be fixed, in order to achieve her constant goal of keeping
Doodle has a disability and cannot walk. The narrator determines to make Doodle walk before school starts, out of fear of embarrassment. Doodle agrees, out of both loyalty to his brother and his wish to walk. They would go to Old Woman Swamp and practice. Eventually Doodle did walk, but that made the narrator craves more, make his brother more like normal children. He had his brother run, and swing on vines. But Doodle simply can’t keep up, and eventually he gives up and dies, the power of his handicap defeated both their dreams. And there is nothing they can do to prevent or fix this ineluctable hurdle on the road to their hopes and dreams. In John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men this theme is also illustrated. Lenny Small and George Milton dream of owning their own ranch, where Lenny can have rabbits to pet and tend to. Their plan is to work at a local ranch for a month and raise enough money to put down on some land for sale. George always reminds Lenny to behave and he will have his rabbits, but Lenny is very forgetful and is not very bright. Lenny loves to pet anything soft, mice, dogs, velvet, etc. George always tries to
Natalie