ipl-logo

A Boy Named Sue Analysis Essay

467 Words2 Pages

“A Boy Named Sue” is a song written by Shel Silverstein, and made popular by Johnny Cash. It was performed on February 24, 1969. Although, the song wasn’t released until July 26, 1969. The structure of the song has an unusual A-A-B-C-C-B rhyme scheme, broken only to mark the midpoint and ending. The song is mostly performed in a speech like style of talking blues, unlike usual singing. The song is about a young man who is on a quest to get revenge on his father who left him at 3 years old and the only thing his father ever was name him Sue. This young man always suffered from ridicule and harassment by everyone he met. Sue grew up tough, mean, and smartens up very quickly, even though he usually relocates because of his shame in his name. He was very angry and embarrassed with his name, and because of his father, he swore that he would find his father and kill him for giving him “that awful name”. Later, Sue found his father at a tavern in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in the middle of summer. He confronted his father by saying, “My name is Sue! How do you do? Now you’re gonna die!” This resulted in a big fight that went outside into a muddy street. After they have beaten on each other …show more content…

The title may have been inspired by the male attorney Sue K. Hicks of Madisonville, Tennessee, was a friend of John Scopes who agreed to be a prosecutor in what is known as “Scopes Monkey Trial”. Sue was named after his mother who died after giving birth to him. In Cash’s autobiography, he wrote that he had received the song and only read over it a couple times. At the concert that Cash was trying it out at, he did not know the words and on the filmed recording he can be seen lots of time referring to a piece of paper. According to Shel Silverstein’s biographer Mitch Myers, it was June Cash who got her husband to perform the

Show More
Related
979 Words | 4 Pages

He came up with this idea while he was working at Ford's Mercury plant. He would often find himself bored, so he would hum melodies and make up songs to make the day more entertaining. He wrote a couple hits for

Read More
468 Words | 2 Pages

Callarman provides a strong analysis in which I disagree on many aspects. He gives his own opinion in which Chris McCandless lives his life after he graduates and travels around the United States. He leaves everything and even burns his money because he wanted to live just how he is and enjoy what nature brought to him. His final destination was Alaska in which he wanted to go to get away from everything and that’s where he lived his last days of his life. I was saying I disagreed with Shaun Callarman because I believe he did have common sense and was a bright man.

Read More
652 Words | 3 Pages

In every novel around the globe you can find carefully constructed paragraphs, written by the author to send a specific message to the readers. In The catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, one particular section overflows with symbolism, metaphors, and hidden messages. By analyzing the passage’s diction, setting, and selection of detail it is possible discern the less overt statements hidden in the text and reveal the turbulent nature of the main character, Holden Caulfield. The diction of this passage appears to be the key in unraveling Holden’s mood swings.

Read More
563 Words | 3 Pages

These lyrics connect with Boo’s life philosophy by saying how he is tired of people viewing him as a monster even though his past actions exemplify him as one. He wants to be forgiven, and he intends to break the “chains” holding him and his courage back. In the story, he tries to break away from his guilt and go outside however he always gives into his guilt causing him to be locked up in his home still he holds much courage by even

Read More
301 Words | 2 Pages

Bing Crosby started the song first, and Al Jolson followed. Al Jolson sang louder and extended the notes at the ends of the phrase. For example, Jolson exaggerated the words “played in ragtime” when he sang the phrase “And if you care to hear the Swanee River played in ragtime.” He also used exaggerated gestures, which is appropriate for the large theaters where he learned his technique. Furthermore, his loudness and exaggeration made him more stand out comparing to Bing Crosby.

Read More
1930 Words | 8 Pages

This song was most popular sung by the artist Johnny Horton, with this song it has a fiddle tune. How many battles can say they have a song written for them, The Battle of New Orleans may seem not that important but it was to many

Read More
1089 Words | 5 Pages

One of the main protagonists, Mama, is telling her son the reasons for what she did to help her family’s struggle. She says, “When it gets like that in life-you just got to do something different, push on out and do something bigger....” (588). The character Mama gets a check from the insurance company for $10,000 dollars due to her husband’s death and she doesn't know what to do with it. In the play, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, Mama is motivated to/by the chance to get her family a house.

Read More
64 Words | 1 Pages

The Boy Who Saved Baseball by John H. Ritter has many unique characters that are all connected with the game of baseball. Tom Gallagher is a just a regular boy who likes to play baseball. He is the one telling the story to us about his baseball team. He makes unlikely friends with different types of people and goes on a lot of adventures.

Read More
1876 Words | 8 Pages

Here, John Cooper is explaining how the song was influenced by the couple’s story of abortion. However, this can be perceived as a pro-life argument in the disguise of a song. With Cooper giving his say of how this song hopes to impact his audience, we will continue to go in deeper

Read More
572 Words | 3 Pages

Some even believe it is about the Kent State Shootings although the song was released years before that event occurred. Even though there is not strong evidence to back up this song's true meaning, it

Read More
859 Words | 4 Pages

Adolescence is the transitional period of psychological changes that generally occurs during puberty. Although the Catcher in the Rye was published in 1951, when the characteristics of adolescents were not fully acknowledged, Salinger portrays adolescents’ struggle comprehensively. He depicts teenagers’ unstable mindsets through the Catcher in the Rye, especially through his teenaged protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, he uses Holden to convey the immature curiosity, painfulness of the process of growing up for a typical teenagers and adolescents’ view on the adult world.

Read More
1371 Words | 6 Pages

Cooke begins the song by saying “I was born by the river in a little tent and just like the river I 've been running Ever since” (Same Cooke). This part

Read More
1322 Words | 6 Pages

In the novel Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger readers are introduced to a young man named Holden Caulfield who introduces himself and begins to tell his story of how and why he left his school; Pencey Prep. In the story, Holden explains how he is being kicked out of school and doesn't want his parents to know and so leaves school early. throughout the story, Holden explains what happens to him before he must go home and act like he is home from school for a break instead of being kicked out. When it comes to the topic of Author's purpose of The will of individual vs the will of the majority some will think the purpose is to show that Holden going against the will of society to rebel, however, I think the author’s purpose of The Catcher in the Rye was to show that the individual will manifest in his desire for isolation comes from his is fear and damage done by fear of pain, failure, rejection, and is unwilling or unable to go along with the majority. This all shown through Imagery, symbolism, and diction.

Read More
720 Words | 3 Pages

Holden Caulfield, the main protagonist in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, embodies the classic teenager in the process of discovering himself, and how the world works. But, regardless of Holden 's rich, prep school lifestyle, the series of events that have mapped out his life up to this point have utterly affected his emotional well being and perception of the world. Many traumatic events such as the death of holds brother Allie, the death of a class mate, and countless numbers of awkward incidents with adults have all added up to affects Holden 's well-being and detach him from reality. The death of Holden 's younger brother Allie has caused him to confuse his perception of reality and to alienate himself.

Read More
456 Words | 2 Pages

In the novel, Ordinary People by Judith Guest, a family goes through the trials of trying to find normalcy after a tragedy strikes. Throughout the story you meet the Jarret family and watch as they progress through the everyday life and the challenges that come with it. Conrad Jarret is an ordinary 17-year-old boy living in Lake Forest, Illinois. Conrad is living with the burden of thinking he is at fault for his brother’s death and blaming himself for the family quandary’s. Conrad, by far, is the most interesting character for the reason that he unquestionably struggles to try to find what he defines as a “normal” life.

Read More

More about A Boy Named Sue Analysis Essay

Related Topics

Open Document