Analysis Of If Only We Had Taller Been 'And All Summer In A Day'

In both “If Only We Had Taller Been” and “All Summer in a Day”, characters are faced with adversity, and the way they react illustrates both the similarities and differences of theme. In “If Only We Had Taller Been”, the main character deals with his lack of height by striving to accomplish more than he normally would. His disadvantage encourages him to be a superior person. In “All Summer in a Day”, the students are upset after discovering Margot has seen the glorious sun, which they have never been able to witness. Unlike the character in “If Only We Had Taller Been”, these students treat the adversity in a pessimistic way, and use it to fuel their jealousy. When adversity strikes, humans react with whatever hits them first. Like a bull

On the one hand, “All Summer in a Day” shows how adversity can be treated negatively, and how jealousy is a burden for yourself and your peers. An example of this is displayed when the students take out their anger on Margot, as she had seen the glorious sun many times while they haven’t even once. This is shown when the students say, “Hey, everyone, let’s put her in a closet before the teacher comes!” (“All Summer In A Day”, 3). This quote is in reference to when Margot is describing the sun to the students. They are so agitated by the fact Margot has experienced the sun that they refuse to believe what she is saying, then they detain her for what she’s said. The students treated this adversity negatively, and became jealous of Margot, ruining her chance to see the sun again. On the other hand, “If Only We Had Taller Been” shows how adversity can be treated positively, and how playing the cards you’re dealt with can drive you to accomplish more. This is illustrated when the character is describing his actions in life, “I work for that. Short man, Large dream, I send my rockets forth between my ears” (“If Only We Had Taller Been”, np). Rather than treating his height as a disadvantage, the main character strives to achieve his goals, trying to reach space like he had always dreamed. This demonstrates the tasks you can complete when you set your mind to