Pride In 'Two Kinds And The Possibility Of Evil'

Every person has taken pride in their accomplishments whether it is overcoming adversity or being admired by peers. Having pride provides confidence and belief that any challenge in their lives can be overcome. On the other hand, excessive pride can be detrimental. It may lead a person to become overconfident in their abilities or beliefs and unaware of the harm they may cause towards others with their actions. In the three short stories, “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, and “The Possibility of Evil” by Shirley Jackson, the authors convey the perils of exorbitant pride. In the story “Two Kinds”, a mother places unyielding demands on her daughter to become a prodigy, causing the child to become defiant, which creates

This story centers around Miss Strangeworth, who was raised and currently resides in the town built by her descendants. Miss Strangeworth is immensely prideful in her family's legacy and believes that the town belongs to her. As the last surviving family member, she feels it is her duty to “fix” all that is wrong in town and rid it from all of its evil by saying, “The town has to be kept clean and sweet, but people everywhere were lustful and evil and degraded, and needed to be watched; the world was so large and there was only one Strangeworth left in it” (Jackson 178). Miss Strangeworth believes that she is the good amongst evil and it is her job to stop her evil neighbors in her town. Miss Strangeworth’s method of trying to “fix” the problems is by taking daily walks in town and observing the behavior of others. She then writes anonymous letters to the people she feels need assistance and has the letters mailed to their homes. The content of the letters varied; some were insensitive, degrading, or blatant lies. As Miss Strangeworth constructs her handwritten message, she feels pleased because she would not want to do anything else. Consequently, the actions of Miss Strangeworth cause the townspeople to feel anxious as well as animosity amongst each other. The townspeople have no idea who is fabricating the letters, which allow Miss Strangeworth to continue her crusade for a year. Eventually, Miss Strangeworth’s handwritten critiques of the townspeople become public. One evening, a teenage boy observes Miss Strangeworth delivering her notes at the post office. One of the letters fell onto the ground without Miss Strangeworth noticing. Instead of placing the letter into the mailbox, the boy delivers this message to the addressee, informing the recipient it came from Miss Strangeworth. The