Ashes’ father is stuck in a situation where he needs some money to pay off his debt. The way that the father has thought of a solution is to steal the mother’s rainy day fund, and to return it by Friday. Sleigh reaches for the money in the jar and turns around to stare at her father who’s waiting in the car. Clearly, Ashes has picked her father. Susan Beth Prefer does a great job at depicting the importance of being a realist rather than a dreamer. Ashes’ father who is believed to be a dreamer struggles with his everyday life.
He goes through every day hoping for the est.. Ashes mother, however, is different She always plays it safe. Susan Beth Prefer portrays that dreamers may sometimes be too far-fetched and need to be brought back to the real world sometimes. Ashes’ father has to rely on Ashes’ mother to help him get out of him slum. Susan Beth Prefer is conveying that it is better to be a realist, because it keep you on the ball. Dreamers usually get side tracked, and stuck in difficult situations.
An inferior theme that the author portrays is the idea of what parents are able to offer. Ashes mom provides a safe living environment for ashes. Ashes father on the other hand is poor, has his life upside down, and can be putting his little girl’s life in danger by owing people money. These are the complete opposites, but it depicts this theme beautifully since it emphasis both extremes. Susan Beth prefer uses setting to help get her point of the importance of money across. The story takes place in the slums, and in a rundown looking restaurant of a city.
Her father is a very poor man, and the setting helps show he financial issues the father is struggling with throughout the story. The characters of this short story helped display the theme of realistic versus dreamers: the mother being the realist, and the father being the dreamer. Sure the father makes the daughter feel special with everything he says, but the mother actually has things to offer to her daughter. The mother can take care of her kids, whereas the father can’t even take care of himself. This short story was a text that I found very interesting.
At the beginning, the ext was a little boring, but the story took a twist when the father asked Ashes’ to steal her mother’s money behind her mother’s back. It was frustrating not knowing how the story ends. Despite the fact that it was a short story, the author did a great job on developing the characters. Prefer made the story so we may relate to the characters and understand their life struggles. I like how the story was straight forward, because it was short and sweet, just how I like my coffee. If there?s one thing I can relate this short story to, it would be my life.
