Student+Responses+-+The+Second+Hut

// Writing Assignment: // //What are your thoughts and feelings after having read this story? Please do not write an "I liked it" or "I didn't like it" type response. Instead, respond to the content of the story itself. What did the story make you think about? What feelings do you have about the events or characters in the story? Did anything confuse you? Is there anything you would like to know more about?//

I think the story is kind of exaggerated because there are too many tragic things which happened in the story. Nevertheless I think of it as a story with a very clearly message in it. (David W.)

The story becomes it’s depth through the three-sided conflict. Every character is in his specific roll, but is Van Heerden forced to be brutal, or are the natives under compulsion to push back and set the hut on fire, or is Major Charruthers forced to act by the British __seat-of-the-pants__ (__Gefühl und Intuition__)? While I was reading the story I asked myself, why it is so hard to live in another country? Both characters don’t come out of their self. What’s the reason why Major Carruthers fails and Van Heerden goes steps further? (Linda)

I think the story was quite interesting, because the story is built on the growing tension between the three groups. When you read it, you can feel the tension, you can make up your own pictures because lessing gives very detailed descriptions of charakters and setting. I really liked the end when the life of the V. Heerdens goes on and Major Carruthers gives up for his and his wives sake. Already the first passage of the book tells you what the story is about and that m. c. has to give up in the end because he doesnt fit in the "cruel ", foreign country. Lessing writes her story in a way that you think the whole story is driven by the force of nature, life and fate. R.S.

The story was depressing, and difficult to read. Like Curuthers wife who is laying in bed all the time, the whole story seems to be a metaphor. Surely you can assume that it is, before you had read it, but in that story it was conspicuous. J.S.

In my oppinion the story is very sad. I did not like how van herden acted with the natives and that they burned down the new hut. But maybee that was the only possibility. Maybee they learned from this situation and wil act in a different way in the future. (Theresa)

The way how the story beginns shows a foreshadowing to the story. It throws a negative light on the natives. This is mainly visible with the illness of Carruthers wife and the behavior of the dutchman to the natives. I enjoyed reading the story. (Astor; tiped in with theresas account)

 I liked the story because it shows very good the difference between the various residents of the British colonies. Also it was interesting to see how a thin relationship of different common-living folks can suddenly brake up through a petty event. (Julian)

The Story is really depressing and full of bad faith for the Protagonist, also it shows clearly what happens when someone is not fit for a certain situation or role and doesn't try to adapt. I really liked the details and the realistic description of the situation. 1278876926

The story is full of bad luck, most for Major Caruthers who seems to be a good guy. But it is clearly to see that Caruthers does not fit in the wild african environment, while Van Heerden adapts to the environment. And so in the end Caruthers has to leave while Van Heerden survives. It is a real sad story where ther reader can forebode the bad ending. Anna