One Ordinary Day,With PeanutsBy: Shirley Jackson

Published: 1955

By: Jason Jin, Ben Lawrence, Sriharsha Ayyagary, and Joseph Shen

Shirley Jackson

● Born in San Francisco on December 14, 1916● Attended Rochester University but withdrew in the year of 1936● Attended Syracuse University in 1937 where she published her first story,

“Janice”, and was then appointed editor of the campus humor magazine.● After winning a poetry competition she met her future husband, Stanley

Edgar Hyman, together they founded a literary magazine, “Spectre”, with Hyman as the editor.

● After they graduated in 1940 they moved to New York’s Greenwich Village.● Mother of four children, Laurence Hymans, Sarah Hymans, Barry Hymans,

and Joanne Hymans ● Shirley Jackson passed away on August 8, 1965 in North Bennington,

Vermont.

Other Works by the Author

Most of her stories involved the supernatural

“The Lottery” was one of her most famous short stories.

Her best-selling novel was The Haunting of Hill House

Her first story was “Janice”

The Description of the Setting

❖ The setting took place in the streets of Brooklyn, New York

❖ The busy streets in New York affects the mood of how everyone in the story is busy on something.

❖ It took place during the 1950-1960s ❖ Mr. Johnson does nice deeds to

random people in the city and makes the mood cheerful and light hearted.

❖ In a more urban setting where it is happening in the busy high populated city.

Mr. John Philip Johnson: major character, flat, dynamic, kind, caring (at least that is what the reader thinks at first), deceptive, fake. For example, he always find an opportunity to help some such as giving out peanuts, and money to strangers. In other words is that he is generous and not self centered. The effect on other characters became motivated and ongoing. They are thankful of Mr. Johnson's actions. Though at the end, he changes to a completely different person and different personality.

Mrs. Johnson: minor character, flat, static, careless, gives everyone a hard time, bossy (at least that is what the reader thinks at first). She is the exact opposite of Mr. Johnson.

Arthur Adams: minor character, flat, dynamic, young, nervous, awkward man

Mildred Kent: minor character, flat, dynamic, serious, kind woman

The Characters of the Story

The story is about a man named Mr. Johnson who lives in Brooklyn, New York in the 1950s. Mr. Johnson goes out and helps people all over the city, and he always has his peanuts with him. First, he comforts a boy while the boy’s mother is with the movers offering the boy peanuts. He also helps two people relax for a day. He gives money to a homeless man, so he could buy lunch. He also gives money to a taxi driver who lost a bet, and he gives him more advice. He comes home to his wife, and they talk about their days. Mr. Johnson was being extremely nice to people, and Mrs. Johnson was being extremely rude. They imply that they are going to switch roles the next day.

Summary

Freytag’s Plot Pyramid

Mr. Johnson suggests that he and his wife switch places for the day.

Mr.Johnson arrives home and meets his wife

Mr.Johnson takes a cab home and gives the driver tips on which horse he should bet on.Mr.Johnson has lunch and pays for a homeless man so he can have a meal Mr.Johnson Mr.Johnson accidentally bumps into a woman also runs into a man onon his walk (Mildred) he offers to pay for the his way to work (Arthur)time she wasted he offers to pay for his working Mrs.Johnson agrees to swap talking to him instead of being at work. hours as well as send both on a places with Mr.Johnson and admits trip to Coney Island that she could use a change.Setting: The streets of a Brooklyn, New York in the post depression erain the 1940’s Social Milieu: Upper-Middle Class Mr. Johnson watches the young boyCharacters: Mr.Johnson: Static character, goes around being nice to people, kind, caring Mrs.Johnson: Static, flat character,mean, give people a hard time.

Point of ViewThe point of view is third person omniscient. The reader can see the thoughts of different characters. The story is mainly focused on Mr. Johnson’s point of view, but the author occasionally reveals the thoughts of people who interact with Mr. Johnson. This allows the reader to understand how different people feel when they meet Mr. Johnson, and so he or she can the interaction from both sides of the party. The narrator is a godlike character.

Techniques● Irony - Mr. Johnson is a caring man who helps people in

need. However, he is married to a woman who causes tries to get people in trouble and make them upset.

● Suspense - At the end of the story, Mr. Johnson tells his wife they can change tomorrow, which makes the reader wonder what the next day will be like, because Mr. Johnson and his wife acted in such contrasting ways.

● Foreshadowing - The author uses Mr. Johnson’s mood at the beginning of the story to foreshadow his behavior and actions in the story. Mr. Johnson is joyful at the beginning of the story, and throughout the story, his decisions help and assist people.

Symbol

A symbol represented in this short story is peanuts which represents Mr.Johnson. He as well of the peanut have a “shell” that hide what is really on the inside. On the outside a peanut looks looks pleasant and nice like Mr.Johnson, there is something completely different on the inside. Overall the peanut represents Mr.Johnson and his deceptive and hidden personality.

➔ The story explains how that not everyone is perfect and that everyone can be different from each other. There are good people and also bad people or bad can be good while good can be bad. It also explains that no one can assume someone is good or bad when they are nice or hurtful to you.

The Theme in the Short Story

Ratings for the Short Story

We gave this book a 2 out of 3 stars because it started like an ordinary day for someone who is perfectly fine and calm. Throughout the story, at the climax, it was unexpected and unique of Mrs. Johnson was the exact opposite of Mr. Johnson and decided to switch roles. The main character remained flat during the story till the climax of the story. The mood was happy and calm in the beginning which made the unexpected event to stand out. It was uninteresting and not very dramatic in the beginning. The characters remains flat until the end of the story.

Works Cited"Bio." Shirley Jackson.org. N.p., 2009. Web. 6 Oct. 2015.

<http://shirleyjackson.org/index.html>.

Hallet, Samantha, et al. "One Ordinary Day, With Peanuts." Wikispaces.com.

Tangient, n.d. Web. 7 Oct. 2015. <https://cpengl9.wikispaces.com/

One+Ordinary+Day,+With+Peanuts>.

Jackson, Shirley. "One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts." Gold Level. By Kate Kinsella

et al. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2002. 420-33. Print.