Hobnail Short Story by Crystal Arbogast

Summary of Hobnail Short Story by Crystal Arbogast

Hobnail is a short story written by Crystal Arbogast. Hobnail short story tells about a girl named Fannie Poteet and her mother named Ellen want to come back to their house after visited their uncle and aunt’s house.  On the way to their house, Fannie feel very scare because it was dark, she also hear some rustling sound, steps sound from hobnail boots. She also feels like someone follows them from behind. Her mother tries to calm her down. When they arrived at home, Ellen tells Lige that she saw a man without a head but she still calm because she doesn’t want to make Fanny scare and frighten her.

The story is started when Ellen and Fannie in John’s house after they came from the crunch and want to come back to their house. Sally asks Ellen to stay because it will be dark before Fannie and Ellen come to their home but Ellen refuse it. Ellen asks Fannie to get her shawl because the journey will be chilly. John gives Ellen a lantern with a new wick. After some farewell with John and Sally, Ellen takes her shawl and pick up the lantern. She is taking Fannie’s right hand and they proceed on three mile trek back home.

It was a moonless night, Fannie feel so scare because She hear some rustling sound but her mother said that everything will be alright. One time, Fannie tripped over the chunks and Ellen realized that her daughter was tired and they decided to rest for a while. Ellen expects that they have less than a mile to go. Fannie still feel scare and Ellen always tries to calm her down and tell her some advice. While contemplating her mother advice, Fannie was distracted by the sound. Fannie’s eyes peered into the ink like darkness. It was very faint. The slow methodic sound was someone walking and coming in their direction. Fannie tells her mom, Ellen said that it was her imagine. They decided to continue because Lige will be worried. After a while, Fannie hears that sound again. Ellen swings the lantern around and she said that there is nothing around. Fannie still hears the sound and it is louder that before. It was a sound of boots, heavy hobnail boots. Ellen swing lantern again and said that there was nothing. Fannie asks her mother to faster that before because she feels the sound is closer and she is scare. Finally they arrive at their home. Lige was waiting them. After let Fannie rest, Ellen tells Lige that she also heard the steps but she didn’t want to frighten the child and when she swung the lantern she saw what was following them. She saw a man without a head.

Comment

I think this short story is very interesting. The author described the setting well. It can make me imagine the situation that happens in this short story. The words that contained in this story are not really hard to understand. I enjoy reading this story. What I’ve got in this story is mother will do anything for her child. In this case, Ellen doesn’t want to tell Fannie that she saw a man without a head just because she doesn’t want to frighten her child.

Analysis

Point of view of this story is Third person point of view.

The characters in this story are Fannie Poteet, Ellen, John, Sally and Lige. First character is Fannie Poteet is the youngest and the only daughter of Lige and Sally. In this short story, she is described as a girl that feel scare of the condition when she and her mother want to come back to their house. It can be proved in the statement of Fannie that says "Mammy, it's so scary in the dark. Will God watch over us and protect us?” Second, Ellen is mother of Fannie and wife of Lige. She loves her family so much. She tries to calm Fannie down. Third character is John. He is uncle of Fannie or younger brother of Ellen. He is a kind person. He gives the lantern which has new wick and He fills it up for Fannie and Ellen journey. Fourth character is Sally, She is wife of John. She is a kind woman. She hopes she has a daughter like Fannie. The last character is Lige. He is husband of Ellen and father of Fannie. He also loves his family so much.

The settings of this story are John and Sally’s house, the road to Ellen’s house and Ellen’s house. The time was late evening.

Climax of this story is Fannie frequently hear steps sound. When Ellen swings the lantern he actually saw what was following them. She saw a man without a head. But she doesn’t tells to Fannie because she doesn’t want to make Fannie scare and frighten her

Foreshadowing of this story express in the beginning of story when Sally says it’s getting awfully late and it will be dark before you make it home.