D.P Analysis

1. D.P Analysis by Team Door: Virginia Aimiuwu Andrea Valencia Sharon Jimenez.

2. THEMES • Struggle to find ones identity in the midst of adversity. • Desire to identify with ones social group and find ones identity.

3. OVERVIEW • The short story D.P depicts the life of a six year old boy (Joe) in an orphanage set up by catholic nuns. • As the only Black kid in a German village Joe believes that he was born by an American soldier. • Joe dreams of the day he would get to meet his biological father and his hopes are fueled by the comments of the carpenter and the mechanic.

4. OVERVIEW • When Joe spots an American soldier in the woods he decides to run away thinking that the man he saw in the woods was his father. • Joe is greeted by a bunch of American soldiers who give him gifts and then take him back to the orphanage. • The sergeant whom Joe believes to be his father promises to come back for Joe.

5. TWO IMPORTANT QUOTES. • “But Peter said I don’t belong here, that am not a German and never can be” (p.164). • “and he promised to take me back home across the water as fast as he could. He promised and then I let him go” (p.172)

6. CHARACTERIZATION • Joe: • “Dreamer”, innocent, trusting, optimistic, naive. • Joe allows himself to be deceived by peter (an older boy in the orphanage),he is very optimistic and looks only to the positive aspect of things. • He is trusting and believes the sergeant when he says he’ll come back for him. • He is relentless about his dreams and his desires and he would not let anyone discourage him.

7. CHARACTERIZATION • Peter: • Pessimistic, know it all. • Peter is one of the oldest boys at the orphanage. • Because he has been there so long and no one has come for him, he has lost hope and faith in people and does not believe Joe when he tells Peter that the sergeant is coming back for him.

8. CHARACTERIZATION • African American Soldiers: • Caring, friendly, compassionate. • The soldiers were very compassionate towards Joe and made him feel like he was one of them. They reestablished his hopes of someday travelling over “many waters” to meet his father. • The soldiers showed how people of the same ethnicities tend to identify with each other and support each other creating a sense of a family even if they’ve just met.

9. TONE Insecure and isolated: At the beginning of the story, Joe feels alone and out of place in the orphanage. He has never meet another colored person like himself. He does not know were he belongs in the world or who he is. “At the very end of the parade” pg. 162 “’are Americans like me? Are they brown?’” pg. 164 “burst into tears.” pg. 165 Longing: After meeting his “father” Joe refuses to let go of him. He has finally found his place in the world and does not want to loose his newfound security and identity. “’I belong with you’” pg. 168 “’I don’t want to go back. I want to stay with papa.’” pg. 170 “’He promised, and then I let him go.’” pg. 172

10. IMAGERY “’across a great deal of water’” pg. 163 A visual description of his physical displacement. “He enclosed Joe in his great arms” pg. 167 This description of the sergeant's gesture of kindness causes Joe to view his “papa” as a strong, caring man whom he reveres. “The pink lining of his mouth, and then his whole soul, was flooded with warm, rich pleasure, and he beamed.” pg. 167 The chocolate, also representative of Joes absent negro family, leaves Joe with a lasting impression of the negro soldiers. The warming and happy effect of the chocolate is parallel to how he feels about finding his “father” and his people “’Man he’s glued to you, ain’t he, sergeant?’” pg.169 Illustrates the intense desire Joe has for a place in the world. He clings to the sergeant in attempt to keep his newfound “father” and learn more about himself.

11. Diction • Descriptive: • The diction helps emphasize the boys situati0n and also sometimes makes being an orphan not seem so bad, and when he talks about “his dad” and when the soldiers give him the chocolate, its like the lingering hope orphans have and need because they are alone. • The daily walks they go on shows the nuns desire to mask the realities of being an orphan and to make thing better for the children.