As I write my reader response on Grace Paley’s story “Distance” the only weak point I found was the dialect, making it was hard to read. The short story begins awkwardly confusing, and ends abruptly. Other than that, I found the story to be creative. I put down the book having known a funny, tough and timeless character. I felt the characters were true to form and consistent. Unfolding and getting to know Dolly …showed first 75 words of 357 total…

…showed last 75 words of 357 total…gave me an instant mental picture of what Dolly tried to express about a situation, or action. Though at times the story is crude and racist, it gave the story a more in-depth look into the characters of Dolly, Jack, John, Ginnie and the rest. Just as the “Beverly Hillbillies” are viewed by their watchers as lovable fruitcakes, I believe this is also true of the characters in the novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God.”