A Perfect Day for Bananafish is the story of the Glass couple. Muriel is a spoiled, wealthy socialite whose husband, Seymour, has just returned from fighting in World War II. Depressed, Seymour has retreated from the resort where he and his wife are vacationing and spends his days talking to a young, spoiled child named Sybil on a public beach. Seymour's failed attempts to convey his mental anguish to a child form the crux of the story, a tragic circumstance that contributes to his taking his own life.
The Divine Comedy is an epic poem about the journey of Florentine poet Dante into Hell and beyond to the kingdoms of Heaven. The poem is a political satire of religious and political structures in the Middle Ages in Italy and was revolutionary in featuring living figures of the period as damned souls condemned to Hell. Dante's journey is aided by the spirit of Roman poet Virgil and by the theological spirit Beatrice.
Everyday Use is the story of an African American family and its eldest daughter's conflict with her mother over their heritage as expressed through family heirlooms that will be passed down from the family's matriarch to her daughters. It dwells on themes of racial identity, African American heritage, and the ways in which families choose to honor or discard pieces of their familial identity. It also deals with the focus placed on objects signifying the past's connection to the present.