Multi Genre Project

Short Story

Topic: Unemployment

One day a man named John Reed, who was an African American (Appositive), was an experienced worker who worked at Steel Corp., and always got the Job done every time he got to work. That morning when he got to work, a big argument was heard through the halls of his job. He ran toward his boss’s office and opened the door. When he opened the door, he saw people arguing and throwing things at their boss.

“What is going on here?” John asked.

A man who stood beside him looked towards him with an angry look, “The boss sold the company and now they are talking about getting rid of us.”

John walked through the crowd of people who were all angry about this. John looked at his boss with a disappointed look. The boss saw him and jumped down from the table he was standing on.

“Oh John, am I glad to see you, how are you doing?” the boss said with a nervous tremor.

John gave the boss an angry stare. “Don’t try to change the subject. Why did you sell this company? Why did you let them fire all of us?”

“O’ John (Apostrophe), now this is just business, this-(Aposiopesis).” The boss said as he was interrupted by John.

“Well I hope you are happy,” John said as he walked off.

As three months passed, John was unemployed. He had no money to buy him nothing. All he got was unemployment checks that he barely could cash. In the year of 2010, in November, unemployment has reached a rate of 9.8%. People said that mostly minorities are the cause of the unemployment. John was devastated, and couldn’t bear this burden of being unemployed. John tried searching for jobs all around his city and his state. The only thing he didn’t have for some of the jobs was his college degree; he never finished college because of money troubles. John had just given up on his life and just lived on the streets.

“Well although I’m unemployed and out on the streets, I have faith that a breakthrough will come (Antagoge),” John said while he was looking up at the bright sky (Assonance).

A year had passed and John still was unemployed, and had no one to call to help him. As John was walking, he spotted a flyer that said “Help wanted. Need an experienced worker.”

“I can’t believe it- maybe this is my breakthrough (Anacoluthon),” John said.

That day John went through the doors of the place that the flyer came from. He walked towards the desk where an assistant was sitting. The assistant looked up at him with a disgusted gaze.

“I am here for the job opening,” John said.

“Ok… the boss will be with you shortly,” said the assistant.

A few hours had passed and the boss came to see who was next for the job. He looked and saw a man with a shaggy beard and a nappy afro.

“Is this the last one?” the boss asked.

“Yes sir.” The assistant replied.

The boss walked up to the man and introduced himself. “Hello, my name is tom Bradley.

John stood up and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you; my name is John Reed.”

John and Tom went to the office. After 3 hours, Tom told John that he will be in touch with John. John looked up and nodded. After 2 months had passed John was sitting on the sidewalk until a yellow cab pulled up. A man with a black trench coat ran up to him.

“Are you John Reed?” the man asked.

“Yes I am,” John answered. “You must be Tom Bradley from that job.

“Yes, I’m glad you still remembered, I just came to say you got the job John,” Tom said.

John’s eyes widened and he jumped around with joy.

“Thank you, Thank you,” John said happily.

“You are welcome, work starts tomorrow,” Tom said.

John was so happy that he couldn’t do nothing but cry. Tom shook John’s hand and left. John walked away in happiness.

“No more unemployment,” John said walking into the sunset.