Homer, Hector, and the Smashed-up Jag | Betty Dravis | Great Story and Important Message All in One!

Homer, Hector, and the Smashed-up Jag | Betty Dravis | 'Pride and Prejudice'

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Homer, Hector, and...

	Homer, Hector, and the Smashed-up Jag Betty Dravis Amazon, 2006 - 18 pages average customer review:based on 13 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

For many years I wanted to write some kind of humorous/satirical story about my brother Homer's name and the childhood teasing he endured because of it. Considering that my mother had named two of my sisters Gladys and Beulah, I always felt lucky she chose Betty for me (but now that Ugly Betty is a TV pilot, I'm not so sure about that anymore). Siblings Dottie, John, Jr. and Philmore fared rather well in the name department, also. LOL. Then when a gardener named Hector entered our life and told us how he had always been ?hectored? about his name, the idea for this story gelled. Due to the differences in brother Homer's and Hector's jobs, lifestyles, and nationalities--Homer held a V.P. management job--I decided to work the story around the contemporary problem of ?prejudice.? I hope it entertains and amuses you.

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Great Story and Important Message All in One!

Homer is a wealthy movie producer, with a wife who's, well, biased against anyone who isn't white and doesn't have blue or green eyes. Hector is a Mexican American who works for the county and has a side business as a gardener. When Hector accidentally backs into Homer's jag, Homer feels sorry for the man. After all, he has ten kids and no insurance. So Homer asks Hector to his mansion so they can discuss how Hector can repay him. To his surprise, Homer enjoys hanging out with Hector and agrees to go to a ball game with him. Homer's wife isn't happy at all about this, nor that Homer intends to move Hector and his family into his gardener's cottage, which he intends to enlarge to accommodate them. But Homer and his wife are about to learn a valuable lesson from Hector, one that will change their lives forever.

This short story has an important message at its center, made all the more enjoyable due to Ms. Dravis's ability to deliver one heck of a good story wrapped around great characterization and dialogue. Like a talented comedian, this author knows when and where to display her glorious sense of humor and has a real knack for keeping her readers entertained throughout. Highly recommended!

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'Pride and Prejudice'

Betty Dravis has an affinity for Hollywood and is culturally astute. Her short story gets past the cultural assumptions people sometimes make in the divide between Anglo and Hispanic, wealthy and poor, native-born and (allegedly) foreign born people. With gentle good humor, we encounter Homer Fairshield, a successful Hollywood producer who gets in an accident while in his fancy Jaguar. It is here that he meets Hector Ramirez, a Hispanic-American who has hit him with his gardening truck. From there they work out terms until they get together at his place, while Homer awaits his wife, Helena, whom he expects to be upset. She has little tolerance for misfortune and even less for foreigners.

Her writing is striking. In the first part, the narrator lets us know, "My neck's stiff, my nerves are raw, and my hands are shaking like a novice actor's before his first shot." From here she unpeels the prejudices in the cultural divide with great skill. In her own way she does so only sympathetically. She never hits her characters over the head with a sledge hammer. Using absurdity and a solid message, her execution is fun and filled with good will.

As usual Betty Dravis has swung for the fences and comes out with a heart-warming winner.

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A feel good story in a world that could use a lot more of them!

Do you have ANY idea how hard it is to write a meaningful plot synopsis of a story that from beginning to end runs a mere 15 pages? Suffice it to say that Ms Dravis's wonderful tale revolves around three people - Hector, a Mexican-American gardener who "introduces" himself to Homer by the simple expedient of backing his truck up into Homer's outrageously expensive Jag; Homer, a wealthy Beverly Hills movie producer who recognizes that his recent malaise stems from an urge to return to the simpler days of his past; and, Helena, Homer's spoiled wife, who doesn't long to return anywhere at all because it's quite clear that she's forgotten where she came from!

I wouldn't presume to steal a single peal of Ms Dravis' thunder by recounting the story. I'll just tell you what she's achieved. In an extraordinarily small number of words, "Homer, Hector and the Smashed-up Jag" will teach its readers a thing or two about happiness, contentment, friendship and racism in a package that is both humorous and entertaining. Moreover, Ms Dravis managed that without even the tiniest lean in the direction of preaching or being patronizing.

And, if like me, you read the entire story and come to its ending realizing that you were expecting something entirely different to happen that simply didn't, then just maybe you'll learn a little something valuable about yourself as well.

Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

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Sweet and Happy

We all need more sweet and happy in our lives, and Betty Dravis' short story, Homer, Hector, and the Smashed up Jag provides a big dose. Once again, Ms Dravis' talent and creativity shine through in this little gem. I was completely captivated by this tale. It is a true page turner.

In just a few short pages, Ms. Dravis' brings her characters to life, full of personality and self. We know exactly who they are, and are impressed and won over by them. That takes real skill in short story writing: to completely develop not just one, but several characters, and have them grow and change so convincingly in so few words. These characters are truly alive.

The story itself is highly entertaining, with a subtle life lesson (or two) snuck in. The writing style is quiet and gentle with an easy, comfortable pace. Ms. Dravis does an excellent job of "showing not telling" us her story with lovely descriptions and marvelous characterizations. In the end, I really liked these people, and felt that they had become my friends. I really hope Ms. Dravis puts these new friends into another story.

Oh, and I loved the references to one of Ms. Dravis' novels as the current film project for the main character. Sandra Bullock and Johnny Depp, huh? Very cute...

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A Short Story For Our Present Times!!!

This story is something that really needs to be read by all adults, particularly in our current times. As I am sure everyone is now aware, we have our first United States President in Barack Obama who is also a man of color.

Although this short story is about racism, particularly Homer's wife. It is also a story about how getting past stereo types can lead to a more fulfilling life. Homer's car get's backed into by a Mexican. And from there it all begins. Interwoven through out are a lot of subtle messages and in her deft way with condensing a myriad of deep things to contemplate in a short space, Betty Dravis has done it again!

It's rich meets poor and a chance happenstance that turns "Those People" into actual human beings.

(Which they were all along but some time's fate has a way of making people cross paths in order for that to be realized).

In my view, it is more important now than ever before, for all of us to drop the stereo types and the class divisions and realize that we are all in this together. And this story succinctly makes that clear in the span of a few pages.

In one part, she mentions a famous singer (I won't say names) who she (Helena) is in my opinion "OK" with, solely because she has talent and can make her money, but you get the sense that only talented people of color have any place in her world. But if they have green or blue eyes, they are welcomed, no hold's barred. Which is another subtle message that those of color have to be something more to get the treatment that others get just based on being born White. But I'd be remiss if I left it at that because sadly, it goes the other way as well. Eminem, Christina Aguilera, Kelley Clarkson, Celine Dion and others are loved by people also of color because their talent transcends racial boundaries as well.

I didn't like Helena much initially, because she seemed so shallow, prejudiced and superficial but as Betty weaves this piece, we come to understand that through Homer's interaction and acceptance of his new friend and his willingness to go with what his heart was telling him, that it can radiate from there and grow outward to where even people like Helen are positively affected. I took a break to read this piece from something else I'm reading that is a really "Heavy" read! ISLAND by Aldous Huxley. In one part it says;

"Which is better--to be born stupid into an intelligent society or to be born intelligent into an insane one?"

I've been pondering that one a long time but I realize it doesn't matter. We are born for the most part, intelligent into an insane one.

I myself was in my early twenties before I realized "Spanish People" were really White. Might sound silly but try it. If someone says, "Met a new friend, they're Spanish!" What is the first picture YOU get in your mind here in America?

Suffice it to say, that it really shouldn't matter any way but to the present day for many it still does.

Betty's story is a solid testimony as to why it shouldn't and why if it didn't, our world would be a lot more sane.

Chase Von

Your Chance to Hear The Last Panther Speak

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

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