"The box that the fur came out of was on the bed. She unclasped the necklet quickly; quickly, without looking, laid it inside. But when she put the lid on she thought she heard something crying." pg 186
Miss Brill
Katherine Mansfield
Miss Brill enjoys her Sundays in the park because it's her chance to be a part of the community. She can be around others in the park, listen to the band with everyone, partake in plays, and converse with others [Does she even speak French though...?]. She looks forward to Sundays as a time to work on her French culture knowledge and such, since she herself is originally from England.
The fur coat that Miss Brill wears is a symbol that represents her longing to fit in with French society. She seems to believe that dressing like she is rich will help her to fit in, but it really does not, considering a young couple made fun of her for wearing the fur coat. While Miss Brill has the fur coat on it seems that she is confident that she can fit in with this group of people. While she has the coat off, she accepts that she really cannot be a part of this crowd because she is not accustomed to their culture--as seen in the above quote. The resolution is Miss Brill's reluctant realization that she cannot belong in this society. The theme of this story may be something along the lines of "you cannot always fit into a culture that you were not born into." That's a really depressing theme...Poor lonely woman :(
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Once upon a Time
"He dragged a ladder to the wall, the shining coiled tunnel was just wide enough for his little body to creep in, and with the first fixing of its razor teeth in his knees and hands and head he screamed and struggled deeper into its tangle." pg 236
Once upon a Time
Nadine Gordimer
Upon seeing the title of this story I thought it would be a fairytale of some sort, but I was wrong. The ending was definitely not happily ever after with all of the conflicts resolved.
Throughout this story, the main literary device I noted was irony. The story itself was ironic because the speaker considered it a children's story; after reading this story I think we can agree that this is not meant to be read to children, since a child died at the end.
It's also ironic though because the people in the neighborhood were so afraid of burglaries that they were supposed to be protecting themselves with fences and barbed wires and such, yet they were really just endangering themselves even more. If they had not installed all of the fancy burglary systems and had been robbed, that robbery still would have been a better situation compared to the death of the son via teeth on the razor sharp anti-burglar fence. The parents don't seem to realize a burglary is something that's temporary; the death of the son on the other hand, is permanent. Which is the better choice in this situation...? Hmm
Possible themes in this story may be that you should be cautionary when someone warns you, but it should not take over to the extent where it can actually cause more danger. It defeats the purpose to try to be cautionary against burglars by installing huge lethal fences that can harm people in one's own family.
Finally, the words "YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED" apply to everyone, not just the burglars, as seen with the final scene of the son being chopped up by the fence.
Once upon a Time
Nadine Gordimer
Upon seeing the title of this story I thought it would be a fairytale of some sort, but I was wrong. The ending was definitely not happily ever after with all of the conflicts resolved.
Throughout this story, the main literary device I noted was irony. The story itself was ironic because the speaker considered it a children's story; after reading this story I think we can agree that this is not meant to be read to children, since a child died at the end.
It's also ironic though because the people in the neighborhood were so afraid of burglaries that they were supposed to be protecting themselves with fences and barbed wires and such, yet they were really just endangering themselves even more. If they had not installed all of the fancy burglary systems and had been robbed, that robbery still would have been a better situation compared to the death of the son via teeth on the razor sharp anti-burglar fence. The parents don't seem to realize a burglary is something that's temporary; the death of the son on the other hand, is permanent. Which is the better choice in this situation...? Hmm
Possible themes in this story may be that you should be cautionary when someone warns you, but it should not take over to the extent where it can actually cause more danger. It defeats the purpose to try to be cautionary against burglars by installing huge lethal fences that can harm people in one's own family.
Finally, the words "YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED" apply to everyone, not just the burglars, as seen with the final scene of the son being chopped up by the fence.
A Worn Path
"'I'm an old woman without an education. It was my memory fail me. My little grandson, he is just the same, and I forgot it in the coming.'" pg 229
A Worn Path
Eudora Welty
Phoenix Jackson is an old woman who trudges through woods in order to make it to the town that sells her grandson's medicine. This journey must be familiar to her since she is greeted by many people along the way and the people seem to know her so well that they address her as "granny" and "grandma." Throughout this quest, Phoenix frequently sees things that are not really there, almost like hallucinations; for example she imagines a little boy bringing her a plate with cake on it, and she mistakes a scarecrow for a ghost. There is a vibe that Phoenix is a confused old woman through these actions, and also by the fact that she keeps talking out loud to herself.
When she reaches her destination, the nurses ask her all about her grandson. I personally believe that Phoenix's grandson is dead and that the nurses are trying to get her to accept this fact. One nurse asks, "He isn't dead, is he?" maybe hoping that she will admit this truth. When first asked if the boy was better since she last came for medicine, she "waited, silent, erect and motionless, just as if she were in armor." This simile shows that the old woman is unable to give much information about the boy because she may not be able to accept that he could be gone. The old woman seems to be pretending he's not gone because knowing he is would be a reality that is too hard to handle. The theme of this story may be something along of the lines of "Real love continues even after death/after something has passed." It may sound cheesy but Phoenix still cares about her grandson to a great extent since she walks through the woods to get him medicine even though [I'm assuming] he's dead. Or it could be that "Fate is not always easy to accept." Phoenix has a hard time accepting the truth about her grandson, so she pretends it's not actually happening. Either that or the theme is just something concrete like: memory loss causes you to do odd things. I really don't know. Knowing whether or not the grandson is dead may change the theme..
A Worn Path
Eudora Welty
Phoenix Jackson is an old woman who trudges through woods in order to make it to the town that sells her grandson's medicine. This journey must be familiar to her since she is greeted by many people along the way and the people seem to know her so well that they address her as "granny" and "grandma." Throughout this quest, Phoenix frequently sees things that are not really there, almost like hallucinations; for example she imagines a little boy bringing her a plate with cake on it, and she mistakes a scarecrow for a ghost. There is a vibe that Phoenix is a confused old woman through these actions, and also by the fact that she keeps talking out loud to herself.
When she reaches her destination, the nurses ask her all about her grandson. I personally believe that Phoenix's grandson is dead and that the nurses are trying to get her to accept this fact. One nurse asks, "He isn't dead, is he?" maybe hoping that she will admit this truth. When first asked if the boy was better since she last came for medicine, she "waited, silent, erect and motionless, just as if she were in armor." This simile shows that the old woman is unable to give much information about the boy because she may not be able to accept that he could be gone. The old woman seems to be pretending he's not gone because knowing he is would be a reality that is too hard to handle. The theme of this story may be something along of the lines of "Real love continues even after death/after something has passed." It may sound cheesy but Phoenix still cares about her grandson to a great extent since she walks through the woods to get him medicine even though [I'm assuming] he's dead. Or it could be that "Fate is not always easy to accept." Phoenix has a hard time accepting the truth about her grandson, so she pretends it's not actually happening. Either that or the theme is just something concrete like: memory loss causes you to do odd things. I really don't know. Knowing whether or not the grandson is dead may change the theme..
Eveline
"All the seas of the world tumbled about her heart. He was drawing her into them: he would drown her." pg 222
Eveline
James Joyce
Eveline is a character who has a led a difficult life, between her abusive father and low-income family. After her mother died due to an illness, she was left with no one to protect her. Eveline was then forced to be the main provider for the family and she had to cast all her well-earned money to her father. While working at the store, she meets Frank, who is directly characterized as, "kind," "manly" and "open-hearted." Being with Frank makes Eveline feel like there is hope to escape her hard life. Eveline's father, though, does not favor Frank because he is a sailor, meaning he most likely is unreliable and full of talk. Frank serves almost as a foil character to Eveline's father because they act opposite of each other; Frank wants to free Eveline of her current lifestyle, while Eveline's father would prefer her to remain confined with her father and brothers. At the end of the story, Eveline is forced to make a decision between freedom with Frank or the familiar route-staying with her family. The above quote reveals Eveline's fear that Frank "would drown her." This means she did not really trust Frank and what he said he could do for her. Eveline chooses to go back to her regular lifestyle for two reasons: She made a promise to her mother that she would keep the home together as long as she could, and she also had a fear of the unknown, a fear that she might dislike this new life more than her current life. Eveline didn't know if she could handle the contrast of a completely different lifestyle with Frank so she decided to stick with what she knew, and what was familiar to her.
Eveline
James Joyce
Eveline is a character who has a led a difficult life, between her abusive father and low-income family. After her mother died due to an illness, she was left with no one to protect her. Eveline was then forced to be the main provider for the family and she had to cast all her well-earned money to her father. While working at the store, she meets Frank, who is directly characterized as, "kind," "manly" and "open-hearted." Being with Frank makes Eveline feel like there is hope to escape her hard life. Eveline's father, though, does not favor Frank because he is a sailor, meaning he most likely is unreliable and full of talk. Frank serves almost as a foil character to Eveline's father because they act opposite of each other; Frank wants to free Eveline of her current lifestyle, while Eveline's father would prefer her to remain confined with her father and brothers. At the end of the story, Eveline is forced to make a decision between freedom with Frank or the familiar route-staying with her family. The above quote reveals Eveline's fear that Frank "would drown her." This means she did not really trust Frank and what he said he could do for her. Eveline chooses to go back to her regular lifestyle for two reasons: She made a promise to her mother that she would keep the home together as long as she could, and she also had a fear of the unknown, a fear that she might dislike this new life more than her current life. Eveline didn't know if she could handle the contrast of a completely different lifestyle with Frank so she decided to stick with what she knew, and what was familiar to her.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Hunter in the Snow
"Frank, when you've got a friend it means you've always got someone on your side, no matter what. That's the way I feel about it anyway." pg 198, paragraph 197
Hunter in the Snow
Tobias Wolff
I find it ironic that Tub considers Frank to be a good friend of his, when earlier in the story, Tub was telling Frank, "You used to stick up for me," and complaining about how Frank was being mean to him. In the beginning of the story, Frank was mainly friends with just Kenny, joking around with him and making fun of Tub. Yet once Kenny was hurt, Frank sided with Tub. It seems that Frank is a follower, rather than a leader. He follows the stronger person in the situation; at first he went along with Kenny, the reckless, talkative guy, yet once Kenny was hurt he turned his attention toward Tub. I don't think any of these men know the meaning of friendship because they don't really seem to know when the appropriate time to tell each other things is. For example, Kenny shoots the dog. Tub mistakes that action as an action of cruelty, causing Tub to then shoot Kenny ..(and because Kenny said he hated Tub). All of this may have been avoided if Kenny had maybe said something about being told to shoot the dog because it was sick...then Tub probably wouldn't have shot Kenny. Also, though Tub and Frank were having a heart to heart in the restaurant and being friends, I think they should have been doing more important things like taking their supposed friend Kenny to the hospital, rather than leaving him in the cold in back of the truck. Yet Tub and Frank decided to be selfish and warm themselves in a sheltered building, and they left Kenny to be outside bleeding to death. All of these characters need a lesson or two about friendship...
Hunter in the Snow
Tobias Wolff
I find it ironic that Tub considers Frank to be a good friend of his, when earlier in the story, Tub was telling Frank, "You used to stick up for me," and complaining about how Frank was being mean to him. In the beginning of the story, Frank was mainly friends with just Kenny, joking around with him and making fun of Tub. Yet once Kenny was hurt, Frank sided with Tub. It seems that Frank is a follower, rather than a leader. He follows the stronger person in the situation; at first he went along with Kenny, the reckless, talkative guy, yet once Kenny was hurt he turned his attention toward Tub. I don't think any of these men know the meaning of friendship because they don't really seem to know when the appropriate time to tell each other things is. For example, Kenny shoots the dog. Tub mistakes that action as an action of cruelty, causing Tub to then shoot Kenny ..(and because Kenny said he hated Tub). All of this may have been avoided if Kenny had maybe said something about being told to shoot the dog because it was sick...then Tub probably wouldn't have shot Kenny. Also, though Tub and Frank were having a heart to heart in the restaurant and being friends, I think they should have been doing more important things like taking their supposed friend Kenny to the hospital, rather than leaving him in the cold in back of the truck. Yet Tub and Frank decided to be selfish and warm themselves in a sheltered building, and they left Kenny to be outside bleeding to death. All of these characters need a lesson or two about friendship...
Heritage
"But they're priceless!" she was saying now, furiously; for she has a temper. "Maggie would put them on the bed and in five years they'd be in rags. Less than that!"pg 180, paragraph 68
Everyday Use
Alice Walker
Dee is a complex character because of her contradictory view of her heritage. In the story she stated that she "couldn't bear being named after the people who oppressed" her. This is a reference to slavery, but Dee is clearly confused because her Mother insists she was just named after her Grandmother Dee.
Nonetheless, later Dee wants to claim the family quilts as hers, to honor and respect her heritage. I find it confusing that she rejects her heritage, yet wants to claim it at the same time. Dee most likely is ashamed of her her skin color which causes her to rename herself Wangero. Her powerful and controlling manner over her sister Maggie cause her to yearn for the quilts; she wants the quilts because she doesn't want Maggie to have them--she feels like she deserves them more. I feel like her demand for the quilts is rooted in her "must have it all" personality rather than her supposed want to honor her heritage. Dee obviously doesn't understand her heritage, and I think that this is why Mama gives the quilts to Maggie instead of Dee. Dee will never be able to appreciate the quilts for what they really stand for.
Everyday Use
Alice Walker
Dee is a complex character because of her contradictory view of her heritage. In the story she stated that she "couldn't bear being named after the people who oppressed" her. This is a reference to slavery, but Dee is clearly confused because her Mother insists she was just named after her Grandmother Dee.
Nonetheless, later Dee wants to claim the family quilts as hers, to honor and respect her heritage. I find it confusing that she rejects her heritage, yet wants to claim it at the same time. Dee most likely is ashamed of her her skin color which causes her to rename herself Wangero. Her powerful and controlling manner over her sister Maggie cause her to yearn for the quilts; she wants the quilts because she doesn't want Maggie to have them--she feels like she deserves them more. I feel like her demand for the quilts is rooted in her "must have it all" personality rather than her supposed want to honor her heritage. Dee obviously doesn't understand her heritage, and I think that this is why Mama gives the quilts to Maggie instead of Dee. Dee will never be able to appreciate the quilts for what they really stand for.
Everyday Use
"I did something I never had done before: hugged Maggie to me, then dragged her on into the room, snatched the quilts out of Miss Wangero's hands and dumped them into Maggie's lap. Maggie just sat there on my bed with her mouth open." pg 181, paragraph 76
Everyday Use
Alice Walker
Throughout this story, the character Maggie is directly characterized by her mother. She talks about how Maggie is, "nervous," "not bright,"and "standing hopelessly in corners." We can conclude that when the old house burned down, it caused permanent damage to her self-confidence because it left behind burn scars on her skin. This is one of the reasons that Maggie feels inferior to her older sister, Dee. Maggie "ey[es] her sister with a mixture of envy and awe" because she is like the opposite of herself: Dee is assertive, aggressive, confident, and the kind of person that gets what she wants.
When Dee wants to claim the quilts so that she can proudly display her heritage, Maggie is submissive to what Dee asks for and says she can have the quilts. Maggie allows her to go through with it because it's what she's used to; Maggie is used to Dee winning an argument, and coming out with the item she wants. In the story there is the overall notion that Maggie and Mama put up with Dee's bossy attitude, allowing Dee to control them. Dee wants to be an important and dignified person, and it's not until the end of the story that Mama stands up for herself and Maggie by giving the quilts to Maggie, who really deserves them, reversing the accepted authority of Dee in the household.
Everyday Use
Alice Walker
Throughout this story, the character Maggie is directly characterized by her mother. She talks about how Maggie is, "nervous," "not bright,"and "standing hopelessly in corners." We can conclude that when the old house burned down, it caused permanent damage to her self-confidence because it left behind burn scars on her skin. This is one of the reasons that Maggie feels inferior to her older sister, Dee. Maggie "ey[es] her sister with a mixture of envy and awe" because she is like the opposite of herself: Dee is assertive, aggressive, confident, and the kind of person that gets what she wants.
When Dee wants to claim the quilts so that she can proudly display her heritage, Maggie is submissive to what Dee asks for and says she can have the quilts. Maggie allows her to go through with it because it's what she's used to; Maggie is used to Dee winning an argument, and coming out with the item she wants. In the story there is the overall notion that Maggie and Mama put up with Dee's bossy attitude, allowing Dee to control them. Dee wants to be an important and dignified person, and it's not until the end of the story that Mama stands up for herself and Maggie by giving the quilts to Maggie, who really deserves them, reversing the accepted authority of Dee in the household.
The Eccentricites of Bartleby
"I might give alms to his body, but his body did not pain him; it was his soul that suffered, and his soul I could not reach" pg 658, paragraph 93
Bartleby the Scrivener
Herman Melville
The narrator has a very complex attitude towards Bartleby. On one hand, the lawyer cannot stand Bartleby for his passiveness and refusal to do anything which can be rather irritating and irksome. On the other hand, the narrator feels sorry for Bartleby and he feels as though no one else would hire Bartleby or care for him better than he does at his workplace. The narrator also accepts Bartleby because he could "eventually prove a sweet morsel for [his] conscience." The narrator is in fact, being a good Christian and acting as a good person by caring for someone that others would merely cast aside as "loony."
When Bartleby is asked to do a task, the lawyer usually receives the response, "I would prefer not to," in a very calm tone, instead of an angry tone of refusal. This mysterious manner of Bartleby causes the narrator to want to know more about Bartleby and why he acts the way he does. Why does this man think he can choose when he wants to work? And what is causing this man to only want to work at certain times? The narrator starts to spend all of his time pondering Bartleby and why he acts so eccentric and odd. At one point, the narrator concludes that his eccentricities are involuntary, and that he has some sort of disorder. He decides that his soul is suffering and this causes him to be so solitary, quiet, and "free from dissipation."
At the end of the story it appears that the narrator's own selfishness and fear that Bartleby may "claim possession of office by right of his perpetual occupancy" cause him to decide that he must get rid of Bartleby by basically whatever way possible. The other lawyers were already concerned as to why the lawyer allowed a strange man to stand around looking out the windows for extended amounts of time, so in an attempt to save his own reputation, the narrator decided to move the office so that he could rid of Bartleby forever.
My theory as to why Bartleby is so mysterious and strange is that something may have happened during his childhood that caused him to be rather timid and nervous around other people. I'm not sure what exactly might have happened, but it seems like Bartleby doesn't trust anyone. Maybe it's not important as to why he acts the way he does, but I feel bad for him because there must be something that went wrong at some point in his life that causes him to act in a such a way.
Bartleby the Scrivener
Herman Melville
The narrator has a very complex attitude towards Bartleby. On one hand, the lawyer cannot stand Bartleby for his passiveness and refusal to do anything which can be rather irritating and irksome. On the other hand, the narrator feels sorry for Bartleby and he feels as though no one else would hire Bartleby or care for him better than he does at his workplace. The narrator also accepts Bartleby because he could "eventually prove a sweet morsel for [his] conscience." The narrator is in fact, being a good Christian and acting as a good person by caring for someone that others would merely cast aside as "loony."
When Bartleby is asked to do a task, the lawyer usually receives the response, "I would prefer not to," in a very calm tone, instead of an angry tone of refusal. This mysterious manner of Bartleby causes the narrator to want to know more about Bartleby and why he acts the way he does. Why does this man think he can choose when he wants to work? And what is causing this man to only want to work at certain times? The narrator starts to spend all of his time pondering Bartleby and why he acts so eccentric and odd. At one point, the narrator concludes that his eccentricities are involuntary, and that he has some sort of disorder. He decides that his soul is suffering and this causes him to be so solitary, quiet, and "free from dissipation."
At the end of the story it appears that the narrator's own selfishness and fear that Bartleby may "claim possession of office by right of his perpetual occupancy" cause him to decide that he must get rid of Bartleby by basically whatever way possible. The other lawyers were already concerned as to why the lawyer allowed a strange man to stand around looking out the windows for extended amounts of time, so in an attempt to save his own reputation, the narrator decided to move the office so that he could rid of Bartleby forever.
My theory as to why Bartleby is so mysterious and strange is that something may have happened during his childhood that caused him to be rather timid and nervous around other people. I'm not sure what exactly might have happened, but it seems like Bartleby doesn't trust anyone. Maybe it's not important as to why he acts the way he does, but I feel bad for him because there must be something that went wrong at some point in his life that causes him to act in a such a way.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
A Rose for Emily
"When she had first begun to be seen with Homer Barron, we had said, 'She will marry him.' Then we said, 'She will persuade him yet,' because Homer himself had remarked-he liked men, and was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elk's Club-that he was not a marrying man." pg 287
A Rose for Emily
William Faulkner
For this story I'll answer number 6:
"How is the point of view related to the plot structure? What might be the rationale for diving the story into five distinct sections and for violating narrative chronology?"
The point of view of this story is first person plural. It is most likely said by the viewpoint of the townspeople observing Emily's life. This point of view does not help to give in-depth insight into why Emily acts the way she does. Although, the structure of the story is divided into 5 different sections to foreshadow the reasons as to why Emily poisoned Homer with arsenic. Section 1 describes her initial anger at having to pay taxes when she didn't used to have to pay them. The second section goes into the detail of the foul smell surrounding her house. This smell is most likely the dead human body that has been decaying in her house. She kept the body in the house because, as concluded above, "she would persuade him," to be with her even if it was by killing him. Section 3 describes how she would get Homer to forever be with her, because she buys the arsenic. Section four shows Emily's old age, greying hair, and death. Section five reveals that Emily was the criminal, because her grey hair is found on the bed where the body was. These five sections show Emily's motives for her actions. When things don't go her way, she makes sure they do, even if it involves killing someone.
A Rose for Emily
William Faulkner
For this story I'll answer number 6:
"How is the point of view related to the plot structure? What might be the rationale for diving the story into five distinct sections and for violating narrative chronology?"
The point of view of this story is first person plural. It is most likely said by the viewpoint of the townspeople observing Emily's life. This point of view does not help to give in-depth insight into why Emily acts the way she does. Although, the structure of the story is divided into 5 different sections to foreshadow the reasons as to why Emily poisoned Homer with arsenic. Section 1 describes her initial anger at having to pay taxes when she didn't used to have to pay them. The second section goes into the detail of the foul smell surrounding her house. This smell is most likely the dead human body that has been decaying in her house. She kept the body in the house because, as concluded above, "she would persuade him," to be with her even if it was by killing him. Section 3 describes how she would get Homer to forever be with her, because she buys the arsenic. Section four shows Emily's old age, greying hair, and death. Section five reveals that Emily was the criminal, because her grey hair is found on the bed where the body was. These five sections show Emily's motives for her actions. When things don't go her way, she makes sure they do, even if it involves killing someone.
Interpreter Again
"When she whipped out the hairbrush, the slip of paper with Mr. Kapasi's address on it fluttered away in the wind." pg 166
Interpreter of Maladies
Jhumpa Lahiri
Throughout the story, there is a sympathetic tone set up toward Mr. Kapasi's character. He finds his job as an interpreter for doctor's to be mundane and unimportant. He had always hoped to be something more honorable like an interpreter for diplomats. He is a lonely tour guide too, even though he is married. His marriage seem to be failing, as his wife does not appear to be truly in love with him. He finds hope in Mrs. Das's kindness and interest in him, yet his hopes all come crashing down as the story comes to a close, and his address flies away from her purse. All of these things cause us to feel sorry for or sympathetic toward Mr. Kapasi. The ending of this story was unhappy because Mr. Kapasi realized that he wasn't fit for Mrs. Das and her life. I feel bad for Mr. Kapasi because he doesn't seem to have any joy in his life. Meanwhile, Mrs. Das has children and a husband that does care about her, and she does not seem to fully appreciate them. Mr. Kapasi really just wants to be noticed, which is why he initially took interest in Mrs. Das, because she displayed curiosity about his job as an interpreter. Even though Mr. Kapasi doesn't realize it, he does have worth and meaning in his life: he helps to cure people from maladies all the time, which couldn't even be done without his interpretations.
Interpreter of Maladies
Jhumpa Lahiri
Throughout the story, there is a sympathetic tone set up toward Mr. Kapasi's character. He finds his job as an interpreter for doctor's to be mundane and unimportant. He had always hoped to be something more honorable like an interpreter for diplomats. He is a lonely tour guide too, even though he is married. His marriage seem to be failing, as his wife does not appear to be truly in love with him. He finds hope in Mrs. Das's kindness and interest in him, yet his hopes all come crashing down as the story comes to a close, and his address flies away from her purse. All of these things cause us to feel sorry for or sympathetic toward Mr. Kapasi. The ending of this story was unhappy because Mr. Kapasi realized that he wasn't fit for Mrs. Das and her life. I feel bad for Mr. Kapasi because he doesn't seem to have any joy in his life. Meanwhile, Mrs. Das has children and a husband that does care about her, and she does not seem to fully appreciate them. Mr. Kapasi really just wants to be noticed, which is why he initially took interest in Mrs. Das, because she displayed curiosity about his job as an interpreter. Even though Mr. Kapasi doesn't realize it, he does have worth and meaning in his life: he helps to cure people from maladies all the time, which couldn't even be done without his interpretations.
Interpreter of Maladies
"I am not a doctor. I work with one. As an interpreter." pg 152
Interpreter of Maladies
Juhmpa Lahiri
This story was rather ironic because of how Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das had completely different interpretations of situations. First off, Mr. Kapasi took Mrs. Das's interest in his job as an interpreter for doctor's as a sign that she was hitting on him. Mrs. Das, on the other hand, was instead trying to dig deeper into Mr. Kapasi's career to see if he could somehow help her out with her maladies in life. The entire time, Mr. Kapasi imagined himself falling in love with Mrs. Das and receiving her letter in six weeks while Mrs. Das was focusing on what advice she could possibly pry from Mr. Kapasi. Mrs. Das's character was a little bit manipulative. She was intent on receiving comfort from Mr. Kapasi as to how she could deal with the guilt that she experienced from the affair she had with another man. She was depressed with her life, since she was constantly reminded of the affair because of her son Bobby, who was not even the real son of her husband, Raj. Although I understand her reasoning behind why she is depressed, it was still sad when Mr. Kapasi realized Mrs. Das was only after him for the benefits his career might provide her. I found it funny and ironic too that Mrs. Das thought Mr. Kapasi was basically a psychiatrist, when instead, he really only interpreted physical problems, not mental problems; Mrs. Das's misinterpretation of Mr. Kapasi's career made the ending ironic.
Interpreter of Maladies
Juhmpa Lahiri
This story was rather ironic because of how Mr. Kapasi and Mrs. Das had completely different interpretations of situations. First off, Mr. Kapasi took Mrs. Das's interest in his job as an interpreter for doctor's as a sign that she was hitting on him. Mrs. Das, on the other hand, was instead trying to dig deeper into Mr. Kapasi's career to see if he could somehow help her out with her maladies in life. The entire time, Mr. Kapasi imagined himself falling in love with Mrs. Das and receiving her letter in six weeks while Mrs. Das was focusing on what advice she could possibly pry from Mr. Kapasi. Mrs. Das's character was a little bit manipulative. She was intent on receiving comfort from Mr. Kapasi as to how she could deal with the guilt that she experienced from the affair she had with another man. She was depressed with her life, since she was constantly reminded of the affair because of her son Bobby, who was not even the real son of her husband, Raj. Although I understand her reasoning behind why she is depressed, it was still sad when Mr. Kapasi realized Mrs. Das was only after him for the benefits his career might provide her. I found it funny and ironic too that Mrs. Das thought Mr. Kapasi was basically a psychiatrist, when instead, he really only interpreted physical problems, not mental problems; Mrs. Das's misinterpretation of Mr. Kapasi's career made the ending ironic.
How I Met My Husband
"There were women just waiting and waiting by mailboxes for one letter or another. I imagined me making this journey day after day and year after year, my hair starting to go gray, and I thought, I was never made to go on like that." pg 146
How I Met My Husband
Alice Munro
For this story, I am going to answer question 6:
"Can you detect the voice of an older, wiser Edie who is distinct from the young girl working for Dr. and Mrs. Peebles?"
This story is mainly a reminiscent one because the narrator Edie says things such as, "I didn't know how to joke back then," and, "I was slimmer at fifteen that anybody would believe who knows me now." Quotes like these show that Edie is wiser and older, looking back on a past event, possibly telling children or grandchildren the story of how she met her husband.
At the beginning of the story, Edie is portrayed as innocent because she fell for an older man, Chris, and she didn't understand what intimacy was. She was a girl that was in love with/infatuated with Chris who accepted her even though she was a "hired girl," and who also called her beautiful, so "out of the common for a man to say something like that to a woman." Though the two only met a few times, Edie had hope that he would send her letters and that they would maybe end up together one day. Toward the end, though, reality struck Edie. She began to mature when she decided that she wouldn't waste her life waiting around for a man she hardly knew. The message of this story is that if you sit around waiting for the perfect moment, it just might pass you by. Basically, don't waste away time waiting for something to happen, do something about it. When she realized that she couldn't spend her time waiting around for something that would never come, she let go the part of her that was a naive young girl.
How I Met My Husband
Alice Munro
For this story, I am going to answer question 6:
"Can you detect the voice of an older, wiser Edie who is distinct from the young girl working for Dr. and Mrs. Peebles?"
This story is mainly a reminiscent one because the narrator Edie says things such as, "I didn't know how to joke back then," and, "I was slimmer at fifteen that anybody would believe who knows me now." Quotes like these show that Edie is wiser and older, looking back on a past event, possibly telling children or grandchildren the story of how she met her husband.
At the beginning of the story, Edie is portrayed as innocent because she fell for an older man, Chris, and she didn't understand what intimacy was. She was a girl that was in love with/infatuated with Chris who accepted her even though she was a "hired girl," and who also called her beautiful, so "out of the common for a man to say something like that to a woman." Though the two only met a few times, Edie had hope that he would send her letters and that they would maybe end up together one day. Toward the end, though, reality struck Edie. She began to mature when she decided that she wouldn't waste her life waiting around for a man she hardly knew. The message of this story is that if you sit around waiting for the perfect moment, it just might pass you by. Basically, don't waste away time waiting for something to happen, do something about it. When she realized that she couldn't spend her time waiting around for something that would never come, she let go the part of her that was a naive young girl.
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