Sunday, January 27, 2013

The Story of an Hour

"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
"When the doctors came they said she had dies of heart disease-of joy that kills" (Chopin, 327).

The use of apostrophe is used when Mrs. Mallard remarks on her past with her husband after learning of his death. She addresses love as she described it to be "creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds" (Chopin, 326). Mrs. Mallard does not care for the fate of her husband, she is rather content with his death and freedom. She also recognizes death to be attempting to "possess" her. As Mrs. Mallard contends with his death, she began to see his death as her becoming "a goddess of Victory" as she had won her freedom from her husband that she claims to have only loved him partially. Lastly, the last line of the story fully sums up Mrs. Mallard's parting with her husband. As soon as he walks back in as nothing happened to him, she dies. The "of joy that kills" was directly associated and ironic with the joy she should have felt for his return yet she died out of shock instead. She was joyous when she thought he was dead but died when she found out he was really alive. 

Popular Mechanics

"Popular Mechanics" by Raymond Carver
"In this manner, the issue was decided" (Carver, 335).

The overall set-up of the short story was without quotations around the dialog. The implication seems to be that the entirety of the events was so fast that there was little room for comprehension for the participants in the argument and the result of the argument. Q#1: The issue between the couple seems to be the custody battle. Although the initial argument between the two was not over custody, the focus was on that. The decision was not necessarily a decision directly made by the couple. Based on the context, something obviously happened to the baby that prevents either parent from getting it. Personally, I felt the story implied that the baby was dead. Either way, the author left it out as it was not important except that at this point, there is no custody battle between the two. Q#3: The small actions of the story cause the rest of the story to occur. Without picking up the picture, the custody argument would most likely have not occurred in such a heated moment in another argument. Instead of letting a third party aid with the decision, the couple took it into their own hands. Also, the flower pot seems to parallel with the baby. Both the pot and the baby are fragile. By not being careful with the flowerpot, it is broken. With the baby, neither parent cared about the baby but winning the fight, and the baby is presumably broken. 

Getting Out

"Getting Out" by Cleopatra Mathis
"Yet I think of the lawyer's bewilderment/when we cried, the last day" (Mathis, 896).

Q#2: The line containing "matching eyes and hair" (16) explains that the love and marriage of the two was based on the outside appearance of the individuals. Not much deep love is explained in the poem therefore, the marriage was bound to end. The maturity of the two also seems to be lacking as in the explanation of the lawyer finalizing the divorce, the two were sad and closer than a divorced couple would tend to be. The marriage seemed more like a dating couple that decides to be just friends rather than a couple who was married and getting divorced. Q#3: "Inmates" most closely matches the couple to be in an imprisonment. The diction of "escaped" and "stumbling" and "paced" signify that the couple felt stuck in the situation they were in and ready to get away from one another. Q#4: Lastly, the shift in tone from line 14 to line 15 comes with the thoughts of leaving and escaping the marriage to making the final decision to end the marriage that never seemed like a real marriage. 

You're Ugly Too

"You're Ugly Too" by Lorrie Moore
"'Are you seeing anyone?' said Evan...'I'm seeing my house'" (Moore, 357).

Zoe's humor and the effects of irony characterize her as a sarcastic and guarded person. Zoe's sarcastic jokes and responses to other characters make her humorous. Zoe puts her sarcasm and humor as a front in order to avoid being any lonelier than she already is. Living in a town without any family or close relationships makes her need to subsidize by being an individual that claims to not be bothered by being alone. Although she puts up the front, he search for love is nothing but disappointing. The irony of it comes in her want and need for control of what she can. She wants the control in all aspects of her life yet lets loose of control for meeting Earl and shuts him down. Although Earl seems to be open to Zoe, he is also hiding behind his costume of the naked woman most likely to demean women. Furthermore, both Zoe and Earl and quick to speak about their past in a way that makes them less desirable. Overall, Zoe's humor and wit are her front and guard against relationships. 

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Eveline

"Eveline" by James Joyce
"Her eyes have him no sign of love or farewell or recognition" (Joyce, 222).

The entire plot of the story was confusing. The narrator isn't definite on her decision to leave an abusive household. Why not leave? Her mother clearly warned her to leave as soon as she could in order to prevent herself from ending up like her mother. Why wouldn't she take the advice to leave? The attachment Eveline has to her home is understandable but it was just her and her abusive father. The siblings she had had already escaped the home and Eveline is given her chance. I also understand her worries of leaving to another country with a man she barely knows. Anything could be better than her home life and leaving is another chance at a better life. Even if she doesn't love the man, she can give it a shot in the new place. I believe Eveline decides to stay and not go. The last line alludes that she doesn't have any feelings towards Frank so why would she go but why does he need a goodbye as well. She has no feelings toward him and therefore has no need to follow him or give him anything of her. She seems to feel love more from her abusive father than Frank and would stay for the need of love. 


How I Met My Husband

"How I Met My Husband" by Alice Munro
"He always tells the children the story of how I went after him by sitting by the mailbox every day, and naturally I laugh and let him, because I like for people to think what pleases them and makes them happy" (Munro, 146).

The narrator, Edie, recounts the story of how she met her husband. At the end of the short story, I found myself being confused on the entire purpose of the story. Nearly the entire story revolves around Edie's dealings with Chris and Mrs. Peebles. In the end, she marries the mailman. Although the story seems to be a waste, the purpose of the story seems to reflect around the journey to find love. The use of characterization seems to also coincide with this particular theme. Edie is characterized to be naive and innocent in the beginning of the story. Isn't everyone naive and innocent when they haven't experienced love. Edie was just at the beginning of her search for love so naturally she was naive when the other was knowing of the situation, Chris. The older and wiser Edie seems to remark on her naive acts but most people reflect that their past self made poor decisions when it comes to relationships. Without being naive in the beginning, mistakes could not be made to lead to the future. Edie recognizes the importance as she is later characterized to be wiser and understanding of herself in the situations she was in.

Delight in Disorder

"Delight in Disorder" by Robert Herrick
"A careless shoestring, in whose tie I see a wild civility" (Herrick, 979).

The second question addresses the oxymoron in line 12 of the poem. The oxymoron contributes to the meaning that the imperfections make the perfect. The desire for imperfection is seen as a greater reward that the desire for perfection. In all of the imperfections of the woman, a perfection is followed after. Furthermore, the dress of a woman symbolizes all of the imperfections in a woman. Instead of criticizing the imperfections, praise is given. The speaker clearly believes that in the end, the imperfections are better than precision in anything as the imperfections leave nothing left for love. The title, as well as the oxymoron, captures the message of the poem with the delight. The disorder allows for the wanted delight that a perfect woman lacks. The speaker also believes that they is noting interesting or appealing in a woman with anything perfectly worn on her. The thrown on scarf allows for the speaker to be intrigued and interested in the woman.

A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning

"A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning" by John Donne
"Our two souls therefore, which are one, though I must go, endure not yet a breach, but an expansion" (Donne, 802).

The main comparison of the poem seems to be between the speaker's relationship and the death of a religious personel. From questions 2 and 3 after the poem, many answers seem to be answered after reading the poem. The speaker seems to be leaving on a journey. The speaker is only comparing to the death of the priest rather than leaving for his death. The journey the speaker acknowledges is the focus of the poem. The speaker is seemingly physically and spiritually going on a journey. One journey alone and the other with their lover. The journey with their lover is explained to be of growth in their love for one another. As the speaker knows they will physically be apart, the speaker also believes they will be closer at heart. The quote above represents the general feelings the speaker has for the spiritual journey. The speaker believes that because the relationship is of one soul instead of two, the love of one another will grow as they are apart for the time being.