Anecdotes

In You're Ugly, Too Lorrie Moore develops the character of Zoe Hendricks predominantly through the use of anecdotes. Moreover, Moore uses several different anecdotes to convey the complexity of Zoe's character. More than once, the author uses anecdotes in the form of past student evaluations received by Zoe. For instance, "Professor Hendricks is often late for class and usually arrives with a cup of hot chocolate, which she offers the class sips of...." reveals that Zoe is an often flustered woman who doesn't seem to have her life together. I mean, I highly doubt many of her students were anxiously awaiting for their professor to offer to share her hot chocolate. Zoe does not quite have a grasp on how to relate to others. Other evaluations include "Just because Professor Hendricks is from Spain doesn't give her the right to be so negative about our country" and "Professor Hendricks has said critical things about Fawn Hall, the Catholic religion, and the whole state of Illinois. It is unbelieveable." Both of these reveal Zoe's abonormality in comparison to society. The fact that she is often in vocal opposition to the normal order of things is paralleled with the difficult time she has fitting in with others. In addition to the evaluations, anecdotes of past dates that Zoe went on are used to show that she also has a hard time finding chemistry with a member of the opposite sex. Through small glimpses of Zoe's life, the reader is able to grasp the true nature of her charcter.

A New Type of Heart Break

The first thing author Kate Chopin informs the reader of in The Story of an Hour is the fact that Louise Mallard suffers from "heart trouble." Before reading further, one assumes that this "heart trouble" is merely a physical condition that explains why she must be told carefully of her husband's death. However, as the story goes on, Chopin mentions the status of Louise's heart at different times, further emphasizing its importance. For instance, when Louise begins to contemplate life in the future without Brently, she is ironically excited. She realizes how little freedom she had within her marriage and looks forward to independence.

"'Free, free, free!' The vacant stare the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. They statyed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body."

Only as Louis begins to envision her new and improved life does her heart begin to pump strongly and work efficiently. Thus, her "heart trouble" is not merely a physical issue, but an emotional issue as well. Louie's heart was emotionally "ill" because of her unhappiness with her marriage. This is comparable to the common term "heart break."

The Apparition

Initially, reading John Donne's poem The Apparition, I thought the speaker had physically murdered his wife and was now haunting her as a ghost or an "apparition." However, rereading the poem, I have come to the conclusion that the murder and apparition are merely symbolic. For instance, the "murder" is representative of the speaker's wife's loss of love for him and thus, her failure to satisfy him any longer. This conclusion coincides with the cliche of Renaissance poetry that "a woman who will not satisfy her lover's desire is 'killing' him." Therefore, this allows me to also draw the conclusion that the line that states, "Then shall my ghost come to thy bed...." is in reference not to the speaker's physical ghost, but rather his curse. The speaker wishes  that the relationships his ex-lover pursues with other men ("in worse arms")  will be cursed by his "ghost." "And in false sleep will from thee shrink" refers to the speaker's hopes that she will be rejected by her new lover. The speaker is clearly looking for revenge. He wants his ex-lover to feel the rejection and lack of satisfaction that she caused him and "die" as a result. She would then "...lie A verier ghost than I."

Juxtaposition

In the story Popular Mechanics, Carver uses the opposing natures of his characters to establish the tone of the story. The woman in the story is characterized by her dialogue as upset, angry, and hysterical. Supporting this claim is the scene at the beginning of the story when the man is calmly packing his suitcase and the woman is yelling at him in desperation:

"'I'm glad you're leaving! I'm glad you're leaving!' she said. 'Do you hear?' He kept on putting his things into the suitcase. 'Son of a bitch! I'm so glad you're leaving! She began to cry. You can't even look me in the face, can you?'"

The woman desperately wants a response from her husband, but in trying to elicit one, she acts as if she does not even want him around. However, in contrast to his wife's hysterics, the man remains impassive throughout the entire story. More than once, the man is unresponsive to his wife's effots to engage him in argument, rather focusing on packing his things and getting the heck out of the house! Carver writes:

"He kept putting his things into the suitcase."
"He looked at her...."
"He did not answer."

Carver is clearly juxtaposing the two characters, making for an inconsistent tone. The tone of the story is frantic and hysterical when the woman is speaking but the exact opposite when the man speaks. The clash of these two opposites makes for the culmination of the story, the fight over the baby.

Bright Star: Question #2

Analysis of "Bright Star" by John Keats
Question #2

Explore the apparent contradictions in the phrase "sweet unrest" (12). How do they anticipate the final line?

The contradiction of "sweet unrest" (Keats, 792) is the fact that unrest is usually a state of discomfort, and can thus hardly be considered "sweet." However, as the speaker is describing his love for a certain woman, he claims that he would love to stay awake forever, despite the discomfort it might bring him, just to hear her breathe. Along with the preceding content of the poem, this helps give the reader perspective on the intensity of his love for the woman. Thus, the use of "sweet unrest" anticipates the final line that reads "And so live ever-or else swoon to death" (Keats, 792). This line should come as no surprise to the reader. The speaker obviously wishes to follow his lover in life or into death. Thus, he wishes either to live with her forever, or to love her until death and beyond. This implies that the speaker's love is the only motivation for his life. This helps to explain why he wishes to be "steadfast" and constant like a star. He wants his love to be with the woman no matter what.

Eveline: Question #2

Analysis of "Eveline" by James Joyce
Question #2

What in Eveline's present circumstances makes it desirable for her to escape her home? Characterize her father and and Miss Gavan, her supervisor. What does the memory of her mother contribute to her decision to leave?

Presently, Eveline wishes to escape for various reasons. For instance, everyone she had grown up with had moved on, so she sees that it is her time as well: "Everything changes. Now she was going to go away like the others, to leave her home" (Joyce, 218). Secondly, Eveline hates her job at the Stores. She is not fond of her boss Miss Gavan and is sure that her working life would be one aspect of her current life that "she would not cry many tears at leaving" (Joyce, 219). Moreover, her father is abusive. Just as he had beat her mother and brothers, he now threatens to beat her as well. Lastly, Eveline has also found a lover, Frank, whom she knows can "save her" and help her to start life anew (Joyce, 221).
Both Eveline's father and supervisor are figures of authority in her life toward whom she is resentful. Both are demeaning toward Eveline. For instance, Eveline describes Miss Gavan as always having "an edge on her, especially when there were people listening." Eveline goes on to bluntly state that she would not miss life at the Stores.
Eveline's father is characterized almost like an alcoholic. Eveline's descriptions make him out to be a good man at heart with whom she has few very memories (picnic when younger, him taking care of her while she was sick), but who can be extremely violent when angered. Eveline mentions his beating of her other family members and the threats he began to make toward her. He is also very dependent on Eveline to provide for the family, especially after his wife passed way. He seems like a lost and depressed individual.
The memory of her mother's death ultimately pushes Eveline to "escape." "As she mused the pitiful vision of her mother's life laid its spell on the very quick of her being-that life of commonplace sacrifices closing in final craziness" (Joyce, 221). Eveline's desire to evade a similar fate gives her the final impulse to escape.

Desperate Repetition

In the poem "Lonely Hearts", poet Wendy Cope uses repetition to convey information about the speaker's feelings and the extent of his desire for love. The repeated use of the lines "Do you live in North London? Is it you?" and "Can you make my simple wish come true" (Cope, 973-4) both convey the fact that the speaker is pursuing love intensely. In each stanza, the speaker describes a completely different set of his own characteristics. Then, he follows his description with one of these two lines. The repetition of these lines shows that he is looking for anyone at all to be his lover. He makes as many descriptions about himself as possible in hopes that one will attract someone who will "make his wish come true." He is desperately lonely. Reading this poem reminded me of when a child has been riding in the car with his parents for a very long time. Usually, after a while (or maybe even after no time at all) the child begins to ask the infamous question, "Are we there yet?" over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. The child may not realize how irritating his constant inquiries are because he is too focused and too desperate to be freed from the car when the family arrives at their destination. When one is so desperate for a certain outcome, he asks question after question and pushes until he gets what he wants. Likewise, the lonely lover in this poem does all he can and asks the same questions over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again in hopes that he will find someone to love him in return.

Edie the "hired girl"

When reading Alice Munro's short story How I Met My Husband, one quickly gets perspective on the life of Edie. Edie is many times referred to as the "hired girl." She cleans the dishes, does the laundry, and tends to other needs of the household in order to free up time for the family to do other things such as nap, go to town, see a movie, etc. Edie is used for her working skills, but other than that, is valued by the the Pebbleses very little. She is never invited to participate in any of the family activities or outings. Edie's relationship with the Peebleses is paralleled in her relationship with Mr. Watters. Like the Peebleses, Mr. Watters also uses Edie. Just as she uses her working skills to enhance the lives of the Peebles family, so does she give of herself for Mr. Watter's own enjoyment. Moreover, just as she gets little in return for her work with the Peebles (besides a paycheck), so does she benefit little from Mr. Watters himself because of his failure to keep in touch (besides the fact that she met her husband as an indirect result of knowing Mr. Watters): "It never crossed my mind for a long time a letter might not come. I believed in it coming just like I believed the sun would rie in the morning" (Munro, 145). Clearly, Edie plays the role of the "hired girl", who gives but receives little, in more than one way.