A Fairy Tale Not Appropriate for Children: What Is the World Coming To?

"So I began to tell myself a story, a bed time story." Pg 232
There was so much that I found screwed up with this story I don't know where to begin. The fact that the narrator is comforted at night by this sick story she has made up indicates to me that she has some very serious mental problems. She tries to fight fire with fire I guess. In this case fire is paranoia. When the narrator becomes frightened and paranoid at the thought of an intruder or a collapsing house foundation, she creates a story of greater paranoia to ease her nerves. Then there's the ironic instances within this fairy tale she has made up. The paranoid actions of the parents did kill their son but fairy tales also had a role to play in his tragic death as well. The fairy tale books he read gave him the idea to clime over the dangerous wall to rescue the princess. While trying to recreate this scene he gets caught in the security wire and dies a horrible, gruesome death. Also the company that provided this murder weapon a.k.a the wire gate was called Dragon's Teeth. Dragons, princes, and damsels in distress all make up crucial elements of classic fairy tales. These elements are also what lead to the young boy's death. This leads me to wonder if maybe this is the narrator's sick but clever way of expressing her distain for fairy tales. She does say in the first paragraph that she's never been one for children's stories. Though this tale highlights the dangers of being too protective it also warns against just how dangerous the innocent story line of a fairy tale can be.

Eveline: Loyal or Brainwashed?

"She set her white face to him, passive, life a helpless animal. Her eyes gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition." Pg 222
While reading the story it was evident that Eveline is a mess. She has gone through several traumatic experiences in her life. Both her mother and her favorite brother died. Her other brother moved away. And her father abuses her most likely both physically and mentally. Also her superior, Miss Gavan, doesn't even like her. But then she falls in love with the boy of her dreams. He is sweet, kind, and promises to take care of her. He even makes plans to move her away from her family's house into a home of their own. But just before she is supposed to get on the boat to go start her new life, she becomes terrified and decides to stay. But why? She finally has the chance to escape all the negativity and abuse and instead chooses to stay right in the middle of it all. I have one of two theories. The first is that she is loyal to her family. Her mother's last request to her was that she take care of the family after she leaves. If she were to go she knows the house would fall apart so maybe she just stayed out of respect to the family. The other theory is that she has more or less been brainwashed. After suffering so much abuse, she might not be able to walk away from it. She has been trained to stay by instinct like an animal. Another theory I had was that maybe she never really loved the man, but I'm not sure that's true either.

Tell me what you really think: The irony of Miss Brill

"'But why? Because of that stupid old thing at the end there?' asked the boy. 'Why does she come here at all- who wants her? Why doesn't she keep her silly old mug at home?'" Pg 186
Throughout the story Miss Brill considers herself to be quite extravagant and wonderful. She thinks herself an actress in this grand play she is a part of every sunday. She does however spend quite a lot of time critiquing the other actors and actresses. She scorns the old uptight old people in the park. She gets bored listening in to a couple's conversation about glasses. She also finds great drama in the love affair between different members in the park. She is quite judgmental and she believes the big love scene could be coming up when a couple sits down at the end of the bench she is sitting on. Then to her surprise the couple begins to bash her and mock her. Then as she heads home she begins to realize just how pathetic her life has become. She also begins to see that she is no different from the other old people she was criticizing in the park. This ironic situation was a large dose of humility for Miss Brill. The irony plays into the theme of the story which is that every person judges and gets judged.

Phoenix: A bird of a different color and character

"Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead, but a golden color ran underneath, and the two knobs of her cheeks were illuminated by a yellow burning under the dark." Pg. 223
In a simple story about a woman making a long walking journey to town, the interesting character of Phoenix Jackson. Phoenix is characterized as a strong, independent woman with a bright personality. She is described as seeming almost golden and glowing. Also her actions throughout the story characterize her as being strong and independent. She embarks on this long journey filled with obstacles she has to climb through and over. She fights her way through all of it, and in a nice long skirt no less! She is also selfless because she makes this long journey to get medicine for her grandson. Though I'm not so sure her grandson is still living due to her lack of memory. Even her name indicates she is more like a strong fire bird than a frail old woman. The only time her strong exterior falters is when she realizes she forgot why she made the long journey. The way in which the story is told definitely characterizes Phoenix as a strong woman through her journey down the long path. This also connects to the theme of the story which is persistence and patience, both of which are traits Phoenix possesses.

Why Can't We Be Friends? Three men who act more like clique-y teenage girls

"You've got a short memory," Tub said.
"What?" Frank said. He had been staring off.
"I used to stick up for you."
"You shouldn't have just left me back there like that." Tub and Frank Pg. 191
All this gossiping and hurtful teasing sounds more like it should be coming from a group of teenage girls. Instead it's coming from three grown men who can't seem to all just get along. The only difference between teenage girls and these guys is that somebody ended up shot in this story. Only Men. Instead of these men trying to all make peace with one another they just switch sides and insult the other. At the beginning Frank is completely on Kenny's side. He is constantly throwing fat jokes at Tub and never sticks up for him. This angers Tub because apparently Tub used to stick up for Frank. Then Kenny begins to throw the babysitter card in Frank's face which doesn't make him happy. When Kenny is shot and can no longer be in control of the pack Frank switches sides completely and decides he really likes Tub. They have an adorable bonding moment in which one admits to a love affair with a sixteen year old girl and the other gorges himself on four plates of pancakes. This is all happening while their other "friend" is lying in the back of the truck bleeding to death. Obviously this is far from a healthy friendship. The worst part is they could have avoided this whole mess if they had simply gotten along with each other. But because they chose to act like snotty teenage girls they now have an illegal affair, a serious eating problem, and a possible death on their hands. If only they would just grow up.

Bartleby: basically the most random, pointless, awkward story ever

"Will you ell me anything about yourself?"
"I would prefer not to." Bartleby Pg. 659
This story is possibly one of the strangest stories I've read yet. Just looking at the cast of characters is enough to make you wonder how sane this could be. One character is perfectly at ease in the morning and a very diligent worker but then right at noon he begins to turn red and go insane with energy. On the flip side there is another man who has great trouble with his bowels and constipation in the morning. Then right at the time the other man begins to freak out he gets straight to work and gets the job done. These two characters seem to be a package deal throughout the story and balance one another in a weird way. Then there's Bartleby who gets as close to being a mute as one can while still talking. In fact the only sentence he seems to be capable of uttering is "I would prefer not to." What is with this guy? Why is he so strange and silent? Did he only ever learn to speak one phrase? His character is almost generally creepy and most certainly awkward. The narrator of the story might be the most frustrating though. He continues to put up with all this craziness and never does a thing about it. He is quite simply put: a push over. So here we have this eccentric cast of characters and instead of using them in some fascinating tale, they are wasted on a boring story that really doesn't go anywhere. The story has no real point or purpose from what I can see except to make the reader uncomfortable. If that was the only goal then the author succeeded.

As different as day and night: Foil character Dee makes Maggie look downright Saintly

"'Maggie can't appreciate these quilts!' she said. 'She'd probably be backward enough to put them to everyday use.'" Dee pg 180

"'She can have them, Mama,' she said, like somebody used to never winning anything or having anything reserved for her." Maggie pg 180

These two quotes truly highlight just how Dee's wicked behavior makes Maggie look like the most innocent person in the world. Also Maggie's shy and giving behavior make Dee look absolutely sinister. This isn't to say that Dee is the most awful person in the world or that Maggie is a saint. But placing two such contrasting characters so close together heightens that appearance. Dee is simply a selfish brat who is used to getting whatever she wants. She doesn't frequently hear the word "no" so when mama refused her she was shocked. Dee's character really wouldn't look so horrible if Maggie wasn't so innocent. After all Maggie has never had anything go well for her, and she is ashamed by who she is. Yet she is still willing to give up the one thing she was promised because her sister asked for it. This seems so humbling because not two minutes before Dee was insulting her intelligence. This kind of good attitude casts a worse light on Dee. I'm not sure if Dee hadn't acted the way she had if I would still have this amount of sympathy for Maggie. She is still obviously very loving and likable, but these traits are only greatened when compared to Dee as a foil character.

Indirect Characterization of the morbid three stooges

"He looks just like a beach ball with a hat on, doesn't he? Doesn't he, Frank?" Kenny pg. 187
Throughout this whole story, all three characters are indirectly characterized either by each other or by their actions. Kenny is characterized as being a flat out jerk and slightly crazy. He does nothing but make fun of and even threaten Tub and Frank. At one point he tries to run Tub over with his truck and he also hints that he might shoot him. He is mainly a bully whose bark is worse than his bite. Even though he tries to act tough he whimpers and whines after he's shot and won't do anything to help himself. Also all of the sudden he becomes nice to the guys. This shows that, even though it's not stated, that he is a jerk. Then there's Tub who is characterized as insecure due to his issues with his constant eating and weight problems. He is ashamed of his problem but he is also short fused. This is evident when he shoots Kenny and when he roughs up Frank for calling him a fat moron. Frank is characterized as indecisive and a follower. He is also a bit naive. He can't choose whether he is loyal to Tub or Kenny and constantly is switching sides. Also he has this rather ridiculous and vastly inappropriate relationship with his babysitter who is sixteen. Even though he knows it's wrong he still believes he's in love with her despite the circumstances. All these characters have insecurities or personal issues they're dealing with and these issues characterize the men in a much more interesting way than any direct sentence could ever do.

Stupid American Tourists

"As soon as the car began to move the little girl began to play with the lock on her side, clicking it with some effort forward and backward, but Mrs. Das said nothing to stop her. She sat a bit slouched at one end of the back seat, not offering her puffed rice to anyone. Ronny and Tina sat on either side of her, both snapping bright green gum." Pg. 150

This whole story reminds me that you can take the people out of America but you can't take America out of the people. Though both parents have Indian heritage it is apparent by their behaviors that they are your typical American tourists. They carry around big bags full of anything you could possibly need, tour books, and cameras ready to take pictures of anything and everything. Normally I don't like when people stereotype Americans as being stupid and naive, but it's hard not to classify this family in that way. The worst part is that this family is too wrapped up in what the guidebook says instead of actually appreciating the beauty of the landmarks right in front of their faces. They act just like the monkeys they are so fascinated by. Mr. Kapasi normally is pestered by the tourists but because this one woman took interest in his life, he fell for her. In reality both people were sort of using one another. Mr. Kapasi was using Mrs. Das for the way he complimented his career and made him feel important. Mrs. Das used him to vent about her problems and reveal a secret she had to keep for a long time. Mr. Kapasi's interest in Mrs. Das was innocent enough in his intentions, but Mrs. Das was simply using him as a confidant for this big secret. It was as if he was a priest she was confessing to. She didn't really care about Mr. Kapasi at all. This cold unfeeling treatment is often times seen as characteristic of the American way. Unfortunately in this case it's true.

How I met my husband who is not a pilot but a mailman?

"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." Edie Pg 146
From the title, it's clear that the story is about how the speaker met her husband. Throughout the better part of the story she describes her relations with this man who was a soldier and currently flies planes for a living. She discusses how they first meet then their encounters after that. This also includes a big scene where they are making out then he abruptly stops and tells her that he will write her to inform her of his new location. He will leave his previous lover, and they will meet up and live happily ever after. Or so she thinks. In reality this pilot is nothing but a giant womanizer. First he shamelessly flirts with her and gives her her first smoke. Then his old lover appears and he seems completely disinterested in her. Finally he makes a move on Edie, but leaves her, never to be heard from again. Not to mention he is hitting on a fifteen year old girl. Then out of nowhere in the last two paragraphs we meet this character of the mailman who BAM! she ends up marrying. What the heck? The story definitely has a surprise ending, but I think spending the majority of the story describing this other man has a deeper meaning. It's obvious that she really cared about this pilot and that she had feelings for him. Maybe because she spends all this time describing the pilot, it indicates that she still has these feelings for him. The mailman is only briefly described because he is not the biggest love of her life. Also the last line is ironic because the mailman believes she was pining for him but in reality she was waiting for a love letter from another man. I also believe that's the reason the story is called How I Met My Husband instead of How I fell in love with my Husband. I don't think she truly feels passion with the mailman, but instead settled because she was hurt. I believe she was really in love with the pilot.

Lost in translation and gone with the wind: the significance of losing the address

"When she whipped out the hairbrush the slip of paper with Mr. Kapasi's address on it fluttered away in the wind.. No one but Mr. Kapasi notices. He wastched as it rose, carried higher and higher by the breeze into the tress where the monkeys now sat, solemnly observing the scene below. Mr. Kapasi observed it too, knowing that this was the picture of the Das family he would preserve forever in his mind." Pg. 166
When Mrs. Das originally requests the address this gives Mr. Kapasi hope that the romance he created in his head could be real. Leading up to this Mrs. Das had been very interested in his stories and even called his job "romantic". This combined with the fact that she didn't seem at all interested in her husband sparked the idea in his head that maybe she was interested in him. Then the big climax comes when Mrs. Das asks him for his address so she can send him the pictures. Suddenly the fantasy evolves into a full fledged romantic tale in his head. He dreams that all because of this address that they will become pen pals who discuss how unhappy they are in their relationships and will fall in love. Then all these hopes of love are gone when he sees the address fly away. The saddest part is no one even notices when it flies away except for him. This little piece of paper with his address on it sort of symbolizes this man's whole existence because it is so full of hope and promise but then is taken away and no one even sees that the opportunity is gone. Though in one way Mrs. Das losing the paper could keep a small part of his hope alive. If Mrs. Das hadn't lost the address and she hadn't written him, then his whole image of love with her would have been lost, and he would be crushed. Now at least he can hold on to the idea that maybe she still does love him and that fate simply took it away. Looked at from that point, it almost seems romantic. At least he has that small idea to hold on to.

Wait what time is it again? Confusing plot structure of "A Rose for Emily"

"So she vanquished them, horse and foot, just as she had vanquished their fathers thirty years before about the smell. That was two years after her father's death and a short time after her sweetheart- the one we believed would marry her- had deserted her." Speaker Unknown Pg. 283
The plot structure of this story was extremely confusing to me. At first Miss Emily is dead. Then we jump to after her father dies when the mayor exempts her from paying taxes. Then all of the sudden the next generation has taken over and demands she now pays her taxes. Then her father has been dead for two years and now her lover is dead as well? Then there's this whole business about a smell, which we now know is coming from a decomposing body. With all the pieces of the story so out of order, it was difficult to concentrate on what was actually happening in the story instead of trying to put all the parts correctly on a timeline. It seems to me that the story was supposed to be suspenseful leading up to discovering the decomposed body of her old gay lover. However, the flow of this suspense was sort of ruined for me because I was so lost. I believe the story would have built up the same amount of suspense if the events had gone in order. The only reason I can think of for presenting the events in this scatterbrained manner is to give the idea that the speaker is recalling all this from memory. It could be that the speaker is telling another person about everything that has happened with this woman. Also it could be that this whole story is the compilation of the gossip that all the townspeople have been saying about Miss Emily. Either way I believe it would have been much more suspenseful if the events had gone in order.