“You’re Ugly, Too”

“You’re Ugly, Too” by Lorrie Moore

Zoe’s relationship with her sister

Zoe and Evan have a healthy sister relationship. However, the roles of being an older sister to Evan have switched with Evan growing and finding companionship. Evan and Zoe regularly keep in contact with each other despite living far away from each other. Evan has been successful in her relationships, especially with her boyfriend Charlie. On the other hand, Zoe has had great difficulty in this area because her lack of maturity when it comes to relationships. Evan now plays more of the “big sister” role in giving Zoe advice and trying to help her with her relationships. This switch of roles provokes Zoe to feel jealous of Evan. “Zoe had always taken care of her, advising, reassuring, unitl recently, when it seemed Evan had started advising and reassuring her. It startled Zoe,” (Moore, 360).  Zoe grows more jealous upon finding out that Evan is engaged to her boyfriend. Most often, older sisters get married before the younger sisters. This short story exhibits that being an older sister does not necessarily come from order of birth, but from growth and maturity in life.

"The Story of an Hour"

“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

Mrs. Mallard was in shock upon receiving news of her husband’s death.  Her stream of consciousness following that moment revealed the theme of the importance of a woman’s independence. Women desire to love and be loved by a man. “Men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow creature,” (Chopin). This dependence on love results a woman losing sight of her independence and freedom within herself. Mrs. Mallard’s conflicting feelings being transformed into happiness reveal her finding and realization of her independence. “What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being,” (Chopin). Although Mrs. Mallard was in a loving relationship, nothing accounts for only having to worry about making herself happy. In a relationship, she had to account for her decisions making not only herself happy but her husband. The theme this short story presents is that independence can be stronger than the mystery of love.

"Popular Mechanics"

“Popular Mechanics” by Carver

Question 1

The couple is splitting up, and along with this action, property between the couple must be divided. The primary issue that the couple is “deciding” over is who gets the baby. “She grabbed for the baby’s other arm. She caught the baby around the wrist and leaned back. But he would not let go. He felt the baby slipping out of his hands and he pulled back very hard,” (Carver). From evidence in this excerpt, the baby was ripped apart. The issue was decided that no one gets the baby because the baby is now dead. The irony in this short story reminded me of a “Modest Proposal” by Swift. Both works use baby violence to convey their theme. The irony is that the man and woman both fought for and wanted the baby, but they ended up killing it. Now no one can have it. This irony reveals the theme that when relationships break, especially in divorce, that the love couples once shared gets ripped apart when fighting for what they want. In the end fighting for what they want becomes a waste because neither person in the relationship gets what they want.

"Getting Out"

“Getting Out” by Cleopatra Mathis

Question 4

The tone of the poem up to line 14 expresses a tone of anger and bitterness. The married couple lives in silence with each other.  “Every night another refusal, the silent work of tightening the heart,” (Mathis). This excerpt reveals that in the couples silence and at night, they both knew that their marriage will not work. They both feel bottled up with each other wanting to escape. In line 14, “heaving words like furniture,” reveals the anger the couple feels towards each other. Language such as “furniture” and “pack up” explain the couple going through a divorce. Line 14 is told in the past and in line 15, the poem shifts to present. The tone shifts from disgust and anger within the relationship to sadness in looking back on the relationship. Now, the separated couple looks back on their relationship with sadness because they once loved each other. “I have the last unshredded pictures of our matching eyes and hair,” reveals the woman recalling their relationship. The couple is sad that they lost the loved they shared, but they know that they are happier apart.

"Bright Star"

“Bright Star” by John Keats

Question 1

The speaker expresses aspects of the star that he wants emulate as well as reject. “Bright Star, would I were steadfast as thou art,” (Keats, 792). The first line of the poem reveals that the speaker wants to emulate a star in some way. Being unchanging in constant in a relationship is a strong quality. Love and dedication toward a person must remain constant and not weaken like a star. Lines 2-8 of the poem express the speaker’s wishes to be unlike a star. The second line reveals that the speaker does not want to be isolated, which contradicts his loving relationship. The third line describes a star watching. The speaker wishing to be unlike this reveals that he wants to live and be immersed with love in his or her relationship. Watching from afar like a star implies in not giving love to his or her lover. The speaker does not want to be like a star in lines 2-8 with his situation because he wants to be immersed and a part of his or her loving relationship. A star watches and is separate from the feeling and passions of love.

"Delight in Disorder"

“Delight in Disorder” by Robert Herrick

Question 2

The oxymoron’s used in this poem are effective in revealing the meaning of it. The oxymoron “wild civility” means that there is a calmness and appeal to imperfection. Another oxymoron in the poem “sweet disorder” reveals a similar meaning. This oxymoron implies that with not appearing tidy and always together has appeal. Always appearing perfect and organized can be intimidating. Having disorder is sweet in that fact that it reveals imperfection which is comforting. “I see a wild civility; do more bewitch me than when art is to precise in every part,” (Herrick, 979). The passage including the oxymoron reveal the whole meaning of the poem to be that imperfections are often the source of the attraction of one person to another. We often think that we need to appear perfect in front of other people and that beauty only comes from perfection. However, beauty is seen through our flaws. The oxymoron’s in this poem reveal that contradictory meaning.  

"Eveline"

“Eveline” by James Joyce

pros and cons of leaving home

Eveline is deciding on whether it is best for her to stay home or leave for her love Frank. Eveline evaluates the pros and cons of the situation to determine what to do. In her present home, Eveline had assurance of security with shelter and food. Moreover, she had everyone dear to her in her hometown. Cons to staying home would be fear of her father’s treatment of her. “She would not be treated as her mother had been. Even now, though she was over nineteen, she sometimes felt herself in danger of her father’s violence,” (Joyce, 219). With this con however, there is some doubt to whether her father would be capable of the violence he inflicted upon Eveline’s mother because he was now much older and more dependent upon Eveline.  Her pros to leaving her home for Frank would be living with a man she knew to be kind and open-hearted. In addition, being married would bring her respect from people in her new home town. Cons include Eveline not knowing how Frank would behave once living with her. With leaving her home, there would be tremendous uncertainty and risk. She would not be able to turn back to her home where she felt secure because of shame and embarrassment.

"How I Met My Husband"

“How I Met My Husband” by Alice Munro

Question #4

Edie is a sympathetic character through moments in the story of her being innocent and naïve. One instance where sympathy towards Edie is portrayed is when Alice Kelling interrogates Edie about seeing Chris Watters. “ ‘I’m wondering, if you knowwhat being intimate means. Now tell me. What did you think it meant?’ ‘Kissing,’ I howled,”(Munro, 144). Edie’s meaning of the word intimate is much more innocent than everyone else’s meaning of intimate. This example reveals Edie’s being naïve as society views intimate as more than kissing. The fact that Edie is a farm girl and has not been exposed to society evokes more sympathy in this situation. Moreover, being the help and farm girl adds to her naïve and innocent character. Another example in this short story is Edie waiting to receive a letter from Chris for a very long time. “It never crossed my mind for a long time a letter might not come,”(Munro, 145). She was unable to recognize through her innocence that Chris would forget about her. He had never settled down and did not keep his commitment to Alice.