I am a crier. I don’t hide it, or shall I say, I can’t hide it, because frankly, I cry all the time. I cry during the previews for episodes of Extreme Makeover Home Edition, I cry when I read the Pet Place section of the classifieds, I cry when I see an elderly couple holding hands, I cry about nothing at all and everything at the same time. While reading “The Metamorphosis” the other night, I found myself sitting in a plush chair at Starbucks with tears rolling down my cheeks, wondering why on Earth I was crying. Not only was this embarrassing in itself, it didn’t help that the man sitting across from me, another ‘regular’ at this particular Starbucks, felt the need to butt in and inquire about what was wrong. So there I was trying to explain to Brian, the pharmacist, that I was reading a story for school about a man who morphs into a bug, and that I had begun to cry because the bug spent four hours covering himself with a sheet so that his sister didn’t have to see him when she came in to bring him his food. This explanation was followed with a smile and a nod, and then Brian went back to work. But that is beside the point. After this humiliating episode, I couldn’t help but wonder what it was that triggered my tears.
Franz Kafka’s story, although peculiar and seemingly trivial, holds some very deep ideas. Gregor’s character represents something far more profound than just some man morphing into a bug, which seems almost humorous because of how far-fetched it is. Gregor’s metamorphosis represents his escape from the expectations of his family. For numerous years, Gregor was the money maker in the family. He worked hard at a job that he didn’t enjoy, just so that he could provide money for a family that didn’t even appreciate his hard work. Soon after Gregor wakes up to find himself as a bug, his family realizes that in order to keep their comfortable lifestyle without Gregor working, they have to take responsibility, lifting the burden off of Gregor. The story upsets me because instead of realizing how important Gregor’s contribution was to the family, instead they are disappointed in their loss of disposable income and annoyed by the fact that they have to work. It shows how greed can take the place of family values, and it is just one example of how families do not appreciate what it means to have each other around and have no understanding of the enormous contributions that each individual makes to each other's happiness.
So why did Gregor cover himself with a sheet, disrespecting himself, in order to save his sister the humiliation and disgust of seeing him as a bug? I can not be sure exactly, but I do know that Gregor’s family made him feel as though it was his responsibility to make them all happy. So when Grete was upset by the sight of Gregor, he took it upon himself to make sure that she would not have to be upset on his account in the future. I only wish that Gregor’s family would have taken the time to realize that the reason Gregor’s metamorphosis affected them as much as it did was not because they lost his income, but because they lost a caring son and brother, who was a vital part of the family and a fantastic role model.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Sometimes the Snow Comes Down in June
If Ivan Ilych were a real person, I would not be his friend. Actually, I doubt anyone would be his friend. Although both superficial and self-serving, those are not the only characteristics that make Ivan Ilych a disagreeable man. He lives his life by others’ definition of what is right. He also does not care about his family or his children and the only things he seems to put any thought or effort into are things that he thinks will impress others. Ivan follows by the rules of the game and does not listen to his own morals, that is if he knows what those morals are. By the end of his life, he has completely lost the sense of who he truly is, and what it is to be happy. He leaves the earth regretful and friendless.
Joseph Addison, an English poet and essayist once said, “True happiness arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one’s self, and in the next, from the friendship and conversation of a few select companions.” Reading that quote got me to think about what Ivan Ilych thought about himself before his sickness, since the author didn’t allow us to see many of his self-criticisms. It is obvious by the end of the story that Ivan came to a realization about his empty life, but why did it take him until his lingering death to do so? He made himself believe that he was happy by focusing on material things, yet did not realize that those things do not bring happiness or life fulfillment.
Throughout his young life, Ivan did things merely because they were the social norm. He got married to a decent wife, had an ordinary family, and held a relatively high status position for a job with a mediocre salary. He bought a pretty large house, furnished it with the usual fittings and decorated it with the expected adornment. All of these things that were meant to make him (and the rest of the ‘aristocracy’) superior just made him even more average. And not only was he average, but he was lonely. By the end of the story, was easy to see that Ivan Ilych had never really loved or been loved. He married because it was the right thing to do, he had kids because it was the right thing to do, he didn’t have a sincere friend, and his work always came first. I blame this on Ivan, because in order to surround yourself with genuine people, you must be one yourself, and Ivan Ilych was not.
When first reading the story, looking down upon Ivan Ilych’s funeral, it is easy to pity him. But a man like Ivan does not deserve pity. He ran away from his problems, he convinced himself of his happiness, and faked his friendships. He was selfish, always looking out for himself, and he never worried about anything but the way that he was portrayed in the public. If Ivan would have taken a step back at one point during his life, and reflected as he did right before his death, he may have realized how pitiful his life was. Maybe in his next life he will do things differently.
Joseph Addison, an English poet and essayist once said, “True happiness arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one’s self, and in the next, from the friendship and conversation of a few select companions.” Reading that quote got me to think about what Ivan Ilych thought about himself before his sickness, since the author didn’t allow us to see many of his self-criticisms. It is obvious by the end of the story that Ivan came to a realization about his empty life, but why did it take him until his lingering death to do so? He made himself believe that he was happy by focusing on material things, yet did not realize that those things do not bring happiness or life fulfillment.
Throughout his young life, Ivan did things merely because they were the social norm. He got married to a decent wife, had an ordinary family, and held a relatively high status position for a job with a mediocre salary. He bought a pretty large house, furnished it with the usual fittings and decorated it with the expected adornment. All of these things that were meant to make him (and the rest of the ‘aristocracy’) superior just made him even more average. And not only was he average, but he was lonely. By the end of the story, was easy to see that Ivan Ilych had never really loved or been loved. He married because it was the right thing to do, he had kids because it was the right thing to do, he didn’t have a sincere friend, and his work always came first. I blame this on Ivan, because in order to surround yourself with genuine people, you must be one yourself, and Ivan Ilych was not.
When first reading the story, looking down upon Ivan Ilych’s funeral, it is easy to pity him. But a man like Ivan does not deserve pity. He ran away from his problems, he convinced himself of his happiness, and faked his friendships. He was selfish, always looking out for himself, and he never worried about anything but the way that he was portrayed in the public. If Ivan would have taken a step back at one point during his life, and reflected as he did right before his death, he may have realized how pitiful his life was. Maybe in his next life he will do things differently.
Thoughts of a Slightly Confused Potential Convert
I'd like to be a Catholic,
To sail the Holy Sea.
To learn about the Cannon Laws
Like "Don't aim that thing at me".
I'll help around the chapel.
I know I can be trained,
To clean the glass that's dirty.
You know, you call it stained.
I've soldiered for this country
And guarded foreign borders
So I've no problem with a priest
Barking Holy Orders.
No, I'm no fan of gluttony.
While fasting I'll stand firm.
But there's no way you'll see me
Go on a Diet of Worms!
And when it comes to Martyrs Paste
I really don't know whether
It's used to brush the martyr's teeth
Or put martyrs back together.
I have just one more question
For which I'm at a loss
Please can someone tell me
How much a Penta costs.
- Tim Canny
To sail the Holy Sea.
To learn about the Cannon Laws
Like "Don't aim that thing at me".
I'll help around the chapel.
I know I can be trained,
To clean the glass that's dirty.
You know, you call it stained.
I've soldiered for this country
And guarded foreign borders
So I've no problem with a priest
Barking Holy Orders.
No, I'm no fan of gluttony.
While fasting I'll stand firm.
But there's no way you'll see me
Go on a Diet of Worms!
And when it comes to Martyrs Paste
I really don't know whether
It's used to brush the martyr's teeth
Or put martyrs back together.
I have just one more question
For which I'm at a loss
Please can someone tell me
How much a Penta costs.
- Tim Canny
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
The Many Faces of Love
Henry David Thoreau once stated, “There is no remedy for love but to love more.” This statement proves to be true throughout Love in the Time of Cholera, and is evident in many different aspects of the story. Gabriel García Márquez, whose extraordinary understanding of life and relationships shows through in his writing, explores the numerous types of love in Love in the Time of Cholera. Whether it be necessary love, obsessive love, true love, or fatal love, one of Márquez’s characters is sure to experience it.
The love that consumes the majority of the story is obsessive love. Florentino Ariza, from the moment he lays eyes on Fermina Daza, is obsessed with her. As a seventeen year old boy, he watches her as she walks to school, and writes hundreds of pages on how much he loves her. As they grow older, after Fermina rejects Florentino and marries Dr. Urbino, Florentino’s obsession barely dwindles. His love for Fermina, although scarily on the verge of being stalker-ish, is never ending. Florentino vows to save himself (in a spiritual way, of course) for Fermina until the day he dies, and serves as proof that love can consume every aspect of a person’s life and despite the obsessive nature, there is such thing as never-ending love.
Another aspect of love that is prominent in Love in the Time of Cholera is necessary love. Throughout Florentino’s life, he uses sex and physical attraction to fulfill his desire for love. Although the relationships that he takes part in while he is waiting for Fermina can barely be considered relationships based on true love, that the fact that this love is a necessity gives the reader a sense that it is sincere.
In the case of Fermina and Dr. Urbino, their love begins as a form of convenience, and transforms momentarily into short-lived love. Fermina marries Dr. Urbino because of his place in society, and because she would’ve been crazy to have turned down such a man. Dr. Urbino, on the other hand, marries Fermina because she is beautiful and will be an honor to have on his arm. This form of love is forced, and therefore their relationship makes both Fermina and Dr. Urbino miserable most of the time.
Leona Cassiani was the woman who made Florentino realize that “it is possible to be a woman’s friend and not go to bed with her.” (188). This is an important realization for Florentino because it proves that his sexual relationships do not account for true love. Leona is the closest Florentino comes to love other than Fermina, and this is because he respects her so much that he cannot have sex with her. Leona also stands for unattainable love. She and Florentino miss their chance, and since they have allowed their relationship to become so intellectual, there is no chance for it to flourish into something else.
One of my favorite types of love that Márquez touches on often during the story is secret love. All of the main characters have a lover or a crush that no one is aware of. Florentino makes all of his lovers a secret in order to keep it a secret from Fermina that he has ever been unfaithful. Most of Florentino’s lovers are married, widowed, or extremely young, and don’t want others to know of their affair. Dr. Urbino has an affair with a mulatto woman, and although he tries to keep it secret, Fermina finds out about it. And the list goes on. I find this type of love to be exciting and mysterious, keeping the story interesting.
The love that consumes the majority of the story is obsessive love. Florentino Ariza, from the moment he lays eyes on Fermina Daza, is obsessed with her. As a seventeen year old boy, he watches her as she walks to school, and writes hundreds of pages on how much he loves her. As they grow older, after Fermina rejects Florentino and marries Dr. Urbino, Florentino’s obsession barely dwindles. His love for Fermina, although scarily on the verge of being stalker-ish, is never ending. Florentino vows to save himself (in a spiritual way, of course) for Fermina until the day he dies, and serves as proof that love can consume every aspect of a person’s life and despite the obsessive nature, there is such thing as never-ending love.
Another aspect of love that is prominent in Love in the Time of Cholera is necessary love. Throughout Florentino’s life, he uses sex and physical attraction to fulfill his desire for love. Although the relationships that he takes part in while he is waiting for Fermina can barely be considered relationships based on true love, that the fact that this love is a necessity gives the reader a sense that it is sincere.
In the case of Fermina and Dr. Urbino, their love begins as a form of convenience, and transforms momentarily into short-lived love. Fermina marries Dr. Urbino because of his place in society, and because she would’ve been crazy to have turned down such a man. Dr. Urbino, on the other hand, marries Fermina because she is beautiful and will be an honor to have on his arm. This form of love is forced, and therefore their relationship makes both Fermina and Dr. Urbino miserable most of the time.
Leona Cassiani was the woman who made Florentino realize that “it is possible to be a woman’s friend and not go to bed with her.” (188). This is an important realization for Florentino because it proves that his sexual relationships do not account for true love. Leona is the closest Florentino comes to love other than Fermina, and this is because he respects her so much that he cannot have sex with her. Leona also stands for unattainable love. She and Florentino miss their chance, and since they have allowed their relationship to become so intellectual, there is no chance for it to flourish into something else.
One of my favorite types of love that Márquez touches on often during the story is secret love. All of the main characters have a lover or a crush that no one is aware of. Florentino makes all of his lovers a secret in order to keep it a secret from Fermina that he has ever been unfaithful. Most of Florentino’s lovers are married, widowed, or extremely young, and don’t want others to know of their affair. Dr. Urbino has an affair with a mulatto woman, and although he tries to keep it secret, Fermina finds out about it. And the list goes on. I find this type of love to be exciting and mysterious, keeping the story interesting.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
The Historical Context of Love in the Time of Cholera
It is nearly impossible for people living in the present day to fully comprehend the cultures and lifestyles of those in the past or in different parts of the world. People living under democracies are closed to the idea of living under communist rule or a dictator. People whose cultures and religions allow them to date and choose their own partners don’t understand arranged marriages. People who have never lived through a civil war can’t fathom what it is like to have war that close to home. And people who live in a society that has a three tier class system don’t understand the extreme division between the lower and upper class, not only economically but socially, in other parts of the world. In Love in the Time of Cholera, it is a challenge as a reader to look past what we see as the ‘norms’ of society, and read the book with and understanding of the historical context. It is for that reason that I decided, after having a hard time understanding the characters and their lifestyles, to do some research.
From my research, I learned that Love in the time of Cholera is set in an unnamed city of Columbia, located along the Caribbean coast. This land was first found in 1533, by Pedro de Heredia, a Spaniard. Columbia was under Spanish rule during the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, with the native populations forced into slavery, or a sort of indentured servitude. In the early 1800’s, when France invaded Spain, Columbia threw out its Spanish officials, and the Republic of Columbia was born. Although free of their rule from Spain, Columbia then entered a period of civil unrest. The Liberal and Conservative parties battled over the government, the church, and the sharing of power between the two. Because of these disagreements, Columbia suffered civil wars from 1840 to 1842, and 1899 to 1902, during which internal political struggles consumed the country, allowing for little trade or international relations. Finally in 1991 a constitution was adopted with a system close to that of the United Sates. Columbia now has a diversified economy, with exports such as oil, textiles, clothing, chemicals, and coffee, and is slowly becoming known for more than its most notorious export, cocaine.
Love in the Time of Cholera takes place from the late 1800’s to around 1930 – the time in which Columbia transitions from the colonial to the modern period. It is important for the reader to understand that the country has undergone and is undergoing civil wars throughout the story, and that there are still slave quarters along the coast, filled by the large lower class, and separated socially from the upper class. Gabriel García Márquez comments often upon the lifestyles of the “poor mulattoes”, making them seemingly uncivilized and barbaric. He states that “During the weekend they danced without mercy, drank themselves blind on home-brewed alcohol, made wild love among the icaco plants, and on Sunday at midnight they broke up their own party with bloody free-for-alls.” (17). On the other hand, the upper class, for example Dr. Urbino, were part of the old colonial elite, and kept hold to their power during and after the revolution. There is little or no communication between those of the different social classes, and when there is communication, it is not often accepted.
Fermina Daza comes from a family that is seeking a higher social standing, and in the culture she has grown up in, does not have the opportunity to marry for love, but rather for money. When Florentino Ariza begins to court Fermina, her father does not want her having any communication with him, for he is not seen as good enough for her. This is hard to understand growing up in the society in which most of the students at PCDS have. Most of us are allowed to date, and are going to be given the opportunity to choose who we want to marry, despite their religion, race, or social class. Even though Florentino and Fermina are ‘in love’, they will never have the opportunity to be together, because Fermina’s father will never allow it. And one day, when Fermina is older and understands the difference between social classes in her culture, she will marry for money and reputation (to Dr. Urbino) rather than for love. Without having a clear understanding of the time period in which this novel takes place, and the culture surrounding that time, it would be difficult as a reader to understand why the Fermina is not allowed to marry Florentino, and why their love is not socially accepted and therefore, secretive.
From my research, I learned that Love in the time of Cholera is set in an unnamed city of Columbia, located along the Caribbean coast. This land was first found in 1533, by Pedro de Heredia, a Spaniard. Columbia was under Spanish rule during the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, with the native populations forced into slavery, or a sort of indentured servitude. In the early 1800’s, when France invaded Spain, Columbia threw out its Spanish officials, and the Republic of Columbia was born. Although free of their rule from Spain, Columbia then entered a period of civil unrest. The Liberal and Conservative parties battled over the government, the church, and the sharing of power between the two. Because of these disagreements, Columbia suffered civil wars from 1840 to 1842, and 1899 to 1902, during which internal political struggles consumed the country, allowing for little trade or international relations. Finally in 1991 a constitution was adopted with a system close to that of the United Sates. Columbia now has a diversified economy, with exports such as oil, textiles, clothing, chemicals, and coffee, and is slowly becoming known for more than its most notorious export, cocaine.
Love in the Time of Cholera takes place from the late 1800’s to around 1930 – the time in which Columbia transitions from the colonial to the modern period. It is important for the reader to understand that the country has undergone and is undergoing civil wars throughout the story, and that there are still slave quarters along the coast, filled by the large lower class, and separated socially from the upper class. Gabriel García Márquez comments often upon the lifestyles of the “poor mulattoes”, making them seemingly uncivilized and barbaric. He states that “During the weekend they danced without mercy, drank themselves blind on home-brewed alcohol, made wild love among the icaco plants, and on Sunday at midnight they broke up their own party with bloody free-for-alls.” (17). On the other hand, the upper class, for example Dr. Urbino, were part of the old colonial elite, and kept hold to their power during and after the revolution. There is little or no communication between those of the different social classes, and when there is communication, it is not often accepted.
Fermina Daza comes from a family that is seeking a higher social standing, and in the culture she has grown up in, does not have the opportunity to marry for love, but rather for money. When Florentino Ariza begins to court Fermina, her father does not want her having any communication with him, for he is not seen as good enough for her. This is hard to understand growing up in the society in which most of the students at PCDS have. Most of us are allowed to date, and are going to be given the opportunity to choose who we want to marry, despite their religion, race, or social class. Even though Florentino and Fermina are ‘in love’, they will never have the opportunity to be together, because Fermina’s father will never allow it. And one day, when Fermina is older and understands the difference between social classes in her culture, she will marry for money and reputation (to Dr. Urbino) rather than for love. Without having a clear understanding of the time period in which this novel takes place, and the culture surrounding that time, it would be difficult as a reader to understand why the Fermina is not allowed to marry Florentino, and why their love is not socially accepted and therefore, secretive.
Friday, October 26, 2007
The Sister, The Caregiver, and the Doxy
In William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, what the readers know about Caddy is learned only through the thoughts of her brothers. Caddy’s position in the story is controversial. She represents both good and bad, love and deceit, longing and disgust. She is the reason why both Benjy and Quentin have felt loved at some point in their life, but at the same time, causes the downfall of both of them. In the first two sections, with Benjy narrating one, and Quentin the other, we see many different aspects of Caddy and her effect on the two brothers and all of the Compson family.
It is evident, from the very beginning of the novel as Benjy waits by the gate for Caddy to come home, that Benjy truly loves Caddy. Caddy is understanding and caring, and does not refer to Benjy as ‘looney’ or retarded as nearly everyone else around him does. Caddy seems to be the only one who gives Benjy the love that he needs, on account that he barely receives any love from his mother or father. Since Benjy only gets older physically, but not mentally, he expects everyone else to not change mentally. He wants Caddy to be a little girl forever, and cherishes her innocence. When Caddy loses her virginity to Dalton Ames, Benjy senses her promiscuity and beings to bawl and scream. For all of Benjy’s life, Caddy has kept him safe and done what he wanted her to, like when she washed off her perfume, or washed her mouth, but she can’t wash off what she did with Dalton. It is at this point that Caddy breaks down Benjy. From the minute Caddy loses her virginity, she and Benjy become detached. Suddenly, the pattern and familiarity that has been Benjy’s life, is shattered. This is unfortunate because Caddy was such a large part of Benjy’s life, and it seemed as though the connection that her and Benjy had was unbreakable.
When Quentin begins to talk about Caddy, the reader gets a different sense of who she is. Quentin shows Caddy as a lost and weak girl, hiding under the cover of a strong and mature woman. She is unsure of why she slept with Dalton, and lies to Quentin about whether or not she has feelings for Dalton. Quentin and Caddy had a relationship similar to that of Benjy and Caddy. Caddy was the one person who truly loved Quentin, and cared for him when their parents didn’t. This caring nature created a bond between Caddy and Quentin that was more than just that of siblings. Quentin was jealous of the men Caddy was around, and felt as though none of the men she ever encountered were good enough for her. He wanted to break the pessimistic views that his father had about virginity and women, and for most of his life had used Caddy as a precedent. When Caddy loses her purity, Quentin loses hope. He can no longer believe that women are not ‘bitches’ or concubines, and because of the fact that he had not yet lost his virginity, he was ashamed and shocked. Caddy’s impurity was the breaking point for Quentin as well. With his loss of hope came his obsession with time. His father had told him once that time cures all, but Quentin had waited long enough, and time hadn’t cured his feelings. The tragedy of the Compson family seems to revolve around Caddy, who was once the rock of a family teetering on the edge of destruction. When she cracked, they all came tumbling down after her. (608)
It is evident, from the very beginning of the novel as Benjy waits by the gate for Caddy to come home, that Benjy truly loves Caddy. Caddy is understanding and caring, and does not refer to Benjy as ‘looney’ or retarded as nearly everyone else around him does. Caddy seems to be the only one who gives Benjy the love that he needs, on account that he barely receives any love from his mother or father. Since Benjy only gets older physically, but not mentally, he expects everyone else to not change mentally. He wants Caddy to be a little girl forever, and cherishes her innocence. When Caddy loses her virginity to Dalton Ames, Benjy senses her promiscuity and beings to bawl and scream. For all of Benjy’s life, Caddy has kept him safe and done what he wanted her to, like when she washed off her perfume, or washed her mouth, but she can’t wash off what she did with Dalton. It is at this point that Caddy breaks down Benjy. From the minute Caddy loses her virginity, she and Benjy become detached. Suddenly, the pattern and familiarity that has been Benjy’s life, is shattered. This is unfortunate because Caddy was such a large part of Benjy’s life, and it seemed as though the connection that her and Benjy had was unbreakable.
When Quentin begins to talk about Caddy, the reader gets a different sense of who she is. Quentin shows Caddy as a lost and weak girl, hiding under the cover of a strong and mature woman. She is unsure of why she slept with Dalton, and lies to Quentin about whether or not she has feelings for Dalton. Quentin and Caddy had a relationship similar to that of Benjy and Caddy. Caddy was the one person who truly loved Quentin, and cared for him when their parents didn’t. This caring nature created a bond between Caddy and Quentin that was more than just that of siblings. Quentin was jealous of the men Caddy was around, and felt as though none of the men she ever encountered were good enough for her. He wanted to break the pessimistic views that his father had about virginity and women, and for most of his life had used Caddy as a precedent. When Caddy loses her purity, Quentin loses hope. He can no longer believe that women are not ‘bitches’ or concubines, and because of the fact that he had not yet lost his virginity, he was ashamed and shocked. Caddy’s impurity was the breaking point for Quentin as well. With his loss of hope came his obsession with time. His father had told him once that time cures all, but Quentin had waited long enough, and time hadn’t cured his feelings. The tragedy of the Compson family seems to revolve around Caddy, who was once the rock of a family teetering on the edge of destruction. When she cracked, they all came tumbling down after her. (608)
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
The Five-Forty-Eight
John Cheever’s “The Five-Forty-Eight” is a captivating story that shines light on the struggle to create a facade of perfection in order to cover up one’s true inner turmoil. Blake’s stalker, a mentally ill and emotionally unstable woman, becomes the object of Blake’s deception. Blake is a well-off businessman, who feeds on those who are weak, confident that there will be no dire consequences. When his stalker gets the job as Blake’s secretary, it is her chance to recreate herself, and overcome her mental illness. Instead, Blake messes with her mind, and leaves her jobless, alone, and more frail than ever. In the end, though, it is not Blake’s stalker who works to cover up her inner conflicts, it is Blake. Despite the fact that the reader is meant to see the stalker as the psychotic character, it is Blake whose deep-rooted problems begin to seep through his phony exterior.
When the reader is first introduced to Blake, he is overly confident and distracted. He notices his stalker as he leaves his office, and wonders why she is following him, but seems preoccupied by the recent construction and window displays to worry about her for more than a moment. And for that moment that he does worry, he reassures himself with the fact that, “She was not clever. She would be easy to shake.” (4) Blake is completely oblivious to why the woman, whose name he has not yet taken the time to remember, would be following him. Maybe she was “misled, lonely perhaps.” (4) Despite this false sense of comfort, Blake takes a detour into a men’s bar on his way to the train, believing that his stalker was too simple-minded to wait for him. While in the bar, Blake tries, unsuccessfully, to remember his stalkers name-“Miss Dent, Miss Bent, Miss Lent”. It then becomes obvious to the reader how Blake can live with himself after the way that he feeds on women. He picks women who have a lack of self esteem because to him, they are not people. He dehumanizes them to the point where they are all nameless, each a star on the wall.
After realizing he has missed the express, Blake leaves the bar in order to catch the local five-forty-eight. He is sure that he has lost his stalker, boards the train, and uses the evening paper to “avoid speculation or remorse about her.” (16) “Mr. Blake”, he hears her voice from above him, and suddenly he remembers her name. Miss Dent. While, to the reader, Miss Dent is becoming seemingly more dangerous, her timid voice gives Blake some relief. He still feels as though he has the power to manipulate her, and instead of being worried about what Miss Dent is capable of, Blake looks around to make sure that none of the people on the train that he knows are watching them. But it doesn’t take long for Blake to realize that Miss Dent is serious. She tells him she has a pistol, and that she is not afraid to kill him. This scene shows that there has been a role reversal between Blake and Miss Dent. Blake is now the weak one, the one who is being dehumanized and messed with. The consequences of his actions have finally come back to torment him. He is now the coward, for once he does not have the upper hand of being the tabby in this cat and mouse game he often plays. Miss Dent, although mentally tormented, has found the strength to stand up to the man who has caused her unwarranted trouble and pain. She has realized that she has a problem, and found Blake to be the principle source. Miss Dent uses the train ride to share with Blake how he has made her feel, and instead of listening and trying to fix what he has done to Miss Dent, Blake is distracted by the ads on the walls of the train stations, and who is getting on and off of the train.
Miss Dent is a symbol of Blake’s past. She symbolizes all of the women that Blake has manipulated and used in the past. Instead of confronting the women, Blake has always avoided them-after sleeping with Miss Dent, he fired her, and refused to allow her into his office building. When Miss Dent first met Blake, she had imagined his life to be “full of friendships, money, and a large and loving family.” (6) But once Miss Dent sees Blake’s weaknesses and heartlessness, and once the train stops in Shady Hill, she realizes Blake’s life was not what she had imagined. She says that she ought to feel sorry for him, and that despite what she has been through, she is still better than him. This is ironic, because most of the story, the reader sympathizes with poor Miss Dent, a troubled woman, so desperate for the adoration of such a man as Blake. In the end though, it is Blake whose tormented soul is visible and pitied. It seems as though he is past the point of being cured, whereas Miss Dent can now wash her hands clean of Blake, and finally find peace of mind. After having just been held at gunpoint with his face down in the dirt, Blake, who realizes that Miss Dent has left the station and he is safe, “got to his feet and picked up his hat from the ground where it had fallen and walked home,” and unchanged man. (63)
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Discussion Questions:
1. Do you believe that Blake or Miss Dent had a revelation in the end?
2. Why do you think that Blake was always distracting himself with everything that was going on around him?
3. In your opinion, were either Blake or Miss Dent likeable characters?
4. What is the significance of Miss Dent’s handwriting?
5. What mental problems do you believe that Miss Dent suffers from?
When the reader is first introduced to Blake, he is overly confident and distracted. He notices his stalker as he leaves his office, and wonders why she is following him, but seems preoccupied by the recent construction and window displays to worry about her for more than a moment. And for that moment that he does worry, he reassures himself with the fact that, “She was not clever. She would be easy to shake.” (4) Blake is completely oblivious to why the woman, whose name he has not yet taken the time to remember, would be following him. Maybe she was “misled, lonely perhaps.” (4) Despite this false sense of comfort, Blake takes a detour into a men’s bar on his way to the train, believing that his stalker was too simple-minded to wait for him. While in the bar, Blake tries, unsuccessfully, to remember his stalkers name-“Miss Dent, Miss Bent, Miss Lent”. It then becomes obvious to the reader how Blake can live with himself after the way that he feeds on women. He picks women who have a lack of self esteem because to him, they are not people. He dehumanizes them to the point where they are all nameless, each a star on the wall.
After realizing he has missed the express, Blake leaves the bar in order to catch the local five-forty-eight. He is sure that he has lost his stalker, boards the train, and uses the evening paper to “avoid speculation or remorse about her.” (16) “Mr. Blake”, he hears her voice from above him, and suddenly he remembers her name. Miss Dent. While, to the reader, Miss Dent is becoming seemingly more dangerous, her timid voice gives Blake some relief. He still feels as though he has the power to manipulate her, and instead of being worried about what Miss Dent is capable of, Blake looks around to make sure that none of the people on the train that he knows are watching them. But it doesn’t take long for Blake to realize that Miss Dent is serious. She tells him she has a pistol, and that she is not afraid to kill him. This scene shows that there has been a role reversal between Blake and Miss Dent. Blake is now the weak one, the one who is being dehumanized and messed with. The consequences of his actions have finally come back to torment him. He is now the coward, for once he does not have the upper hand of being the tabby in this cat and mouse game he often plays. Miss Dent, although mentally tormented, has found the strength to stand up to the man who has caused her unwarranted trouble and pain. She has realized that she has a problem, and found Blake to be the principle source. Miss Dent uses the train ride to share with Blake how he has made her feel, and instead of listening and trying to fix what he has done to Miss Dent, Blake is distracted by the ads on the walls of the train stations, and who is getting on and off of the train.
Miss Dent is a symbol of Blake’s past. She symbolizes all of the women that Blake has manipulated and used in the past. Instead of confronting the women, Blake has always avoided them-after sleeping with Miss Dent, he fired her, and refused to allow her into his office building. When Miss Dent first met Blake, she had imagined his life to be “full of friendships, money, and a large and loving family.” (6) But once Miss Dent sees Blake’s weaknesses and heartlessness, and once the train stops in Shady Hill, she realizes Blake’s life was not what she had imagined. She says that she ought to feel sorry for him, and that despite what she has been through, she is still better than him. This is ironic, because most of the story, the reader sympathizes with poor Miss Dent, a troubled woman, so desperate for the adoration of such a man as Blake. In the end though, it is Blake whose tormented soul is visible and pitied. It seems as though he is past the point of being cured, whereas Miss Dent can now wash her hands clean of Blake, and finally find peace of mind. After having just been held at gunpoint with his face down in the dirt, Blake, who realizes that Miss Dent has left the station and he is safe, “got to his feet and picked up his hat from the ground where it had fallen and walked home,” and unchanged man. (63)
(921)
Discussion Questions:
1. Do you believe that Blake or Miss Dent had a revelation in the end?
2. Why do you think that Blake was always distracting himself with everything that was going on around him?
3. In your opinion, were either Blake or Miss Dent likeable characters?
4. What is the significance of Miss Dent’s handwriting?
5. What mental problems do you believe that Miss Dent suffers from?
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