Author Bio:
Annie Proulx is currently a Wyoming native; this affects the content and setting of her numerous texts, such as the acclaimed “Brokeback Mountain.” Her consequent critical appeal rests in a style clearly cultivated by rural life. “Them Old Cowboy Songs” is in fact one of several short stories in her collection titled Fine Just the Way It Is: Wyoming Stories 3. The title of her collection stems from a distinct desire for Western realism, rather than a false ideal. She states, “Obviously things are not fine just the way they are, but that’s the gloss that everyone in rural life puts on things. They say they wouldn’t exchange it for anything, they wouldn’t live anywhere else, they wouldn’t want their lives to be different. It’s fine just the way it is.” Obviously Proulx’s sentiments were accomplished through “Old Cowboy Songs” specifically. Reviewer Christy Corp-Minamiji writes, “Proulx turns the American ideal on its head, stripping away the gold screen of the Old West, and showing a world where hard work did not always yield success, where despite the best of intentions, people lost to circumstances and to each other.”
Plot Summary:
Archie and Rose McLaverty are a young married couple just starting out a life on their homestead Little Weed, Wyoming in the late 1800’s. They are both under eighteen, but Archie lies about his age. They both had humble beginnings, and wish to create a new life for themselves in the promise that new land and settlement brings. Archie loses his job from his “would-be-brother” who treats him as a slave, and must try to find work to keep them through the spring and into summer. Archie finds work with Karok rounding up cows telling him that he is single. He quickly tells Rose he is leaving and will be back in September when the baby is born. He writes a note to his neighbor to watch over Rose while he is gone and then leaves quickly. Rose must take care of herself and Archie as well. Archie becomes ill with pneumonia, and then his secret of being married is revealed and he is sent off of Karok’s property. Archie dies on the trail home; they only made it to a line shaft nine miles from Karok’s. Their neighbor Tom Ackler comes back to Little Weed after being gone all fall and winter to find Rose’s tragic corpse. He goes to town to tell the news, but the people are caught up in the drama of the Dungans, a popular well-to-do family. The story ends with both Archie and Rose’s deaths, and the realization that the frontier is a cold place to make a new start.
Significance of Title:
Old cowboy songs initially attract Rose to Archie. The songs act as the foundation of their relationship. Proulx states, “Rose walked along with him at the beginning and even tried to sing with him but got out of breath from walking so fast and singing at the same time” (243). Proulx alludes to the couple’s differences and future separation. When Archie’s carefree nature allows frivolity to outweigh the responsibilities of a husband and future father, Rose becomes annoyed and their separation occurs. It would seem that there is no room for the luxury of music in the brutal Old West.
Setting:
The story is set in the frontier of Wyoming on a little homestead called Little Weed, in the year 1885. The story covers about a year’s worth of time from one summer to the next. The author spends time describing the past in brief bits of exposition, but most of the events take place in the present time. The last section takes place months later.
The setting is symbolic of the experience of many homesteaders who did not make it in this new land. Proulx wanted to write a story that wasn’t just about the frontier, but about those who didn’t make it in a not-so-happy frontier story (327). Some people failed in their attempts to make it, and this story is symbolic of those many people. The setting itself relates the story in the most important way. The setting helps to reveal both Archie and Rose’s characters as excited and motivated. But, the setting also reveals the harshness of their lives, the danger they faced at every turn. The meaning of the work is derived from the hardships of the setting.
Structure:
The story is developed chronologically. The exposition reveals the background of both Archie and Rose McLaverty such as Archie’s history with music---his ability to remember rhymes, verses, and intonations ---and Rose’s dying mother and alcoholic father (242). The exposition also describes their homestead in Little Weed, Wyoming in 1885. The exposition reveals the financial place of Rose and Archie; Archie’s need to go out and find labor even from his “step-brother” Bunk Peck who treated him as a slave (242).
The major conflict of the story is Archie’s journey north to Cheyenne to find work with Karok rounding up cows. Archie picks up and leaves in a hurry, hoping for a better life but leaving his young wife to fend for herself. The narrator comments that “the cabin reeked of desertion and betrayal” (251). The secondary conflict of the story is the lack of work that precedes Archie’s hasty decision to leave for Cheyenne and deny he is married. This creates a domino effect for the rest of the horrific events that the story entails.
The climax of the story occurs when Archie becomes sick with pneumonia getting fired by Karok. His two comrades carry him out on the travois but are faced with a terrific storm and settle for resting at the line shack after only traveling nine miles through the winter storm (269). Archie is feverish and it isn’t known if he will make it; Rose has just struggled and delivered a dead baby, collapsing on the floor. This is the climax because of the heightened tension created for both parties.
Conflict and Resolution:
The conflicts of the story are not totally resolved as Rose and Archie do not face each other again. Tom comes home from Taos in May, almost six months later, to see the edges of the note that Archie originally left him on his table before leaving for Cheyenne. Tom travels over to check on Rose only to find her disastrously ravaged body lying lifeless in the cabin. He assumes that she has been raped (261). He goes to town and tries to get the townspeople to help, but they are consumed by the drama of the Dorgans. Archie’s death is eluded to but not specifically stated along with the other catastrophes of Karok’s cows and workers.
The coming together of loose threads is mostly done by way of allusion: “two cowpunchers in a line shack frozen together in a buffalo robe” discloses Archie’s death briefly; and Tom Ackler’s arrival back from Taos in May reveals that Rose would have had to survive alone after she gave birth to a dead child, lost lots of blood, and had no food for sustainability. Tom’s arrival upon her corpse reveals that she hasn’t managed to overcome those tragedies. The ending is surprising because it doesn’t lay out the conclusion in simple terminology. The surprise of the ending is shown through the fact that both Archie and Rose never reunite and live out their dream.
The ending is a tragedy, one that was unexpected for such hope that these new trailblazers had for their future (author’s note, 327). The plot is motivated by cause and effect continuously. Life out in Wyoming was all about the effects of the daily decisions you made, good and bad. As the author details in her note, this is the tragedy that some people faced out on the range (327). Making a place to house generations to come was real for many, but others had tribulations and trials, even tragedy. Rose and Archie tried but failed, and their story of struggle is riveting. The story is believable because it is the anti-happy ending story. It is more realistic and tragic, but that makes it more believable than the “Big-Happy-Ranch” story (327).
Diction:
Proulx uses dialect and jargon heavily in the short story, each fall under the umbrella of vernacular. These localized speech patterns are most apparent within males, specifically Archie and Karok. One need only examine the dialogue of the two type A personalities in order to grasp Proulx’s reliance on this tactic. Karok states, “Other fellas look for work, they carry their fixins. They don’t have to go home and git it” (250). Similarly Archie, in a response to Rose, states “Enough to git us started. I’ll quit this feller’s ranch after a year and git back here” (251). Proulx uses these phrases for several reasons. Firstly, vernacular complements and creates the realism of the narrative quite well. It is no surprise for readers that Proulx is a Wyoming native and is therefore deeply engrained in their history, both glamorized and not. Secondly, vernacular lends a hand to characterization. Archie’s dialect is that of a young and largely uneducated manual worker. In contrast to Rose he seems almost brutish. Readers sympathize because his task is for the greater good; Archie seeks to gain financial merit and is motivated by a desire to build a future for his family, his dialect is therefore secondary to his actions. Thirdly, the jargon and dialect ultimately capture the distinction of the Western genre more so than any abundant description of setting ever could. Proulx’s use of localized speech aids in the formation of characterization, but more importantly authenticates Western realism.
Theme:
Proulx’s most prevalent theme revolves around isolation; this is accomplished through diverging narratives. After the narratives become split they are labeled accordingly. The first is “Karok’s Cows,” then “Archie and Sink,” third is “Rose and the Coyotes,” then “The Line Shack,” and finally “The Stage Station.” As the titles denote it is Rose who is clearly more isolated than Archie, her death is arguably more poignant. Archie is afforded some kinship; he is nevertheless separated from his wife through his individual decision to work under Karok’s “no married men” policy. Proulx’s decision to divide a short story into even tinier narrations works to her advantage, it is indeed one of her greatest strengths. In doing so she does not allow readers to ignore her message. They are confronted by a split narration and therefore must acknowledge the changes and pitfalls that occur once marriage dissolves due to personal choice and isolation.
The key theme of isolation is captured most vividly through Rose. In order to fully project the severity and effects of isolation, Proulx uses harsh language and unrelenting imagery, specifically in moments of individual emotional turmoil, such as Rose’s miscarriage. Rose’s solitary act of giving birth, traditionally a paired activity, to the child and the corresponding burial truly captures Proulx’s desired realism, thereby exemplifying the primary theme of isolation. Incidents with Archie follow in the same vein; when Archie succumbs to pneumonia Proulx states “He was overcome by dizziness. Boiling heat surged through him, his cheeks flamed red, his hands burned, and he had a dry, constant cough. The bunkhouse slopped back and forth as if on rockers” (258). The fates of Archie and Rose each revolve around the hardships of health and corresponding lack or absence of medical know how in old Wyoming. The couple perish in isolation, and are ultimately only unified through their unborn child.
Foreshadowing:
“He lied about his age to anyone who asked---he was not twenty-one but sixteen” (241). This statement in the first page of exposition reveals that Archie is immature and will take any measures to ensure his well-being, even lying. This foreshadows his lie about not being married. The resentment that Bunk Peck felt for Archie foreshadows his eventual lack of work and necessity to move further away to find work, even though he was Bunk’s equal in “their” mother’s eyes.
Proulx states effectively “There is no happiness like that of a young couple in a little house they have built themselves in a place of beauty and solitude” (243). This statement foreshadows the overall tragedy of this story, and the major themes of destitution and isolation that Proulx details in her ranch story. Rose’s envy of the Dorgan’s would precipitate the scene where husband and wife are fighting over the dead telegraph operator’s crush on Mrs. Dorgan when Tom Ackler is trying to tell everyone of Rose’s tragic end.
Point of View:
The point of view in “Old Cowboy Songs” aids in the projection of themes surrounding isolation. After Archie departs individual narratives are relayed through a 3rd person omniscient point of view. Readers can therefore observe the schisms that form while the young couple gradually becomes disillusioned with the prospect of marriage from an unbiased point of view. Surely Proulx is not encouraging anyone to choose sides, after all it is Rose who drives Archie away in hopes of financial gain, and it is Archie who chooses to leave his pregnant wife alone for several months. Rather than picking teams, Proulx instead makes readers aware of the challenges of marriage, occupation, child birth, and the relationship between the three.
Symbols:
The description of the cowboy songs and how and when Archie sings them is symbolic to the story. Archie’s songs are integrated into who he is and what he likes to do. His arrival at Karok’s motivates him to ground himself by singing a song or two, annoying some of the other workers (252). Singing these songs is second nature to him, and it helps him sort out things in his head. His songs help him reach solitude and solace in his day.
The pattern of symbols surrounds the fact that danger is everywhere. The songs reveal that comfort is right there whenever it is needed. The frontier was hard, and the setting as a symbol, as well as the songs, bring that full circle revealing “Some lived and some died, and that’s how it was” (263).
Strengths:
Proulx’s foremost strengths stem from her role as a credible story teller. Every facet of “Them Old Cowboy Songs” is relayed in a manner that exudes Western realism, the result of Proulx’s residency in Wyoming. As a result imagery, characterization, plot, and thematic elements are decidedly more interesting and vivid due to Proulx’s seasoned rural eyes. Contrastingly she is also more apt to invert the Western ideal, for she has a better grasp of local history and tradition. Proulx glamorizes and justly praises picturesque settings through complimentary imagery, but also warns readers of the pitfalls in nature and the human psyche, thus affirming her status as one of America’s most gifted and important story tellers.
Weaknesses:
The obvious weakness of the story is the inability to relate to Archie when he just takes off on his young pregnant wife in a matter of minutes. He doesn’t take any time to ensure that she will be safe, he just takes off. This makes the story almost unbelievable, but it also creates a note of desperation for the both of them. Archie didn’t have a choice but to try to make money in some way, but his wife’s life was lost at that cost, as well as his own. The other weakness of the story is the lack of confidence in Rose. She feels downtrodden under the glow of Mrs. Dungan. She wants to be just as pretty and important, but she knows she never will be. Her lack of confidence doesn’t transcend her calling. She and Archie were trying to make a life for themselves, but both of them lacked that extra something that would strengthen them in the toughest of times. But, the frontier was cold and unforgiving and their story could be anyone’s story.
Final Grade: A
This story is a well-written portrayal of a part of history that the author wanted to communicate to the audience in a realistic and riveting way. Proulx succeeds in breaking the stereotyped ranch story into a more believable and compelling short story. Overall, the story was effective through the use of several literary elements resulting in unity of action and effect.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Richard Powers' "Modulation"
About the author:
Richard Powers wrote "Modulation." Powers had gone to college for physics but switched to English/rhetoric. He has written ten novels to date. The narrator said the inspiration for this story came to him after his MP3 player died, the German word "ohrwurm" was stuck in his mind, and a few weeks later he played his SATB quartet.
Explanation of the title
The definition of modulation is changing from one key to another. The story is split up into each of the notes of the chromatic scale, which is twelve notes, each being a half-step apart. The chromatic scale is very small. The title is significant because the story brings up the fact that there are only so many notes a musician can work with to create a song, and using the chromatic scale would allow for more interpretation.
The magazine this story appeared in, Conjunctions, publishes "innovative" stories, poetry, criticism, interviews, and more from upcoming and established writers. The stories are selected collaboratively.
Character
Character and setting are the most important aspects of this story. The characters are initially revealed directly; the narrator sets the stage for each of the four protagonists' highly personalized history by giving a back story about what they did and what they are now doing in life. Toshi Yukawa was a renown hacker who used to pirate music until the Recording Industry Association of America charged him with a $50,000 fine and four years of jail time, and now works for the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Marta Mota is a Brazilian journalist writing in Iraq on musical recon operations. Jan Steiner is a newly retired ethnomusicology professor at Princeton. Mitchell Payne is an electronic music artist, performing at a chiptune event in Sydney, Australia. Names help establish the character's nationality. The four characters are in various parts of the globe with only their love of music in common. It is hard to see at the beginning how they tie together.
The characters develop further through indirect characterization via their narratives. The story is told by each character one at a time, almost like a circle. Toshi opens the story with his current situation and the discovery of the virus, discovering the virus will destroy all music-capable devices by December 21st. This leads to the virus affecting Marta first, then to Mitchell also having a tune stuck in his head which could be a new genre. Their personalities build even further, with their personal concerns becoming clear through their thoughts. Mitchell is not concerned by his mounting debt accruing from attending college; he is more interested in creating a new subgenre of electronic music, to not rip off someone else’s style. He confused genres with minor differences, such as acid groove, acid croft, acid techno, and acid lounge on a recent exam, and did not want to fall behind while new genres were crossbreeding daily; "Someday soon a garage band out in Cos Cob was going to string together the last viable melody, and music would be pure plagiarism and mash-ups from then on." He is determined to create something new. Toshi is also adequately motivated in his field of work. He "took too long to realize the danger of the virus", as it spread rapidly, destroying MP3 devices in its wake. Toshi thought it may be a virus developed by the RIAA, his employer, to punish music pirates, then realizing he used to pirate music prior to his jail sentence.
The characters do not directly talk to one another. The only way they connect is through the "ohrwurm" the virus emits.
Setting
"Modulation" is set in the present day. The story spans over a three day period, from when Toshi discovers the virus on December 19th, to when it detonates on December 21st. December 21st is also the last day on the Mayan calendar in 2010, symbolizing the end of the world, or in this case, the music world. The setting is also symbolic because the characters are in different countries, yet are all involved with music, and affected by the virus. The virus itself is a symbol, creating an "ohrwurm". The "ohrwurm" stuck in each person's head is sublime. Music is often considered sublime, something so powerful and aesthetically pleasing that cannot be accurately described.
Language
"Modulation" is full of jargon, used to help stylize the characters. The Roland MC-909 Groovebox, iPod Nanos and Touches, Zens, loopers shifters, sequencers, MPCs, and MSX emulators are all examples of MP3 players or specific sound equipment and synthesizers. Pump It Up, Alternate Reality, and Donkey Kong are examples of specific video games whose music one of the characters used in his songs. Norton and Skype are computer programs, Norton being an anti-virus program and Skype being a popular VoIP and webchat program. Even specific composers are mentioned: Mozart, Cappelmeister, Palestrina, Brahms, and more. Powers narrows in very closely to specifics in the music world.
This use of jargon may be unfamiliar to some because of how specific each item described is. If the reader is not well-versed with computers, the characters that utilize Skype or contact Norton will not be familiar. Not understanding what musical equipment Michael uses will go right over the reader's head because unless if you are a musician, what does being "the greatest real-time Roland MC-909 Groovebox performer" mean when you have no idea what it even is.
Allusions
Allusions are a reference to another object, place, or literary work. The allusion of the music virus destroying all music-capable devices refers to the end of music, and the end of the world in a sense. The day the virus executes is December 21, which is the last day on the Mayan calendar in 2012. Marta reporting in Iraq alludes to the Iraqi War -- it is never specifically mentioned but given that she is in the present day and in Iraq writing about the use of music in war time, we can conclude the war is still occurring. These catalogues of allusions help the reader juxtapose themselves into a modern, familiar world.
Symbolism
The virus seeks to destroy this indescribable phenomenon of music, "the only fundamental human pleasure with no survival value whatsoever." The last lyrics Marta hears before her music device crashes, is, "You'll hear me again someday." Mitchell notes that there are so few notes in the Western scale that they can only be combined in so many ways before all music will become recycled. With the virus deleting songs and spreading, all songs will eventually be gone. It is the end of the world for music. This can allow music to be recreated and new genres to be discovered. Modern devices such as Zunes, Rolands, and iPod Touches are mentioned. The social setting involves middle to upper-class characters, as they each have careers, own name-brand devices, and have modern-day electronics.
Points of View
The narrator has unlimited knowledge about the characters, but the character's knowledge and abilities are limited. Had the story been told differently, we would only have known one of the character's viewpoints, which would not show how integrated music is into everyone's lives. It would also lessen the threat the virus poses.
Tone
The narrator is unbiased toward any of the characters. It is up to the characters to set the tone through their narratives. The virus affects each person differently - Jan embraced the "ohrwurm" after he fell in the snow. Mitchell is able to transcribe the "ohrwurm" in his head into a new genre. Toshi thinks the virus and its aftermath is disgusting, wishing the programmer had put his talents to better use.
Theme
The theme of the story is how music is a large part of the character’s lives. Marta can't get a melody out of her head and Toshi is trying to get people to stop stealing music. Jan and Mitchell show two different worlds of music. Jan shows the older, more sophisticated type of music (canonical music). Music means something and it should be enjoyed by all. Mitchell uses computers, iPods, and modern technology to produce his music. The characters strive to create something new in a world where creating what they feel is new has probably already been done.
Structure
Each character is motivated by various aspects of music - Toshi is motivated to try and figure out the virus that is hacking portable music players. Marta is motivated to study how music affects those on the battlefield and to get a song out of her head. Mitchell is motivated to try to create new melodies via digital equipment, which isn't traditionally considered a musical instrument.
Evaluation of the Story
We gave the story an A/B rating. In order to understand the story, you need to recognize the modern devices and music technology, ranging from synthesizers, to MP3 players, to computer terms. We liked how contemporary the story was, written by someone who is familiar with devices from our generation. We also liked how the characters were interconnected -- at the beginning it is hard to tell how the four narratives will come together but they resolve by the end. The downside to the story was how small the resolutions were, leaving the reader wondering about the characters afterward. Marta could have also played a larger role. She studied music while in Iraq but her role was reduced once she caught the "ohrwurm".
Richard Powers wrote "Modulation." Powers had gone to college for physics but switched to English/rhetoric. He has written ten novels to date. The narrator said the inspiration for this story came to him after his MP3 player died, the German word "ohrwurm" was stuck in his mind, and a few weeks later he played his SATB quartet.
Explanation of the title
The definition of modulation is changing from one key to another. The story is split up into each of the notes of the chromatic scale, which is twelve notes, each being a half-step apart. The chromatic scale is very small. The title is significant because the story brings up the fact that there are only so many notes a musician can work with to create a song, and using the chromatic scale would allow for more interpretation.
The magazine this story appeared in, Conjunctions, publishes "innovative" stories, poetry, criticism, interviews, and more from upcoming and established writers. The stories are selected collaboratively.
Character
Character and setting are the most important aspects of this story. The characters are initially revealed directly; the narrator sets the stage for each of the four protagonists' highly personalized history by giving a back story about what they did and what they are now doing in life. Toshi Yukawa was a renown hacker who used to pirate music until the Recording Industry Association of America charged him with a $50,000 fine and four years of jail time, and now works for the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Marta Mota is a Brazilian journalist writing in Iraq on musical recon operations. Jan Steiner is a newly retired ethnomusicology professor at Princeton. Mitchell Payne is an electronic music artist, performing at a chiptune event in Sydney, Australia. Names help establish the character's nationality. The four characters are in various parts of the globe with only their love of music in common. It is hard to see at the beginning how they tie together.
The characters develop further through indirect characterization via their narratives. The story is told by each character one at a time, almost like a circle. Toshi opens the story with his current situation and the discovery of the virus, discovering the virus will destroy all music-capable devices by December 21st. This leads to the virus affecting Marta first, then to Mitchell also having a tune stuck in his head which could be a new genre. Their personalities build even further, with their personal concerns becoming clear through their thoughts. Mitchell is not concerned by his mounting debt accruing from attending college; he is more interested in creating a new subgenre of electronic music, to not rip off someone else’s style. He confused genres with minor differences, such as acid groove, acid croft, acid techno, and acid lounge on a recent exam, and did not want to fall behind while new genres were crossbreeding daily; "Someday soon a garage band out in Cos Cob was going to string together the last viable melody, and music would be pure plagiarism and mash-ups from then on." He is determined to create something new. Toshi is also adequately motivated in his field of work. He "took too long to realize the danger of the virus", as it spread rapidly, destroying MP3 devices in its wake. Toshi thought it may be a virus developed by the RIAA, his employer, to punish music pirates, then realizing he used to pirate music prior to his jail sentence.
The characters do not directly talk to one another. The only way they connect is through the "ohrwurm" the virus emits.
Setting
"Modulation" is set in the present day. The story spans over a three day period, from when Toshi discovers the virus on December 19th, to when it detonates on December 21st. December 21st is also the last day on the Mayan calendar in 2010, symbolizing the end of the world, or in this case, the music world. The setting is also symbolic because the characters are in different countries, yet are all involved with music, and affected by the virus. The virus itself is a symbol, creating an "ohrwurm". The "ohrwurm" stuck in each person's head is sublime. Music is often considered sublime, something so powerful and aesthetically pleasing that cannot be accurately described.
Language
"Modulation" is full of jargon, used to help stylize the characters. The Roland MC-909 Groovebox, iPod Nanos and Touches, Zens, loopers shifters, sequencers, MPCs, and MSX emulators are all examples of MP3 players or specific sound equipment and synthesizers. Pump It Up, Alternate Reality, and Donkey Kong are examples of specific video games whose music one of the characters used in his songs. Norton and Skype are computer programs, Norton being an anti-virus program and Skype being a popular VoIP and webchat program. Even specific composers are mentioned: Mozart, Cappelmeister, Palestrina, Brahms, and more. Powers narrows in very closely to specifics in the music world.
This use of jargon may be unfamiliar to some because of how specific each item described is. If the reader is not well-versed with computers, the characters that utilize Skype or contact Norton will not be familiar. Not understanding what musical equipment Michael uses will go right over the reader's head because unless if you are a musician, what does being "the greatest real-time Roland MC-909 Groovebox performer" mean when you have no idea what it even is.
Allusions
Allusions are a reference to another object, place, or literary work. The allusion of the music virus destroying all music-capable devices refers to the end of music, and the end of the world in a sense. The day the virus executes is December 21, which is the last day on the Mayan calendar in 2012. Marta reporting in Iraq alludes to the Iraqi War -- it is never specifically mentioned but given that she is in the present day and in Iraq writing about the use of music in war time, we can conclude the war is still occurring. These catalogues of allusions help the reader juxtapose themselves into a modern, familiar world.
Symbolism
The virus seeks to destroy this indescribable phenomenon of music, "the only fundamental human pleasure with no survival value whatsoever." The last lyrics Marta hears before her music device crashes, is, "You'll hear me again someday." Mitchell notes that there are so few notes in the Western scale that they can only be combined in so many ways before all music will become recycled. With the virus deleting songs and spreading, all songs will eventually be gone. It is the end of the world for music. This can allow music to be recreated and new genres to be discovered. Modern devices such as Zunes, Rolands, and iPod Touches are mentioned. The social setting involves middle to upper-class characters, as they each have careers, own name-brand devices, and have modern-day electronics.
Points of View
The narrator has unlimited knowledge about the characters, but the character's knowledge and abilities are limited. Had the story been told differently, we would only have known one of the character's viewpoints, which would not show how integrated music is into everyone's lives. It would also lessen the threat the virus poses.
Tone
The narrator is unbiased toward any of the characters. It is up to the characters to set the tone through their narratives. The virus affects each person differently - Jan embraced the "ohrwurm" after he fell in the snow. Mitchell is able to transcribe the "ohrwurm" in his head into a new genre. Toshi thinks the virus and its aftermath is disgusting, wishing the programmer had put his talents to better use.
Theme
The theme of the story is how music is a large part of the character’s lives. Marta can't get a melody out of her head and Toshi is trying to get people to stop stealing music. Jan and Mitchell show two different worlds of music. Jan shows the older, more sophisticated type of music (canonical music). Music means something and it should be enjoyed by all. Mitchell uses computers, iPods, and modern technology to produce his music. The characters strive to create something new in a world where creating what they feel is new has probably already been done.
Structure
Each character is motivated by various aspects of music - Toshi is motivated to try and figure out the virus that is hacking portable music players. Marta is motivated to study how music affects those on the battlefield and to get a song out of her head. Mitchell is motivated to try to create new melodies via digital equipment, which isn't traditionally considered a musical instrument.
Evaluation of the Story
We gave the story an A/B rating. In order to understand the story, you need to recognize the modern devices and music technology, ranging from synthesizers, to MP3 players, to computer terms. We liked how contemporary the story was, written by someone who is familiar with devices from our generation. We also liked how the characters were interconnected -- at the beginning it is hard to tell how the four narratives will come together but they resolve by the end. The downside to the story was how small the resolutions were, leaving the reader wondering about the characters afterward. Marta could have also played a larger role. She studied music while in Iraq but her role was reduced once she caught the "ohrwurm".
"Sagittarius" by Greg Hrbek
Author Bio:
Greg Hrbek has a B.A. from Vassar and an M.F.A. from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop. He is currently Writer-in-Residence at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, where he teaches undergraduate classes related to fiction writing and film. He is the author of the novel The Hindenburg Crashes Nightly, as well as several short stories that have appeared in Harper's Magazine, Salmagundi, The Idaho Review, and Black Warrior Review. His short story, "Green World" (Harper’s), was a finalist for the 1999 National Magazine Award in Fiction and was short-listed in O. Henry Prize Stories 2000. His story Bereavement was a 2007 Robert Olen Butler Prize winner, and "Sagittarius" was, of course, a selection for The Best American Short Stories 2009.
Plot Summary:
In "Sagittarius," Greg Hrbek tells the story of a family’s struggle to accept their infant son Sebastian despite his physical deformities, for Sebastian is a centaur: half human, half horse. Hrbek opens the story at the moment Sebastian escapes his playpen and runs free into the night, and then the author proceeds to describe the thoughts and memories of Isabel and Martin, Sebastian’s parents, as they search the forest for their son. Hrbek reveals that Kaden, Sebastian’s three-year-old brother who has been forgotten in the chaos, has also left the house to join the search. Hrbek refocuses on Isabel, who as she searches notices a truck speeding through the dark forest, then on Kaden, who is seated on a dirt road and contemplating his shoes when he sees headlights approaching. Switching back to Isabel, Hrbek describes Isabel’s realization of where Sebastian has gone and her sprint toward a meadow she had visited with her sons earlier that day, but before she reaches the meadow, Isabel hears the sounds of a vehicle crashing. Hrbek then reveals that as the crash occurs, Martin locates Sebastian at the meadow, realizes the depth of his love for Sebastian, and finally accepts his son as unique.
Structure:
"Sagittarius" follows a chronological time line in which a few flashbacks are used to describe the birth and following emotions displayed by the parents in regards to their newborn centaur. Greg Hrbek wonderfully sets up the description of the physical features of Sebastian in the exposition. The major conflict established in the story is the father’s disapproval and lack of acceptance for his newborn centaur. The mother loves her baby and tries to find ways to stay very optimistic, whereas the father is quite pessimistic and feels that all surgeries are necessary and worth the risk in order to make Sebastian a normal child. The climax of the story takes place in the meadow when the father finds Sebastian and comes to the realization that he loves his son, despite his abnormalities. The story is resolved and the father walks home with his son. For the first time in the story and in his lifetime, the father is not ashamed of Sebastian. Although this story may not be believable, Greg Hrbek does a phenomenal job indirectly representing society and showing the expectations of what is normal.
Characters, Setting, Symbols:
Hrbek uses Sebastian to represent real-life children born with natural defects, and characterizes Sebastian’s parents based on their reactions to having a unique child. He characterizes Isabel as the stereotypical mother: consistently caring, nurturing, and loving of Sebastian despite his differences, and Martin as the stereotypical parent who struggles to accept his son’s differences and who wants his son to conform to society’s expectations of a normal child. Hrbek also uses physical space as symbolic of emotional space by describing Martin and Isabel moving further apart in the woods in the same way they are moving apart emotionally due to the conflict over Sebastian. The meadow functions as a symbol of love by using that location as the place Sebastian may have been conceived, where Isabel feels great motherly love when Sebastian takes his first steps, and where Martin finally accepts his son’s uniqueness and realizes the depth of his love for Sebastian. The use of a centaur in this story is a symbol of how today’s society impacts certain individuals' views of what can be accepted in a culture.
Point of View:
Hrbek presents his story using a limited, rotating third-person point-of-view. It is somewhat unique in that the tri-part pattern of rotation – Isabelle (the mother), Martin (the father), and Kaden (the older son), is bookended by the point-of-view of Sebastian, upon whom the story is arguably centered. The exposition presents the reader with place, time, and events from the eyes of the young boy as he escapes into the state woods; the dénouement, likewise, offers the reader a final view of events as seen by Sebastian, now a full member of the family.
Between exposition and dénouement the reader experiences events through the perceptions of the other family members, as each provides their own window on the occurrences of the evening. Supporting the themes of parental (and, moreover, familial) acceptance above all else, Hrbek first introduces us to Isabel, the mother who accepts her son unconditionally, and then to Martin, the father who feels that Sebastian is broken, diseased, damaged, and must be fixed, and finally to Kaden, who sees his brother, despite all the physical differences, the way that many older siblings view their successors: as a nifty addition, until they become the focus of too much attention, at which point action needs to be taken – in this case, by letting Sebastian out of his playpen. It should be noted that both Kaden and Isabel accept Sebastian as he is, despite their opposing motivations. Hrbek then buffers their two points of view by inserting Martin’s experiences between them, presenting the reader with the arguable protagonist fairly late in the story – and the reader sees events through his eyes, both before the father accepts the son for who he is, and after the scales have fallen from his eyes.
Language and Title Significance:
Hrbek’s highly literary use of language in "Sagittarius" relates directly to the title of the piece. Words such as stars, space, night, dark, and other references to the solar system are utilized countless times and relate to the character, Sebastian, who happens to be a Sagittarius himself. Sagittarius, in Greek mythology, is defined as a centaur but is also a constellation of the Zodiac.
Hrbek also uses dialogue in very interesting ways. Sebastian only utters one line of dialogue, "Uh-boo-boo-bah. Uh-voo. Uh-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah." At first read, one would consider this just gibberish, but on a more critical analysis the timing of this speech suggests something more. It occurs at a pivotal point in the narrative, when Sebastian’s father learns to accept his son for what he is. Sebastian is not spouting an evil chant or speaking in tongues; he is only doing that of which any child does at that age. The young centaur, despite appearance, really isn’t that different.
The symbolic use of the title goes along with the use of the zodiac sky, the story occurs at night and the relevant changes that take place fit into the overall theme that Hrbek is portraying.
Theme:
Throughout "Sagittarius" Hrbek utilizes each part of the story to convey how societal norms play a large part in today’s nuclear family. The idea of what is "normal" is shown through the way Hrbek uses the father and doctor’s point of view to describe Sebastian. When the baby runs away the father feels an initial panic of what he is going to do to find his son, this episode reveals how confused his is about his son: "He intends to call the police, report a missing person. Then decides, with equal impulsiveness, against the idea. What kind of description would he give? How can he explain when he himself does not understand? Even the doctors can’t make up their minds." Hrbek uses the conflict between Martin and Isabelle to reflect how parents struggle to accept the unique qualities of their children.
Grade:
Overall, our group gave "Sagittarius" a B+; although it works very well as an allegorical tale, the character of Sebastian strained believability as far as realism was concerned. Still, we would definitely recommend it to others as a great read.
Greg Hrbek has a B.A. from Vassar and an M.F.A. from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop. He is currently Writer-in-Residence at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, where he teaches undergraduate classes related to fiction writing and film. He is the author of the novel The Hindenburg Crashes Nightly, as well as several short stories that have appeared in Harper's Magazine, Salmagundi, The Idaho Review, and Black Warrior Review. His short story, "Green World" (Harper’s), was a finalist for the 1999 National Magazine Award in Fiction and was short-listed in O. Henry Prize Stories 2000. His story Bereavement was a 2007 Robert Olen Butler Prize winner, and "Sagittarius" was, of course, a selection for The Best American Short Stories 2009.
Plot Summary:
In "Sagittarius," Greg Hrbek tells the story of a family’s struggle to accept their infant son Sebastian despite his physical deformities, for Sebastian is a centaur: half human, half horse. Hrbek opens the story at the moment Sebastian escapes his playpen and runs free into the night, and then the author proceeds to describe the thoughts and memories of Isabel and Martin, Sebastian’s parents, as they search the forest for their son. Hrbek reveals that Kaden, Sebastian’s three-year-old brother who has been forgotten in the chaos, has also left the house to join the search. Hrbek refocuses on Isabel, who as she searches notices a truck speeding through the dark forest, then on Kaden, who is seated on a dirt road and contemplating his shoes when he sees headlights approaching. Switching back to Isabel, Hrbek describes Isabel’s realization of where Sebastian has gone and her sprint toward a meadow she had visited with her sons earlier that day, but before she reaches the meadow, Isabel hears the sounds of a vehicle crashing. Hrbek then reveals that as the crash occurs, Martin locates Sebastian at the meadow, realizes the depth of his love for Sebastian, and finally accepts his son as unique.
Structure:
"Sagittarius" follows a chronological time line in which a few flashbacks are used to describe the birth and following emotions displayed by the parents in regards to their newborn centaur. Greg Hrbek wonderfully sets up the description of the physical features of Sebastian in the exposition. The major conflict established in the story is the father’s disapproval and lack of acceptance for his newborn centaur. The mother loves her baby and tries to find ways to stay very optimistic, whereas the father is quite pessimistic and feels that all surgeries are necessary and worth the risk in order to make Sebastian a normal child. The climax of the story takes place in the meadow when the father finds Sebastian and comes to the realization that he loves his son, despite his abnormalities. The story is resolved and the father walks home with his son. For the first time in the story and in his lifetime, the father is not ashamed of Sebastian. Although this story may not be believable, Greg Hrbek does a phenomenal job indirectly representing society and showing the expectations of what is normal.
Characters, Setting, Symbols:
Hrbek uses Sebastian to represent real-life children born with natural defects, and characterizes Sebastian’s parents based on their reactions to having a unique child. He characterizes Isabel as the stereotypical mother: consistently caring, nurturing, and loving of Sebastian despite his differences, and Martin as the stereotypical parent who struggles to accept his son’s differences and who wants his son to conform to society’s expectations of a normal child. Hrbek also uses physical space as symbolic of emotional space by describing Martin and Isabel moving further apart in the woods in the same way they are moving apart emotionally due to the conflict over Sebastian. The meadow functions as a symbol of love by using that location as the place Sebastian may have been conceived, where Isabel feels great motherly love when Sebastian takes his first steps, and where Martin finally accepts his son’s uniqueness and realizes the depth of his love for Sebastian. The use of a centaur in this story is a symbol of how today’s society impacts certain individuals' views of what can be accepted in a culture.
Point of View:
Hrbek presents his story using a limited, rotating third-person point-of-view. It is somewhat unique in that the tri-part pattern of rotation – Isabelle (the mother), Martin (the father), and Kaden (the older son), is bookended by the point-of-view of Sebastian, upon whom the story is arguably centered. The exposition presents the reader with place, time, and events from the eyes of the young boy as he escapes into the state woods; the dénouement, likewise, offers the reader a final view of events as seen by Sebastian, now a full member of the family.
Between exposition and dénouement the reader experiences events through the perceptions of the other family members, as each provides their own window on the occurrences of the evening. Supporting the themes of parental (and, moreover, familial) acceptance above all else, Hrbek first introduces us to Isabel, the mother who accepts her son unconditionally, and then to Martin, the father who feels that Sebastian is broken, diseased, damaged, and must be fixed, and finally to Kaden, who sees his brother, despite all the physical differences, the way that many older siblings view their successors: as a nifty addition, until they become the focus of too much attention, at which point action needs to be taken – in this case, by letting Sebastian out of his playpen. It should be noted that both Kaden and Isabel accept Sebastian as he is, despite their opposing motivations. Hrbek then buffers their two points of view by inserting Martin’s experiences between them, presenting the reader with the arguable protagonist fairly late in the story – and the reader sees events through his eyes, both before the father accepts the son for who he is, and after the scales have fallen from his eyes.
Language and Title Significance:
Hrbek’s highly literary use of language in "Sagittarius" relates directly to the title of the piece. Words such as stars, space, night, dark, and other references to the solar system are utilized countless times and relate to the character, Sebastian, who happens to be a Sagittarius himself. Sagittarius, in Greek mythology, is defined as a centaur but is also a constellation of the Zodiac.
Hrbek also uses dialogue in very interesting ways. Sebastian only utters one line of dialogue, "Uh-boo-boo-bah. Uh-voo. Uh-bah-bah-bah-bah-bah." At first read, one would consider this just gibberish, but on a more critical analysis the timing of this speech suggests something more. It occurs at a pivotal point in the narrative, when Sebastian’s father learns to accept his son for what he is. Sebastian is not spouting an evil chant or speaking in tongues; he is only doing that of which any child does at that age. The young centaur, despite appearance, really isn’t that different.
The symbolic use of the title goes along with the use of the zodiac sky, the story occurs at night and the relevant changes that take place fit into the overall theme that Hrbek is portraying.
Theme:
Throughout "Sagittarius" Hrbek utilizes each part of the story to convey how societal norms play a large part in today’s nuclear family. The idea of what is "normal" is shown through the way Hrbek uses the father and doctor’s point of view to describe Sebastian. When the baby runs away the father feels an initial panic of what he is going to do to find his son, this episode reveals how confused his is about his son: "He intends to call the police, report a missing person. Then decides, with equal impulsiveness, against the idea. What kind of description would he give? How can he explain when he himself does not understand? Even the doctors can’t make up their minds." Hrbek uses the conflict between Martin and Isabelle to reflect how parents struggle to accept the unique qualities of their children.
Grade:
Overall, our group gave "Sagittarius" a B+; although it works very well as an allegorical tale, the character of Sebastian strained believability as far as realism was concerned. Still, we would definitely recommend it to others as a great read.
Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum’s "Yurt"
In Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum’s "Yurt", Ms. Hempel, the protagonist, is portrayed as an indecisive, self- conscience teacher who tends to "suggest precisely the opposite of what she wish[es] in the vague and automatic hope of pleasing someone." She’s a young woman, dissatisfied with her life and stuck in a rut. Her discontentment is more apparent when the exposition introduces a character completely opposite of her: Ms. Duffy. Ms. Duffy appears to be joyously satisfied with her life upon returning to the school where she formerly taught, and where Ms. Hempel remains teaching. In seeing Ms. Duffy’s photographs from her trip to Yemen, she notices a changed woman. Ms. Duffy returns pregnant, married to a kite-maker, and plans to live up-state in a yurt. Ms. Hempel remains in the background during the surprise visit from Ms. Duffy, and her insecure nature is apparent when she learns about Ms. Duffy’s exciting new life only through office gossip. The other characters make it clear that Ms. Hempel is out-of-the-loop as far as knowing about Ms. Duffy’s adventures, as well as the other teacher’s personal lives. Ms. Hempel has continual flashbacks of her Friday night rendezvous at Mooney’s bar with the other teachers. Bynum proves the story to be slightly unreliable, since it’s seen through Ms. Hempel’s perspective which happens to either be in a bar, or a haze of self-loathing.
The tone of this story is based on Ms. Hempel's dissatisfaction. She simply cannot make up her mind and refuses to make changes that would satisfy her. Bynum characterizes Ms. Hempel as an extremely unsympathetic character, thus very unlikeable. Her outlook throughout the entire story revolves around her ineptitude to make decisons. Bynum seems to aim for the reader to feel frustration throught the text because Ms. Hempel's solutions to her problems are quite clear, yet she won't act upon them.
The author leaves some questions unanswered, such as the reason Ms. Hempel’s marriage ended or why Mr. Palidori decided to not get involved with Ms. Hempel romantically. One drawback that Bynum provides is that she mentions numerous background characters but never follows through with them and they serve no purpose later in the story. The climax is evident when Ms. Hempel is at her desk and has a realization that her life isn’t what she wants it to be, and suddenly considers that becoming pregnant might get her out of teaching. This realization happens in the same context as when Ms. Hempel's conflict arises: in comparing herself to Ms. Duffy.
Bynum brings a lot of attention to the phrase “what if” and the words “chance” and “luck.” This illustrates the notion of taking chances and the implications that follow. However, Ms. Hempel is the character most often using these phrases and the context she does this in is always in thinking that life events happen based on “chance” and “luck” alone. She consistently thinks that she doesn’t have full control of her life and uses these phrases as excuses when she can’t follow-through with making a positive decision. The author uses a catalogue of allusions within the school setting. She describes papers written about Leda and the Swan and To Kill A Mockingbird and complains that her replacement teacher doesn’t correctly fix the mistakes. This helps delineate the school setting as well as the age of the children surrounding them.
Considering the numerous comparisons that are made between Ms. Duffy and Ms. Hempel, the author makes it clear that Ms. Duffy’s self-assurance and confidence is what lead to her to making positive choices in changing her life. Ms. Hempel, on the other hand, is so self-conscious and indecisive that it’s immediately apparent that she’ll make poor choices in attempt to change her life. She considers “accidentally” breaking her leg to take leave and fantasizes that being romantically involved with Mr. Palidori will somehow make her more similar to the other teachers, Ms. Duffy in particular. Worst of all, Ms. Hempel’s ultimate solution to her self-proclaimed unsatisfactory life is to have a baby, just to be one step closer to being like Ms. Duffy. Ms. Hempel concludes that she wishes she ‘knew what it felt like to make a decision,’ proving that her last-minute decision to get pregnant is not a positive one. In most scenarios, the character who decides to quit their job to travel, live in a yurt and have children with a kite-maker would be the insane one. Instead, the characterization of Ms. Duffy is a decisive, self-assured and confident woman which makes the reader trust that she’s in control and making choices that will fulfill her needs. On the other hand, Bynum makes Ms. Hempel an unsympathetic character. Ms. Hempel knows that she is unhappy, yet refuses to make any decisions that could give her a different outcome. Ultimately, Bynum is saying that getting out of the “norm,” or the far too ordinary life is worth a try- but doing it by taking the easy way out will not suffice. This story considers the consequences in people continuing to ‘follow the pack’ and not make decisions for themselves.
We grade Bynem's Yurt a B-. Bynem uses distinct imagery through the limited perspective of the protagonist. This keeps the focus of the story on the main character's inner conflict. Although the protagonist is an unlikeable character, Bynum introduces Ms. Duffy as an admirable character . Her character highlights the protagonist's conflict by having a contrasting view point. Bynum's strongest element in the story is descriptive imagery and characterization. The drawbacks to this story are the unanswered questions and the protagonsit's unwillingness to change. Neither of these aspects allow the story to advance or lead to a positive conclusion. Overall, this story is a fun read, provided that the reader doesn't expect any change within the protagonist.
The tone of this story is based on Ms. Hempel's dissatisfaction. She simply cannot make up her mind and refuses to make changes that would satisfy her. Bynum characterizes Ms. Hempel as an extremely unsympathetic character, thus very unlikeable. Her outlook throughout the entire story revolves around her ineptitude to make decisons. Bynum seems to aim for the reader to feel frustration throught the text because Ms. Hempel's solutions to her problems are quite clear, yet she won't act upon them.
The author leaves some questions unanswered, such as the reason Ms. Hempel’s marriage ended or why Mr. Palidori decided to not get involved with Ms. Hempel romantically. One drawback that Bynum provides is that she mentions numerous background characters but never follows through with them and they serve no purpose later in the story. The climax is evident when Ms. Hempel is at her desk and has a realization that her life isn’t what she wants it to be, and suddenly considers that becoming pregnant might get her out of teaching. This realization happens in the same context as when Ms. Hempel's conflict arises: in comparing herself to Ms. Duffy.
Bynum brings a lot of attention to the phrase “what if” and the words “chance” and “luck.” This illustrates the notion of taking chances and the implications that follow. However, Ms. Hempel is the character most often using these phrases and the context she does this in is always in thinking that life events happen based on “chance” and “luck” alone. She consistently thinks that she doesn’t have full control of her life and uses these phrases as excuses when she can’t follow-through with making a positive decision. The author uses a catalogue of allusions within the school setting. She describes papers written about Leda and the Swan and To Kill A Mockingbird and complains that her replacement teacher doesn’t correctly fix the mistakes. This helps delineate the school setting as well as the age of the children surrounding them.
Considering the numerous comparisons that are made between Ms. Duffy and Ms. Hempel, the author makes it clear that Ms. Duffy’s self-assurance and confidence is what lead to her to making positive choices in changing her life. Ms. Hempel, on the other hand, is so self-conscious and indecisive that it’s immediately apparent that she’ll make poor choices in attempt to change her life. She considers “accidentally” breaking her leg to take leave and fantasizes that being romantically involved with Mr. Palidori will somehow make her more similar to the other teachers, Ms. Duffy in particular. Worst of all, Ms. Hempel’s ultimate solution to her self-proclaimed unsatisfactory life is to have a baby, just to be one step closer to being like Ms. Duffy. Ms. Hempel concludes that she wishes she ‘knew what it felt like to make a decision,’ proving that her last-minute decision to get pregnant is not a positive one. In most scenarios, the character who decides to quit their job to travel, live in a yurt and have children with a kite-maker would be the insane one. Instead, the characterization of Ms. Duffy is a decisive, self-assured and confident woman which makes the reader trust that she’s in control and making choices that will fulfill her needs. On the other hand, Bynum makes Ms. Hempel an unsympathetic character. Ms. Hempel knows that she is unhappy, yet refuses to make any decisions that could give her a different outcome. Ultimately, Bynum is saying that getting out of the “norm,” or the far too ordinary life is worth a try- but doing it by taking the easy way out will not suffice. This story considers the consequences in people continuing to ‘follow the pack’ and not make decisions for themselves.
We grade Bynem's Yurt a B-. Bynem uses distinct imagery through the limited perspective of the protagonist. This keeps the focus of the story on the main character's inner conflict. Although the protagonist is an unlikeable character, Bynum introduces Ms. Duffy as an admirable character . Her character highlights the protagonist's conflict by having a contrasting view point. Bynum's strongest element in the story is descriptive imagery and characterization. The drawbacks to this story are the unanswered questions and the protagonsit's unwillingness to change. Neither of these aspects allow the story to advance or lead to a positive conclusion. Overall, this story is a fun read, provided that the reader doesn't expect any change within the protagonist.
Victoria Lancelotta's "The Anniversary Trip"
Author biography
Victoria Lancelotta is the author of two novels: Here in the World: Thirteen Stories and Far, and her fiction has appeared in such literary magazines as Mississippi Review, The Threepenny Review and McSweeney’s, among others. “The Anniversary Trip” was originally published in The Gettysburg Review in the Spring 2008 issue.
The inspiration for “The Anniversary Trip” came from the frequent trips Lancelotta and her husband took to Paris. Like the main character Monica and her husband Martin, Lancelotta and her husband never felt compelled to “do” anything; they slept in, ate and drank, and wandered aimlessly about. Lancelotta mirrored her blasé feelings toward Paris in the character of Monica. She wrote the first paragraph of the story in a small hotel room. She had woken up in the middle of the night, suddenly frantic and worried about how she would remember her time in Paris.
Plot Summary
In “The Anniversary Trip,” Lancelotta tells the depressing story of Monica and her husband, Martin, who are on vacation in the romantic city of Paris with Martin’s mother, Elizabeth. Despite Paris’ beauty, Monica is disinterested in what the city has to offer. As the story progresses, Monica comes to the realization that she is utterly unhappy with her life and her marriage. Though Monica went out of her way, and social class, to marry Martin, she realizes that she chose wealth and grandeur over a relationship based on love. She decides in Paris, of all places, that she is going to leave Martin.
Significance of the title
The title is ironic. The obvious meaning is that it represents Elizabeth’s 40th wedding anniversary, and also the anniversary of the death of her husband. However, it is in Paris that Monica makes the decision to divorce Martin. The title represents Elizabeth’s success in marriage and life, and Monica’s failure in these areas. It highlights just how opposite Elizabeth and Monica are; Elizabeth is beautiful, confident and successful in her life and marriage. Monica, on the other hand, will never be beautiful like Elizabeth, and isn’t strong enough to make her marriage last.
Character
Monica is motivated for the wrong reasons; she is motivated to marry into a higher social/economic class for material reasons rather than marrying for love.
Though the story revolves around Monica and Martin’s deteriorating marriage, it seems to focus more on Monica’s relationship with Elizabeth, who is a woman of striking beauty and abundant charm. Elizabeth and Monica are developed by comparing and contrasting the two women. For example, on page 157 Lancelotta writes about Elizabeth, “She is more beautiful now, in her sixties, than her son’s wife has ever been, or will be.” We began to wonder if the women are friends by association, or if Elizabeth truly cares for this poor girl who could quite possibly be falling into the same trap of unsorted priorities Elizabeth found herself in?
It is hard to ignore the possibility that Elizabeth was once like Monica; where Monica failed in conforming to this life, Elizabeth succeeded. Monica decides to share her decision to leave Martin with Elizabeth, and it would only be natural for Elizabeth to defend her son. Instead, Monica is met with understanding. Not only does Elizabeth admit that she didn’t expect the marriage to last long, she says to Monica, “There are some promises […] that will ruin you. […] If you keep them past their own point, I suppose. Past their point of usefulness.” It is at this point, while Elizabeth is comforting Monica, that Lancelotta explicitly states the substance of the theme: Monica wishes that there were “all the time in the world for Elizabeth to teach her how to be someone completely different from who she is.”
Monica looks up to Elizabeth for enduring a presumably unhappy marriage. Monica ran from the life she was meant for out of fear of becoming like her mother and James. Monica doesn’t want to settle. After Monica tells Elizabeth she’s leaving Martin, she says, close to tears, “I tried.” But what did she try for? To love Martin in an attempt to escape the ordinary life she was meant for, even though the love wouldn’t come naturally, as the text suggests? “The question she finally asked herself was not Do you love him? but Can you love him? Will you love him? Yes. I will be able to do that.”
It appears that Elizabeth is who Monica wants to be. But just like she can’t change her outward appearance to be more beautiful like Elizabeth, she can’t change her fate. At least, not permanently. The mundane life she’s meant for seems to have found her, in the end.
Though this story raises an extensive list of questions, that cannot necessarily be considered a bad thing. The story receives an “A” for Lancelotta’s ability to focus on the development of Monica through the selective development of the characters around her.
Setting
The setting is Paris, which is perfect for the story because it is a special, almost magical place known by all as the city of love. What sets Paris apart from, say, Ohio is that mystical anything-can-happen element that one normally finds on vacation. The interesting part of all this beauty and love is that the only couple in the story spends it alone and at least on Monica’s side, detesting their partner. Monica comments that being in Paris is nice, but that she’ll probably forget it as soon as she goes home. This seems to show that being in this relationship with Martin and the lifestyle that went with it ultimately meant nothing to her, and in the end she’ll forget him as well.
We gave the setting an “A,” because it embodies the conflict.
Point of View
Lancelotta chose to tell the story in the third person limited. Though this view works for the story that Lancelotta is telling, it is the reason for the multiple questions previously listed. Because our viewpoint is incomplete, the narrator becomes unreliable: we only have Monica’s view, thoughts and feelings. It seems as though Martin should play a larger role, considering Monica’s determination to leave him, but that would detract from the development of Monica. However, the audience is never given a reason for the divorce. It is hinted at the throughout the story that Martin is dull, spending all of his time in Paris reading in his hotel room. Besides this, the audience is never given a clear reasoning for Monica’s motivation.
Though the point of view serves the purpose of the story, our fickle narrator leaves the audience with too many easily answered questions. Lancelotta does not give us enough information, and therefore received a “B” in point of view.
Structure
We found that Lancelotta structures “The Anniversary Trip” chronologically for the most part, with the occasional flashbacks. While these are what we would call flashbacks, they really aren’t that detailed. The flashbacks cover memories of people or ideas and might include a short dialogue, like when Monica is remembering her mother and Lancelotta writes,
On these occasions Elizabeth has smiled and sipped at her wine and smoked many more cigarettes than is usual while Monica’s mother has eaten peanuts form a glazed ceramic bowl, a wedding gift from one of Elizabeth’s friends. “These are really good peanuts,” Monica’s mother has said, or “Aren’t peanuts just so good with a nice cold beer?”
While some might find this chronological structure and these mundane flashbacks boring, we feel that Lancelotta uses this structure to parallel Monica’s simplicity.
Language (Diction)
Lancelotta shows through the diction that Monica is only capable of focusing on what she cannot have. The key word that we found in “The Anniversary Trip” was beauty. Lancelotta uses the word beauty or beautiful is used to describe anything Monica wants or anybody she strives to be. Paris is beautiful, but Monica isn’t so she doesn’t belong there; Elizabeth is more beautiful than Monica, even in her old age. Lancelotta also goes out of her way to describe anything about Monica’s appearances and life before marriage as not beautiful: Monica is not beautiful; Monica’s mother is not beautiful; and so on.
Again, Lancelotta has done a good job using this aspect of writing to portray Monica’s alienation to environment she has placed herself in through marriage. Monica settles into a family that she doesn’t fit in with just so she can gain her materialistic goals, and Lancelotta shows this with the word beauty.
For her work with diction, we give Lancelotta a “B” because she makes an effort to portray Monica’s discomfort through the language. However, language is not the strongest tool used in “The Anniversary Trip.”
Tone
The tone that Lancelotta uses in “The Anniversary Trip” is slow and monotonous. This example is from one of Monica’s walks around the Paris streets.
She chooses a street she has not walked before and starts toward the river and falls into a peaceful near-absence of thought, a calm she associates with childhood. She does not know when, exactly, she became unable to love her husband. She knows only that she woke one night and looked at him, at his face, lovely as his mother’s but grave even in sleep, and though, I am finished. I am empty. I have nothing left for you.
Again, people might find the tone that Lancelotta applies to this story as boring and we would usually view this as a bad thing. However, the tone in “The Anniversary Trip” affectively reflects the Monica’s disinterest in everything about her life.
Because of her amazing ability to portray the main character through tone, we gave Lancelotta an “A” for this aspect of her writing.
Theme
The work tells us that it is possible to set your standards too high. The author seems to show that Monica could have been happy with James, yet by pursuing someone outside of her class (like a money over the man kind of situation) she was setting herself up for failure. It is not saying don’t have high standards, rather don’t get greedy. Monica could have had it all by setting standards for her choice in men, but she chose to set her standards for monetary gain. It is the age-old romantic comedy: choose the man over the money; this seems to be the author’s purpose or intent, shown mostly internally by Monica, or otherwise in third person limited. However, it is almost a lose-lose scenario, as if she settles she may not be happy because she will be dreaming of something more, yet if she goes that extra step for the material gain, she finds out that it is not what she had hoped it would be. While both endings are negative, she never tried to stay in her class range (as she could have with James) and this may be the answer. Monica simply wouldn’t be so unhappy if she wasn’t trying so hard to be happy.
The story conveys a clear vision of life: stay where you belong, don’t go out of your way to disappoint or hurt yourself, and if you do, get out of there. James told her when she was leaving, “You belong here,” but she didn’t listen, and so she had to learn these lessons the hard way. One has to be happy with where they are or where they are going, or else they’re doomed. Monica could have remedied her situation had she adapted, but she was unable to do so, so she settled for Martin, and settled into unhappiness. You will have a terrible life if you settle.
Throughout the story, we’re faced with three repeated ideas: beauty, materialism, and social status. Beauty comes in the form of Paris itself, being the pinnacle of what constitutes beauty. Monica is engulfed in the city and takes to exploring it on her own, as her perfect husband doesn’t want to leave his hotel room. Beauty also comes in the form of Elizabeth, who Monica seems to idolize for her pristine and elegant appearance (despite smoking). Materialism presents itself in the form of cufflinks and fancy clothes, both purchased for or worn by Martin which shows that the complicated, rich things belong with him or at least Elizabeth. Also, the only time that Elizabeth seems to compliment Monica is when she is wearing the fancy shoes. The underlying idea of social status is reflected over and over in Monica’s discomfort in the beautiful city with a loving mother-in-law and comfortable lifestyle. Since she doesn’t fit, she cannot be happy.
Monica explicitly states the theme of the story: “He never pretended to be anything he wasn’t. I did. I’m guilty of that.” Not only does she show that she knows she had made a mistake, perhaps has known all along. If you believe the latter to be true, it proves how her character loves to revel in misery.
We gave Lancelotta’s development of the theme an “A” because it is explicitly stated and maintained throughout the text; it is the driving force of the plot.
Victoria Lancelotta is the author of two novels: Here in the World: Thirteen Stories and Far, and her fiction has appeared in such literary magazines as Mississippi Review, The Threepenny Review and McSweeney’s, among others. “The Anniversary Trip” was originally published in The Gettysburg Review in the Spring 2008 issue.
The inspiration for “The Anniversary Trip” came from the frequent trips Lancelotta and her husband took to Paris. Like the main character Monica and her husband Martin, Lancelotta and her husband never felt compelled to “do” anything; they slept in, ate and drank, and wandered aimlessly about. Lancelotta mirrored her blasé feelings toward Paris in the character of Monica. She wrote the first paragraph of the story in a small hotel room. She had woken up in the middle of the night, suddenly frantic and worried about how she would remember her time in Paris.
Plot Summary
In “The Anniversary Trip,” Lancelotta tells the depressing story of Monica and her husband, Martin, who are on vacation in the romantic city of Paris with Martin’s mother, Elizabeth. Despite Paris’ beauty, Monica is disinterested in what the city has to offer. As the story progresses, Monica comes to the realization that she is utterly unhappy with her life and her marriage. Though Monica went out of her way, and social class, to marry Martin, she realizes that she chose wealth and grandeur over a relationship based on love. She decides in Paris, of all places, that she is going to leave Martin.
Significance of the title
The title is ironic. The obvious meaning is that it represents Elizabeth’s 40th wedding anniversary, and also the anniversary of the death of her husband. However, it is in Paris that Monica makes the decision to divorce Martin. The title represents Elizabeth’s success in marriage and life, and Monica’s failure in these areas. It highlights just how opposite Elizabeth and Monica are; Elizabeth is beautiful, confident and successful in her life and marriage. Monica, on the other hand, will never be beautiful like Elizabeth, and isn’t strong enough to make her marriage last.
Character
Monica is motivated for the wrong reasons; she is motivated to marry into a higher social/economic class for material reasons rather than marrying for love.
Though the story revolves around Monica and Martin’s deteriorating marriage, it seems to focus more on Monica’s relationship with Elizabeth, who is a woman of striking beauty and abundant charm. Elizabeth and Monica are developed by comparing and contrasting the two women. For example, on page 157 Lancelotta writes about Elizabeth, “She is more beautiful now, in her sixties, than her son’s wife has ever been, or will be.” We began to wonder if the women are friends by association, or if Elizabeth truly cares for this poor girl who could quite possibly be falling into the same trap of unsorted priorities Elizabeth found herself in?
It is hard to ignore the possibility that Elizabeth was once like Monica; where Monica failed in conforming to this life, Elizabeth succeeded. Monica decides to share her decision to leave Martin with Elizabeth, and it would only be natural for Elizabeth to defend her son. Instead, Monica is met with understanding. Not only does Elizabeth admit that she didn’t expect the marriage to last long, she says to Monica, “There are some promises […] that will ruin you. […] If you keep them past their own point, I suppose. Past their point of usefulness.” It is at this point, while Elizabeth is comforting Monica, that Lancelotta explicitly states the substance of the theme: Monica wishes that there were “all the time in the world for Elizabeth to teach her how to be someone completely different from who she is.”
Monica looks up to Elizabeth for enduring a presumably unhappy marriage. Monica ran from the life she was meant for out of fear of becoming like her mother and James. Monica doesn’t want to settle. After Monica tells Elizabeth she’s leaving Martin, she says, close to tears, “I tried.” But what did she try for? To love Martin in an attempt to escape the ordinary life she was meant for, even though the love wouldn’t come naturally, as the text suggests? “The question she finally asked herself was not Do you love him? but Can you love him? Will you love him? Yes. I will be able to do that.”
It appears that Elizabeth is who Monica wants to be. But just like she can’t change her outward appearance to be more beautiful like Elizabeth, she can’t change her fate. At least, not permanently. The mundane life she’s meant for seems to have found her, in the end.
Though this story raises an extensive list of questions, that cannot necessarily be considered a bad thing. The story receives an “A” for Lancelotta’s ability to focus on the development of Monica through the selective development of the characters around her.
Setting
The setting is Paris, which is perfect for the story because it is a special, almost magical place known by all as the city of love. What sets Paris apart from, say, Ohio is that mystical anything-can-happen element that one normally finds on vacation. The interesting part of all this beauty and love is that the only couple in the story spends it alone and at least on Monica’s side, detesting their partner. Monica comments that being in Paris is nice, but that she’ll probably forget it as soon as she goes home. This seems to show that being in this relationship with Martin and the lifestyle that went with it ultimately meant nothing to her, and in the end she’ll forget him as well.
We gave the setting an “A,” because it embodies the conflict.
Point of View
Lancelotta chose to tell the story in the third person limited. Though this view works for the story that Lancelotta is telling, it is the reason for the multiple questions previously listed. Because our viewpoint is incomplete, the narrator becomes unreliable: we only have Monica’s view, thoughts and feelings. It seems as though Martin should play a larger role, considering Monica’s determination to leave him, but that would detract from the development of Monica. However, the audience is never given a reason for the divorce. It is hinted at the throughout the story that Martin is dull, spending all of his time in Paris reading in his hotel room. Besides this, the audience is never given a clear reasoning for Monica’s motivation.
Though the point of view serves the purpose of the story, our fickle narrator leaves the audience with too many easily answered questions. Lancelotta does not give us enough information, and therefore received a “B” in point of view.
Structure
We found that Lancelotta structures “The Anniversary Trip” chronologically for the most part, with the occasional flashbacks. While these are what we would call flashbacks, they really aren’t that detailed. The flashbacks cover memories of people or ideas and might include a short dialogue, like when Monica is remembering her mother and Lancelotta writes,
On these occasions Elizabeth has smiled and sipped at her wine and smoked many more cigarettes than is usual while Monica’s mother has eaten peanuts form a glazed ceramic bowl, a wedding gift from one of Elizabeth’s friends. “These are really good peanuts,” Monica’s mother has said, or “Aren’t peanuts just so good with a nice cold beer?”
While some might find this chronological structure and these mundane flashbacks boring, we feel that Lancelotta uses this structure to parallel Monica’s simplicity.
Language (Diction)
Lancelotta shows through the diction that Monica is only capable of focusing on what she cannot have. The key word that we found in “The Anniversary Trip” was beauty. Lancelotta uses the word beauty or beautiful is used to describe anything Monica wants or anybody she strives to be. Paris is beautiful, but Monica isn’t so she doesn’t belong there; Elizabeth is more beautiful than Monica, even in her old age. Lancelotta also goes out of her way to describe anything about Monica’s appearances and life before marriage as not beautiful: Monica is not beautiful; Monica’s mother is not beautiful; and so on.
Again, Lancelotta has done a good job using this aspect of writing to portray Monica’s alienation to environment she has placed herself in through marriage. Monica settles into a family that she doesn’t fit in with just so she can gain her materialistic goals, and Lancelotta shows this with the word beauty.
For her work with diction, we give Lancelotta a “B” because she makes an effort to portray Monica’s discomfort through the language. However, language is not the strongest tool used in “The Anniversary Trip.”
Tone
The tone that Lancelotta uses in “The Anniversary Trip” is slow and monotonous. This example is from one of Monica’s walks around the Paris streets.
She chooses a street she has not walked before and starts toward the river and falls into a peaceful near-absence of thought, a calm she associates with childhood. She does not know when, exactly, she became unable to love her husband. She knows only that she woke one night and looked at him, at his face, lovely as his mother’s but grave even in sleep, and though, I am finished. I am empty. I have nothing left for you.
Again, people might find the tone that Lancelotta applies to this story as boring and we would usually view this as a bad thing. However, the tone in “The Anniversary Trip” affectively reflects the Monica’s disinterest in everything about her life.
Because of her amazing ability to portray the main character through tone, we gave Lancelotta an “A” for this aspect of her writing.
Theme
The work tells us that it is possible to set your standards too high. The author seems to show that Monica could have been happy with James, yet by pursuing someone outside of her class (like a money over the man kind of situation) she was setting herself up for failure. It is not saying don’t have high standards, rather don’t get greedy. Monica could have had it all by setting standards for her choice in men, but she chose to set her standards for monetary gain. It is the age-old romantic comedy: choose the man over the money; this seems to be the author’s purpose or intent, shown mostly internally by Monica, or otherwise in third person limited. However, it is almost a lose-lose scenario, as if she settles she may not be happy because she will be dreaming of something more, yet if she goes that extra step for the material gain, she finds out that it is not what she had hoped it would be. While both endings are negative, she never tried to stay in her class range (as she could have with James) and this may be the answer. Monica simply wouldn’t be so unhappy if she wasn’t trying so hard to be happy.
The story conveys a clear vision of life: stay where you belong, don’t go out of your way to disappoint or hurt yourself, and if you do, get out of there. James told her when she was leaving, “You belong here,” but she didn’t listen, and so she had to learn these lessons the hard way. One has to be happy with where they are or where they are going, or else they’re doomed. Monica could have remedied her situation had she adapted, but she was unable to do so, so she settled for Martin, and settled into unhappiness. You will have a terrible life if you settle.
Throughout the story, we’re faced with three repeated ideas: beauty, materialism, and social status. Beauty comes in the form of Paris itself, being the pinnacle of what constitutes beauty. Monica is engulfed in the city and takes to exploring it on her own, as her perfect husband doesn’t want to leave his hotel room. Beauty also comes in the form of Elizabeth, who Monica seems to idolize for her pristine and elegant appearance (despite smoking). Materialism presents itself in the form of cufflinks and fancy clothes, both purchased for or worn by Martin which shows that the complicated, rich things belong with him or at least Elizabeth. Also, the only time that Elizabeth seems to compliment Monica is when she is wearing the fancy shoes. The underlying idea of social status is reflected over and over in Monica’s discomfort in the beautiful city with a loving mother-in-law and comfortable lifestyle. Since she doesn’t fit, she cannot be happy.
Monica explicitly states the theme of the story: “He never pretended to be anything he wasn’t. I did. I’m guilty of that.” Not only does she show that she knows she had made a mistake, perhaps has known all along. If you believe the latter to be true, it proves how her character loves to revel in misery.
We gave Lancelotta’s development of the theme an “A” because it is explicitly stated and maintained throughout the text; it is the driving force of the plot.
An Assessment of Literary Devices in “Magic Words” by Jill McCorkle
By: Emily Bewer and Becky Kemnitz
About the Author:
Jill McCorkle is a professor in the MFA in Creative Writing program at North Carolina State. She has taught at UNC-Chapel Hill, Tufts University and Brandeis. She has published five novels, and three collections of short stories. McCorkle has been receiving recognition for her writing for a number of years. While a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she was the recipient of the Jesse Rehder Prize, the University's most prestigious writing award. She was only 26 years old when she made publishing history in 1984, having her first two novels published simultaneously.
Five of her eight novels have been named New York Times notable books. Her stories have appeared in The Atlantic, Ploughshares, Oxford American, Southern Review and Bomb Magazine, among others. Two of her stories have appeared in Best American Short Stories and several have been collected in New Stories from the South. McCorkle has won many distinguished awards including; the New England Book Award, The John Dos Passos Prize for Excellence in Literature and the North Carolina Award for Literature.
Meaning in the Title “Magic Words”:
When teaching little children to ask for what they want, typically a parent or authority figure will tell the child to use the magic word of “please” to get what they desire. McCorkle presents stereotypical characters from seemingly different backgrounds with their own flaws that ultimately all have similar desires for acceptance from others around them. If the characters would ask for what they want, McCorkle implies they would all have been much happier with their lives.
Plot Summary:
The story spans the course of an evening in the lives of four major characters. The housewife taxis her children around town, while a retired teacher reminisces about her past. The bully terrorizes the town, deciding that the teacher will be his next target to impress the troubled teen. The troubled teen hitches a ride with the housewife. Meanwhile, the bully frightens the teacher, who is so scared by the bully that she has a heart attack and dies before she can reconcile with her son. The boy slinks off, panicked that he might have actually killed someone. The housewife returns home, content with her life and not willing to go through with a contemplated affair.
Characters:
There are four main characters in the story. Paula serves as the protagonist of the story, as her actions influence others. An example is her driving Lauren home, which keeps the plot moving forward. Lauren serves as another protagonist, where her decision to decide to run away from the leader influences the progression of the rest of the story. Agnes and the “leader” serve as foils for each other, as seen in their differences in values, when the “leader” says, “Loafers! Neckties! An F in fucking math!” Agnes values the family-based, suburban upbringing that she gave her son, but the leader values the darker, criminal life that gives him the sense of power over others.
Initially, all of the characters fit the very stereotypical impressions of their archetypes; the housewife (Paula), the retired teacher (Agnes), the troubled teen (Lauren), and the bully (the “leader”). Paula seems to change the most. When she is first introduced, she is clearly unhappy with the life that she has, seeking out the thrill of an affair. In the denouement, however, Paula accepts her life situation, as she ultimately returns to her children and husband. Agnes dies but presumably was on her way to change when she picked up the phone to call her son. Lauren is in a similar position. She has the opportunity to change, as Paula has shown her the love and compassion that she’s desired for so long. The “leader’s” change is very subtle. He is first introduced as a domineering petty criminal. He shows remorse in the final section. Rather than bragging about killing Agnes, he wants to tell Lauren that all he did was frighten Agnes.
Characterization is mostly done indirectly. Paula’s characterization is done through her physical dress and appearance, through her interactions with her children, and how she perceives and is perceived by Lauren. Agnes’ characterization is predominantly stated through her history about her husband, her son, and her old-fashioned viewpoints through her interaction with her daughter-in-law and the “leader’s” memories of her as a teacher. Similarly, the “leader” is characterized by Agnes through both her memories and present perceptions of “his complexion blotched and infected, hair long and oily… his arms all inked.” Lauren is characterized by physical appearance and history with her ex-boyfriend. She is also indirectly characterized through her thoughts about her parents’ love and her fear of the leader.
Structure:
There are a few different conflicts throughout the story, and all of the characters are involved in at least one. We have the conflict of Paula vs. husband, and Paula vs. society. Another conflict is Lauren vs. authority. This conflict is somewhat resolved in the end, but we are left wondering what has happened with Lauren, and how her character will end up. We see the conflicts of Agnes vs. son, and Agnes vs. the “leader.” These conflicts are never resolved since Agnes dies, but the conflict between Agnes and the “leader” plays a large role in his decisions throughout the story.
The climax comes when Paula picks up Lauren and drives her around town. This is also the point in the story where the characters get what they have been looking for throughout the story. They find acceptance and understanding. We see this as a plot twist within this story. Both characters set out earlier in the evening with other intentions, and by chance met. Another plot twist is the “leader’s” response to Agnes’ death. Based on his character development, we didn’t expect him to show remorse. His panic over her death was unexpected.
The ending of each character’s story is different. Agnes’s ending is unhappy because she does not survive the entire story. The “leader’s” ending is unhappy because he never has a chance to tell Agnes how much she negatively affected his sense of self. He is left without any sort of closure. Lauren’s problems are neither resolved nor unresolved. We are left with a hope that Lauren is able to reconnect with her family. Paula’s ending is somewhat indifferent. She had changed her plans for the evening, but there is no way for the reader to tell if she will reschedule with her coworker. We are left with an “I will deal with it later” attitude from Paula.
Point-of-View:
Point-of-view is another indication of the characters’ influence on the story. The rotating point-of-view is written in third-person limited with the shift of each character’s section. The narrators, except for the “leader”, seem reliable, predominantly because they admit their faults and their deepest desires. This point-of-view allows us to openly see the characters’ wants and needs, breaking down the stereotypes we may hold from our initial introduction to the characters. When the narrator tells too little, the point-of-view shifts and fills in the blanks that another character has left. This shifting point-of-view is consistent throughout the text.
Tone and How It Relates to the Setting:
The tones that best describes the story are both urgent and mundane. For Agnes and the “leader”, the sense of mundane is focused on Agnes’ going to the grocery store and recognizing the boy bagging groceries. The mundane for Paula and Lauren is seen when Paula chauffeurs her kids around and Lauren returns to her parents’ house. The urgency for Agnes and the “leader” can be seen when Agnes is panicked by the noises outside her house, and the “leader” is panicked that Agnes has died when all he wanted to do was to scare her. For Paula and Lauren, the urgency is seen when Paula is rushing to meet her lover without keeping him waiting, and Lauren is running away from the “leader.” Ultimately, the development of the characters and the story’s rotating and revealing point-of-view tie into the meaning of the piece. Everyone has similar wants for acceptance, which is seen by breaking down the initial stereotypes that we have about the character archetypes that are presented to us.
Language and Allusion:
The key words of the text seem to be “please” and “thank you,” which indicates the message of the text. There are old views and suburban assumptions about how things are, but using the magic word, people can ask for what they want. Agnes and Paula, as older authority figures, use the words “please” and “thank you” as a sign of politeness and respect. The “leader” uses the words sarcastically and spitefully, as if the words signify his oppression by authority. Lauren, on the other hand, doesn’t say these words but rather keeps what she wants hidden inside. These words are key because they are needed to get the characters what they ultimately want.
Allusions in the story relate to the book Helter Skelter, a young adult book with a thriller type genre. The allusion helps to show the characters’ less educated, more juvenile interests and establishes a contemporary historical setting. Other allusions that help to establish historical setting are the Audi that Paula drives or the cell phone the “buzzes” on her hip. Allusions in Agnes’s house do the same thing; her phone is a land-line and her son has an answering machine, placing the story in the early 2000s, as most recently land-lines are phasing out, but also characterizes Agnes’s old-fashioned views and lifestyle.
The main descriptive imagery uses the sense of hearing, with the noises outside Agnes’s house and the “gravel crunching… jiggling knobs” that the “leader” does sneaking around the dark. This is also seen in the end, with Paula listening for the cat and hearing, “a distant siren, the wind in the trees, and the pounding bass of a passing car.” Imagery focuses on auditory sensations, rather than visual images or physical descriptions.
Symbolism:
There are a few different symbols throughout the story which all fit in with the stereotyping theme. The setting accentuates the “All American” state of mind that the characters have. The animals that Paula’s husband warns the neighborhood about could also be considered a symbol. Paula’s husband has been spending more and more time working on his community work with the coyotes. As nocturnal animals, coyotes symbolize the “leader’s” predatory night-time activities. Another symbol within the story is the cell phone. This symbolizes the influence of others on our decisions. This may be a positive or negative influence throughout the story, but it’s still a distraction from our own needs when we make decisions.
Theme:
In the beginning we are unaware that all the characters are linked together somehow. Paula and Lauren have a very strong non-verbal connection and appreciated each other’s support. All of the characters are connected in their similar human condition and shared emotions. The theme of stereotyping is also used within the text. We have very stereotypical character descriptions, as well as an “All American” setting. The characters include the housewife, the retired teacher, the troubled teen, and the bully. These character descriptions help us to understand the characters better. Since they are stereotypical, they are easy for us to relate to.
Evaluation of “Magic Words”:
When assessing this story, we would give it a grade of a B+. Our decision on this evaluation is based on what worked for the story and its meaning. For this story, the structure, point-of-view, and character ultimately worked together to help portray the meaning of the story. The structure was effective because it helped us follow the progression of the plot as told through the four characters, particularly through paragraph breaks to clearly delineate the sections. This was furthered through the rotating point-of-view that McCorkle seemed to use to help break-down the initial stereotypes perceived by the reader to help establish the theme of a universal set of human desires. Character development was another strength of the story, as McCorkle used the structure and point-of-view to establish well-rounded characters from the presumably flat archetypes from the reader’s previous assumptions. The weaker aspects of the story were setting and language. Although the lack of focus on setting could be related to the stereotypes by creating an “all-American” town, the actual setting didn’t seem significant to the meaning of the story. It could have taken place in almost any time period or region, with only minor changes to the allusions like an Audi or a text message. Furthermore, language didn’t play a large part in the progression of the story, as it wasn’t overdone or underdone.
About the Author:
Jill McCorkle is a professor in the MFA in Creative Writing program at North Carolina State. She has taught at UNC-Chapel Hill, Tufts University and Brandeis. She has published five novels, and three collections of short stories. McCorkle has been receiving recognition for her writing for a number of years. While a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she was the recipient of the Jesse Rehder Prize, the University's most prestigious writing award. She was only 26 years old when she made publishing history in 1984, having her first two novels published simultaneously.
Five of her eight novels have been named New York Times notable books. Her stories have appeared in The Atlantic, Ploughshares, Oxford American, Southern Review and Bomb Magazine, among others. Two of her stories have appeared in Best American Short Stories and several have been collected in New Stories from the South. McCorkle has won many distinguished awards including; the New England Book Award, The John Dos Passos Prize for Excellence in Literature and the North Carolina Award for Literature.
Meaning in the Title “Magic Words”:
When teaching little children to ask for what they want, typically a parent or authority figure will tell the child to use the magic word of “please” to get what they desire. McCorkle presents stereotypical characters from seemingly different backgrounds with their own flaws that ultimately all have similar desires for acceptance from others around them. If the characters would ask for what they want, McCorkle implies they would all have been much happier with their lives.
Plot Summary:
The story spans the course of an evening in the lives of four major characters. The housewife taxis her children around town, while a retired teacher reminisces about her past. The bully terrorizes the town, deciding that the teacher will be his next target to impress the troubled teen. The troubled teen hitches a ride with the housewife. Meanwhile, the bully frightens the teacher, who is so scared by the bully that she has a heart attack and dies before she can reconcile with her son. The boy slinks off, panicked that he might have actually killed someone. The housewife returns home, content with her life and not willing to go through with a contemplated affair.
Characters:
There are four main characters in the story. Paula serves as the protagonist of the story, as her actions influence others. An example is her driving Lauren home, which keeps the plot moving forward. Lauren serves as another protagonist, where her decision to decide to run away from the leader influences the progression of the rest of the story. Agnes and the “leader” serve as foils for each other, as seen in their differences in values, when the “leader” says, “Loafers! Neckties! An F in fucking math!” Agnes values the family-based, suburban upbringing that she gave her son, but the leader values the darker, criminal life that gives him the sense of power over others.
Initially, all of the characters fit the very stereotypical impressions of their archetypes; the housewife (Paula), the retired teacher (Agnes), the troubled teen (Lauren), and the bully (the “leader”). Paula seems to change the most. When she is first introduced, she is clearly unhappy with the life that she has, seeking out the thrill of an affair. In the denouement, however, Paula accepts her life situation, as she ultimately returns to her children and husband. Agnes dies but presumably was on her way to change when she picked up the phone to call her son. Lauren is in a similar position. She has the opportunity to change, as Paula has shown her the love and compassion that she’s desired for so long. The “leader’s” change is very subtle. He is first introduced as a domineering petty criminal. He shows remorse in the final section. Rather than bragging about killing Agnes, he wants to tell Lauren that all he did was frighten Agnes.
Characterization is mostly done indirectly. Paula’s characterization is done through her physical dress and appearance, through her interactions with her children, and how she perceives and is perceived by Lauren. Agnes’ characterization is predominantly stated through her history about her husband, her son, and her old-fashioned viewpoints through her interaction with her daughter-in-law and the “leader’s” memories of her as a teacher. Similarly, the “leader” is characterized by Agnes through both her memories and present perceptions of “his complexion blotched and infected, hair long and oily… his arms all inked.” Lauren is characterized by physical appearance and history with her ex-boyfriend. She is also indirectly characterized through her thoughts about her parents’ love and her fear of the leader.
Structure:
There are a few different conflicts throughout the story, and all of the characters are involved in at least one. We have the conflict of Paula vs. husband, and Paula vs. society. Another conflict is Lauren vs. authority. This conflict is somewhat resolved in the end, but we are left wondering what has happened with Lauren, and how her character will end up. We see the conflicts of Agnes vs. son, and Agnes vs. the “leader.” These conflicts are never resolved since Agnes dies, but the conflict between Agnes and the “leader” plays a large role in his decisions throughout the story.
The climax comes when Paula picks up Lauren and drives her around town. This is also the point in the story where the characters get what they have been looking for throughout the story. They find acceptance and understanding. We see this as a plot twist within this story. Both characters set out earlier in the evening with other intentions, and by chance met. Another plot twist is the “leader’s” response to Agnes’ death. Based on his character development, we didn’t expect him to show remorse. His panic over her death was unexpected.
The ending of each character’s story is different. Agnes’s ending is unhappy because she does not survive the entire story. The “leader’s” ending is unhappy because he never has a chance to tell Agnes how much she negatively affected his sense of self. He is left without any sort of closure. Lauren’s problems are neither resolved nor unresolved. We are left with a hope that Lauren is able to reconnect with her family. Paula’s ending is somewhat indifferent. She had changed her plans for the evening, but there is no way for the reader to tell if she will reschedule with her coworker. We are left with an “I will deal with it later” attitude from Paula.
Point-of-View:
Point-of-view is another indication of the characters’ influence on the story. The rotating point-of-view is written in third-person limited with the shift of each character’s section. The narrators, except for the “leader”, seem reliable, predominantly because they admit their faults and their deepest desires. This point-of-view allows us to openly see the characters’ wants and needs, breaking down the stereotypes we may hold from our initial introduction to the characters. When the narrator tells too little, the point-of-view shifts and fills in the blanks that another character has left. This shifting point-of-view is consistent throughout the text.
Tone and How It Relates to the Setting:
The tones that best describes the story are both urgent and mundane. For Agnes and the “leader”, the sense of mundane is focused on Agnes’ going to the grocery store and recognizing the boy bagging groceries. The mundane for Paula and Lauren is seen when Paula chauffeurs her kids around and Lauren returns to her parents’ house. The urgency for Agnes and the “leader” can be seen when Agnes is panicked by the noises outside her house, and the “leader” is panicked that Agnes has died when all he wanted to do was to scare her. For Paula and Lauren, the urgency is seen when Paula is rushing to meet her lover without keeping him waiting, and Lauren is running away from the “leader.” Ultimately, the development of the characters and the story’s rotating and revealing point-of-view tie into the meaning of the piece. Everyone has similar wants for acceptance, which is seen by breaking down the initial stereotypes that we have about the character archetypes that are presented to us.
Language and Allusion:
The key words of the text seem to be “please” and “thank you,” which indicates the message of the text. There are old views and suburban assumptions about how things are, but using the magic word, people can ask for what they want. Agnes and Paula, as older authority figures, use the words “please” and “thank you” as a sign of politeness and respect. The “leader” uses the words sarcastically and spitefully, as if the words signify his oppression by authority. Lauren, on the other hand, doesn’t say these words but rather keeps what she wants hidden inside. These words are key because they are needed to get the characters what they ultimately want.
Allusions in the story relate to the book Helter Skelter, a young adult book with a thriller type genre. The allusion helps to show the characters’ less educated, more juvenile interests and establishes a contemporary historical setting. Other allusions that help to establish historical setting are the Audi that Paula drives or the cell phone the “buzzes” on her hip. Allusions in Agnes’s house do the same thing; her phone is a land-line and her son has an answering machine, placing the story in the early 2000s, as most recently land-lines are phasing out, but also characterizes Agnes’s old-fashioned views and lifestyle.
The main descriptive imagery uses the sense of hearing, with the noises outside Agnes’s house and the “gravel crunching… jiggling knobs” that the “leader” does sneaking around the dark. This is also seen in the end, with Paula listening for the cat and hearing, “a distant siren, the wind in the trees, and the pounding bass of a passing car.” Imagery focuses on auditory sensations, rather than visual images or physical descriptions.
Symbolism:
There are a few different symbols throughout the story which all fit in with the stereotyping theme. The setting accentuates the “All American” state of mind that the characters have. The animals that Paula’s husband warns the neighborhood about could also be considered a symbol. Paula’s husband has been spending more and more time working on his community work with the coyotes. As nocturnal animals, coyotes symbolize the “leader’s” predatory night-time activities. Another symbol within the story is the cell phone. This symbolizes the influence of others on our decisions. This may be a positive or negative influence throughout the story, but it’s still a distraction from our own needs when we make decisions.
Theme:
In the beginning we are unaware that all the characters are linked together somehow. Paula and Lauren have a very strong non-verbal connection and appreciated each other’s support. All of the characters are connected in their similar human condition and shared emotions. The theme of stereotyping is also used within the text. We have very stereotypical character descriptions, as well as an “All American” setting. The characters include the housewife, the retired teacher, the troubled teen, and the bully. These character descriptions help us to understand the characters better. Since they are stereotypical, they are easy for us to relate to.
Evaluation of “Magic Words”:
When assessing this story, we would give it a grade of a B+. Our decision on this evaluation is based on what worked for the story and its meaning. For this story, the structure, point-of-view, and character ultimately worked together to help portray the meaning of the story. The structure was effective because it helped us follow the progression of the plot as told through the four characters, particularly through paragraph breaks to clearly delineate the sections. This was furthered through the rotating point-of-view that McCorkle seemed to use to help break-down the initial stereotypes perceived by the reader to help establish the theme of a universal set of human desires. Character development was another strength of the story, as McCorkle used the structure and point-of-view to establish well-rounded characters from the presumably flat archetypes from the reader’s previous assumptions. The weaker aspects of the story were setting and language. Although the lack of focus on setting could be related to the stereotypes by creating an “all-American” town, the actual setting didn’t seem significant to the meaning of the story. It could have taken place in almost any time period or region, with only minor changes to the allusions like an Audi or a text message. Furthermore, language didn’t play a large part in the progression of the story, as it wasn’t overdone or underdone.
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