Symbol Frenzy

After reading “Where Are You Going, Where have you been?” I wasn’t exactly thrilled. The piece was a bit creepy and seemed lackluster.  I did read it at like 11 o’clock at night though. Maybe that had contributed to the degree of disturbance it caused me. Anyway, after a first read I honestly didn’t like it. I never thought I’d think about it ever again. However, after a long period of boredom at my home I read it again. I was intrigued.  It might possibly be one of my favorite short stories. Stories that contain heaps of symbolism are incredibly interesting to me. It’s kind of mind boggling that someone could sit around and think about all this stuff. It took me a bit of pondering but I came to several conclusions. One, Oates is a complete genius. All the hidden symbolism gives very accurate insight into her view on American Society at the time. I also like that the story wasn’t really a representation of the typical, “women get what they deserve” idea. There was more to it. Two, reading a story just once does nothing for me. And three, actually attempting to analyze a story makes it a million and a half times more interesting. So, kudos to you Mr. Mullins for pushing the whole literary analysis idea. 

Hills like White Elephants

I’d like to start out by saying that Hemingway’s way of writing is brilliant. “Hills like White Elephants” is the first Hemingway story I’ve ever read, and it left quite an impression. The story is told through an entirely objective point of view. There are several ways this really enhances the story. It allows the reader to ponder their own situations and create their own questions. There was no definite explanation to what the characters were thinking and the author’s purpose was not blatantly obvious. I honestly really appreciated this. Even though it did not necessarily make the story easy to read and understand, it added a certain aspect of mystery that i enjoyed. I like having to think about what I’m reading; it allows me to remain a more focused reader. I feel like Hemingway wanted a story that provoked readers intellectually, and he was successful. At first, i had gotten the idea that the man and woman in the story were speaking about plastic surgery, or some unnecesary cosmetic procedure. Later into the story, I realized the story was based around a very controversial subject, abortion. This surprised me because abortion was a very serious procedure when this story was written. I was not expecting it to be the topic suggested.

"The Lesson"

So for once since the year started, I’ve decided to write about something we actually referenced in class. Out of every short story we’ve read, “The Lesson” was by far the most uneventful. It was nothing I thought it would be. With the rest of the stories we’ve read, the element of suspense was at least somewhat eminent. “The Lesson” started off slow, I assumed that the plot would grow increasingly complex and something incredible would happen…no. As a reader, one basically follows a group of poverty stricken children that attend a trip to the toy store with their teacher. I know literary fiction isn’t supposed to be entertaining, but this story was tedious. There was nothing that mentally stimulated me. However, I must admit that the theme featured in the story was a good one. Even though it was a bit solemn it’s the truth. I feel like throughout the piece there was a hidden reoccurring idea that those who live in poverty must unfortunately work a lot harder to get the simplest of things. I feel like the teacher was trying to explain to the children that even though their life might be more difficult, the personal satisfaction that they’d reap in the end would be far greater than that of a person who gets everything handed to them on a silver spoon.

Hmmm

Over the last couple of school days, I’ve come to the conclusion that maybe commercial fiction isn’t as amazing as I thought it was. Commercial literature seems like the only category I’ve ever read. Sure literary  books aren’t amazing, but they generate thoughts that have never before entered my mind. Having to think about why a character in a book does something is beginning to be somewhat entertaining to me. I’ve only ever read stories with clear cut endings, where no questions were left unanswered. It’s kind of nice to have a change of pace. For once I’m actually challenging myself to analyze what I read and come to my own conclusions. The fact that the motives behind events in the stories aren’t obvious seems to give the story a new sense of realism. I’m not being handed everything on a silver platter, and that feels nice. I feel like I’ve already grown as a reader and I honestly can’t wait to see what the future holds for me.