October 24, 2022
For today's class, the stories we read were a...rollercoaster to say the least. All bases were covered in terms of theme with each story presenting its own twist. The stories include "Hills Like White Elephants," "A Rose For Emily," "The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket," and "Wildwood."
I read "Hills Like White Elephants" in high school and was surprised that I remembered every detail of the story. It is a clever story about pregnancy and abortion. The attractiveness about the "hills" and then sudden unattractiveness represents keeping the baby versus having an abortion. The American does not want the girl to have the baby and asserts his masculine dominance over her to make her see the "white hills" as a non-possibility. Even though I was annoyed with the American man in this story, I really enjoyed reading it again. It was just how I like it; short, sweet, and packed with symbolism and deeper meaning.
I also read "A Rose For Emily" in high school but remembered it less than "Hills Like White Elephants." I think this is because of the length of this story. Out of the four that we read, this was my favorite. The dark twist at the end of the story is unsettling and I really enjoyed that. Stories that are dark in nature have always been something I have been attracted to, so I thought this was a perfect story for me. The end was kind of predictable, but I'm not sure if it was because I read it before or because the story just led right into it. Either way, I still enjoyed this story and feel bad for Homer.
"The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket" was not my favorite story at the beginning, but the sad shift at the end reeled me in. I thought the main character was a creepy man at first, but I couldn't have been more wrong. He was just a sad, lonely man that I felt emotional towards. I assume he is an older man, even though it is not described. I believe he is sad and lonely because of his isolation and jealousy throughout the short story. It seems pathetic that he is commenting on the little boy and girl with the bell cricket, but it's actually sad because it seems as if he has no one in his life like that. The usage of color symbolism was very evident, especially at the beginning of the story, and was a nice touch to the piece.
"Wildwood" was a LONG read, but definitely worth it. The coming of age theme was done a little differently than most pieces. Lola is described at the beginning as rebellious and hates her mother. That is typical of rebellious kids, but what isn't typical is the shift towards her mother at the end. Before I discuss the end, I need to comment on the middle of this story which went a totally different direction than I anticipated. After Lola lost her virginity, I expected her to become pregnant and stay with Aldo where he was destined to become a deadbeat dad. Fortunately for her, the call home to her brother helps her escape an inevitably terrible situation. Her life takes a turn when she is shipped off to the Dominican Republic to live with her grandmother she had never met. The friends she meets there change her for the better, and she gains a newfound respect for what her family has been through to get the the United States.
Out of the three assignments for reading we have done thus far, this was definitely my favorite section. I didn't strongly dislike a single story and understood everything I was reading.
"A Rose For Emily" reminded me of the new Netflix show, "Dahmer" on Jeffrey Dahmer. Here is a picture from a scene that reminds me of it.
While the man with Jeffrey isn't dead, many dead people were in the same spot he was with Jeffrey, hence the blood stain.