Richard Cory

I think that Edwin Arlington Robinson's "Richard Cory" showed me the perception that some people have can be very wrong and the perception some people give can just be a wall guarding them from letting people in. It talks about the man who was "richer than a king" and they "went without the meat". It shows that he seemed to think that Richard Cory had everything that any man could ever want, but yet the very last line was "Went home and put a bullet through his head." Did Richard really have everything he wanted. May be he just wanted a friend? He fluttered pulsed when he talked...was that rage or jealousy? It reminds me of the old saying "be careful what you wish for". One may be rich, but he may not be happy. Maybe it is true when people say I have I all need and I need what I have. Richard had riches, but did he have what he really needed?

Head, Heart

This is the first time I had read Head, Heart by Lydia Davis. I feel this poem very deeply. I think that the poem can relate to people in real life. Where head is the friend or family member trying to help you. Trying to tell you life goes on or everything happens for a reason. Or when the Pastor tells you that God has called his child home. 

Then heart is you. The sorrower. The one that wants the help, but more than anything, you want to hold or touch or talk to that person you loved so  much. You can't tell "heart" that everything happens for a reason and it still not hurt more then being hit by a car. Love hurts. The loss hurts even worse. Years later the heart still hurts and head still tells you that it is life. Move on. But never forget. Heart will never forget.

A & P

This story was set back in the 50's, I believe, at a local grocery store in the summer time. The Narrator is Sammy and he is working the checkout when three girls, must be around his age come in wearing only their swimsuits. Sammy quickly labels the girls, which I find very interesting. I know that everyone has labels for people, but labeling one Queenie was, well weird for me. I guess I never really had a "leader of the pack" that I can remember.

Anyway, the manager of he store tells the girls that they need to have the shoulders covered the next time they come to the store. I'm not really sure why Sammy does it, but he quits in protest for the girls. The girls are already gone, so for them to even notice what he did wasn't going to happen. Did he hope to be their Knight in Shining armor? I mean, really? That just seems really lame to me, but maybe some girls just eat that right up. I suppose that is what Sammy is hoping for. I can't wait to see the thoughts some of the other people had on this story.

Boys and Girls

This story is about a young girl growing up in rural Canada. This story hit real close to home with me. My family never lived on a farm, but we live in small (50 people and most of them related to me) town in MN and raised chickens and rabbits. This story tells about the perception of boys and girls from the narrator's eyes and the way boys and girls are perceived in the world. The narrator was sort of a tom boy at first, wanted to do what her dad and brothers did. I was like that too. I always wanted to help Grandpa in the field, pick rocks, bail hay, work the cows and the hogs. She thought housework was boring too. Again, so did I. Who wants to stay inside and do house work when you can be out having fun in the sun or snow, where all the action is. I think when they put the horse down was the turning point for the narrator. She started doing typical girl things. Daydreaming and dresses and even learned to enjoy the house work. I did get into the boys and the house work but I still enjoy getting my hands dirty every once in a while.

The Thing in the Forest

The Thing in the Forest is about two young girls, Penny and Primrose, who are sent away from the danger in Briton in WWII. It seems both Penny and Primrose had pretty simalar upbringings and both seemed to have no clue to what was going on. They both must have been scared to death of what was to come of them. They talked and filled each others heads and stomachs with fear. When out in the forest of the mansion they were shipped to, they saw a worm like creature that look and smelled like the worst thing in the world. I believe that this is their fear taking form. I think two very scared girls were so scared that they may have saw something and made it even worse than what it was. But everyone believes to see things when they are scared. Their minds playing tricks on them, some might saw. When they returned, they see the book with the fairy tale and they never see the creature again. I think end the end they both seem to overcome their fear and find a way to carry on with their lives.

The Birthmark

The Birthmark is about a scientist who gets married to a beautiful women, but in his mind, has one flaw and because of this falls just short of perfection. The scientist is Aylmer  and his wife is Georgiana. This story has a sort of symbol in it, that I believe is the hand. The hand is the one flaw that Georgiana has that is a birth- mark, in the shape of a hand, on her cheek. I think in this story the symbol, the hand, represents the hand that gives life and takes it away. Aylmer thinks that he can reach perfection by getting rid of the birth-mark on Georgiana's cheek. Is there truly perfection? And why didn't Aylmer listen to his dream? The dream seems to clearly tell him that he will kill her trying to get rid of the birth-mark, but yet he is so hell bent on getting rid of her "flaw". In the end he does kill her. He reaches his perfection, but the perfection is never his to have. I think that is the lesson that may be learned. Never try to take what is not yours or what you have may be taken away from you. Be happy and love what you have.

Interpreter of Maladies

This story starts out in India with the Das family, who seem to look Indian, but are American and the tour driver, Mr Kapasi (narartor) who is from India.
I really like how this story pointed our right away how the world has certian views on people. Right away Mr. Kapasi thought that the Das' where Indian and should speak the langue, but they were dressed like "tourists" It is amazing how you tell where someone is from just by the way they are dressed.

I'm not sure if I have figured out why is was so intruged by Mrs. Das after she thought his job as an interpeter was romantic. I am thinking that he was just so happy that someone even payed attention to him. It seems that he was not in a very strong relationship, especillay after his son died. He didn't even really talk to his wife anymore. 

Mrs. Das was drawn to him right away after she heard what his job was. Why is it that she thinks that he interpets that he is full of some sort of wisdom to help her with her guilt. I do believe that Mr. Kapasi was right asking her if it was guilt. I think she may have realized that maybe he was right and that is why he was upset. I also think that both Mr. and Mrs. Das must not be happy. The both seemed to be perfectly ok with bickering infront of the children. 

Finally, when Mr. Kapasi saves the boy from the monkeys, they don't as much thank him. Why? Don't they realize that it was their actions that led to the monkey attack? 

A Pair of TIckets

This story is taking place in China. Mostly on a train and then in a hotel room The narrator, Jandale, seems to be telling a story of a major event of her mother's life, which, in turn, makes it a major event in her life. Maybe it even opens her eyes to the heartbreak her mother was going though for a lifetime.
At first, she seems to be afraid to share in the same joy as her father when he sees his family. She is afraid her sisters will be sad and the meeting of them will be, well, horrible. She seems to think they will blame her for her death. I'm not sure if this is a cultural thing I don't quite understand, but I find it hard to believe that they would blame her. I do see so much compassion in Jandale. She is so concerned about the babies or little girls her mother left behind. I asked myself, would I feel the same way? Would I be upset? Then at one point she says something like, did my mother wish it that she had her two babies and not me? She is full of questions and is very nervous about the meeting.
When the meeting comes, I cried. It truly was like a family, like one of her Auntie's said...you are their own sister, their only family. They just knew right away that they belonged. No one one hated or resented each other. They were all just happy to see each other.
I think that is what the author is trying to say, maybe. No matter what, an ocean or a doorway, you will always be loved by family.