Lawn Party Ann Beattie writes her short story “The Lawn Party” as a male narrator. Because men tend to be less emotional than women are, this makes the narrator’s point of view more believable. Although this is a story that moves from one agonizing situation to another, the lack of human emotion leaves one with a somewhat empty feeling. One could infer that the author removed all sensitivity from the narrator in an attempt to make him appear aloof, indifferent, and even somewhat callous.
The narrator lost his arm in a car accident. When asked if he would like a plastic arm or claw, he rejected both. When asked what he would like, he calmly responded “air”. Later in the story, he complained that he has to sip beer because
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She responded by drinking heavily and crying. For some reason he relented and married her as planned. His new wife would not see her sister again; however, he continued to see his wife’s sister throughout their marriage, further demonstrating his lack if sensitivity. Although he had a child with his wife, he does not express any emotion toward either of them.
It had been more than ten years since the affair began that led to the tragic car accident. He had been spending the day with his wife’s sister shopping. She was driving home when she swerved off the road, killing herself, and causing him to lose his right arm. When he awoke in the hospital, he expected his wife to take pity on him. Instead, his wife told him that he had deserved it. She also told him that her sister had tried to commit suicide. When he reflected on the accident, he cannot clearly sort through the possible emotions that would lead this woman to try to kill them both.
Through all of this, he shows no emotion about loosing his wife, arm, or his mistress.
After the accident, his family had their annual lawn party. He spent the entire day upstairs in his room. He refused to go downstairs to the party and socialize with his relatives. He sat there thinking about how his ex-wife was influencing his daughter’s opinion of him yet showed no sorrow and dismissed it. His daughter appeared to have little to do with him and he does
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“Knowing Ms. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break it to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.” Her sister and husband’s friend Richard had to be careful when telling Ms. Mallard about her husband’s because it may give her problems with her heart. Ms. Mallard had to lock herself in her room and look out the window to calm down after hearing the news. She even knew that death is inevitable.
Though Beattie relates the women’s story, she does not do so in first person. Beattie reveals the story through a narrator's voice. The narrator is not simply an observer, however. The narrator shows that the woman, for the most part, is madly in love. (paragraph 1). It is obvious that the narrator knows more than can be physically observed. Beattie, however, never tells the reader what really happens between her lover and her. Instead, the reader must look into the women’s actions and words in order to understand what the women feels.
Brently and Louise Mallard’s marriage was a strong loving relationship, there was very little arguing and a lot of love and passion for each other. It was not all too often that people would get married back in the time frame they were living in. Brently and Louise were in their mid 30’s and showed a true passion for loving one another. Brently did hard labor bringing in money for the two working on railroads and Louise stayed home to clean and garden. It was just a regular thursday where Brently is leaving for work at 6:30 in the morning And Louise kisses him goodbye and says, “bye Brently love you.” When Brently was traveling to work that day he heard about a house fire around where he lives. He thought nothing of it but little did he know
His wife’s behavior is denial. She is blaming herself for his bad behavior and trying not to put all of the guilt on him. This is common with significant others and children, they blame themselves, although they could not have changed what is happening.
At some point, Richard’s parents separated. When his sisters were old enough to move out, it became even more stressful at home. Richard and his mother did not get along and constantly fought. Richard became suicidal. He got a gun, planning to kill himself. He was sitting in a chair contemplating suicide when his mother walked in screaming. At that point, Richard shot her. When he realized what he had done, he wrapped the body it in a blanket, put it in the car, and dumped it, then pretended nothing had
Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” explores the depth of a woman’s reaction to her husband’s death. The story begins with Mrs. Mallard learning of the death of her husband. Her reactions is that of a typically woman which is, sorrowful. Later, as she sits looking out a window in her room, she then goes into deep thought about her situation and discovers that she can now live life in a way that pleases her. Only to be disappointed, an hour later she finds that her husband is yet alive and immediately clasped at the sight of her husband and dies from a heart disease condition called “joy that kills”.
and with no trace of grief on her face. She told them that her father was not dead”
When Mr. Smith awoke his son was nowhere to be seen. But most alarming of all was his wife’s absence. For he had been sure that by now his wife would have deduced his symptoms of hangover, and forced him awake with extreme prejudice. But instead of his wife’s shrill voice, he had woken up to the sound, or lack thereof, of complete, utter silence. Then from out of nowhere a paralyzing fear gripped him, the fear of abandonment. He pondered over the possibility of his wife learning of his firing, and finding herself unable to love or support a sinking ship, gave up on their marriage, and gave up on him, taking with her the only thing of value in his life, his son. He treated the reality of her leaving him as an outrageous prospect, but nonetheless
The narrator’s husband john not only plays the role of her partner but also is her doctor. John is the authoritative in the house and thinks he know what’s best for his wife and disregards her opinions and thoughts. Because john belittles and ignores his wife her postpartum depression goes untreated and turns into psychosis. at the ending of the story he actions showed that it was too late, the narrator said “Now why should that man have fainted? But he did, and right across my path by the wall, so that I had to creep over him every time!”. She didn’t recognize her husband and he husband fainted in shock of not knowing who she is anymore.
Before the death of his fiancé, Juan was a hard working engineer, who worked in an office next to a café shop. Three months ago, he and his fiancé were supposed to meet at the café to later get lunch. When his fiancé was walking across the busy intersection to the café, a drunk driver drove through the stop light and hit Juan’s fiancé. Juan saw the whole thing happen and rushed to his fiancé in the middle of the crosswalk only to hold her closely covered in blood as she later dies in his arms. Juan then attempted to walk back into work to continue his shift, until he found it unbearable to the point he quit his job. He
The shock of being fooled into thinking she was going to be free was so harsh that it killed her. This is ironic because marriage is not supposed to be like this. The husband believed that he was a good husband and was oblivious to the harmful
Unavoidable guilt is the main feeling the narrator senses in this short story; therefore, his guilt shows that he struggled with morality. At first the narrator was calm and fine with murdering a man who has never wronged him; however, after the deed is done, the narrator feels completely guilty about the murder. The beating of the old man’s heart makes the nervousness
After 17 years he finally got the message. It finally became clear that she wanted to live her own life and he was not going to be included in it. He would not accept that loss.
As written previously, a woman loses her family tragically. The first family member she loses is her seven teen year old little brother, Robbie. He was murdered on a cold December night. After short six months, she loses her mother, who could not bear the grief of losing her only son. The only person, who is left in the woman’s life for