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Short Story : My Sister 's Marriage By Cynthia Marshall Rich And Blake

Decent Essays

Ever heard the term silver-tongue? The term silver tongue refers to those who are both eloquent, and persuasive speakers, and who can use their speech to get what they desire. Both Dr. Landis in the short story “My Sister’s Marriage” by Cynthia Marshall Rich and Blake in the short story “The Five-Forty-Eight” by John Cheever from the collection of short stories “Points of View” by James Moffett , and Kenneth R. McElheny are silver-tongued men with bad intentions who abuse their positions of power to get what they desire. Both Dr. Landis in “My Sister’s Marriage” and Blake in “The Five-Forty-Eight” are similar because they both manipulate women, they both have a hidden agenda, and they both end up learning a lesson by the end of each story because of their deceit. The difference between the two men is that Dr. Landis uses his smooth speech to manipulate his daughters, Olive, and Sarah Ann. Blake uses his smooth speech to manipulate an unstable women whom he had just hired into sleeping with him only before firing her then taking a vacation and he manipulates his wife into thinking he is loyal. Both men end up disturbed by the end of each story because of how each women reacts to being manipulated. Dr. Landis from “My Sister’s Marriage” and Blake from “The Five-Forty-Eight” manipulate women in both stories and think it is okay. Dr. Landis manipulates both of his daughters, Olive, and Sarah Ann into thinking he is some omniscient being and that any questions they need

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