September 2024 – Story Power

In Binaries, Empathy, Imagination, Power and Identity, Uncategorized

In Game Changers by Neal Shusterman, the main character actually changes dimensions via being tackled. No not CTE or multiple concussions, although around 1.2 million people get seriously harmed from football.

Ash our main character is a 17 ,on the football team Like failing math tests and girl troubles. One day he gets tackled which when you play a contact sport is not surprising, then he notices little details that seem to have changed but no one else believes him. The other team mascot was the wildcat but now the Ravens, he initially rushes it off because believing he’s in another universe seems very far-fetched. Next, the stop sign as we know and love became blue, this was a bit harder to wrap his brain around.

Each time he gets hit something grander changes he’s suddenly rich with a nice car and a fancy house. These changes don’t only affect him, things in history have also been changed, in one dimension Brown versus the Board of Education was never one, segregation still existed and his best friend didn’t go to school anymore. There were other more unusual Dimensions like changing his sexuality and giving him a boyfriend.

The final change was him becoming a woman, so he could understand how it feels to be a minority and the social structures. The book was very addicting. I read it all in one sitting under 3 hours. The writing is not super complex in understanding the text, however it does have broader Messages such as hierarchy in class, gender ,and sexuality.

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

By Mateo J.

In Power and Identity, Short Stories

In Drinking Coffee Elsewhere Dina’s character is amazing because she is sort of this person who wants acceptance from others and when she does get it she throws it away because she doesn’t want to be judged. It is never explicitly stated that Dina disassociates with Heidi because she is gay but it is heavily implied. At the begining I thought Dina was gay and had feelings for Heidi, maybe she still is even if she doesn’t know it, but instead she was kind of having someone to rely on. On page 59 where the girls strip naked and take a shower in the kitchen Dina sees Heidi in a different light and even says that she loves her. When I first read the book I wasn’t sure if it was a friendship sort of love but now I think it is a romantic love. I think that Dina couldn’t confront the fact that she loved Heidi. In the end on page 65 she says how she wants to rekindle her relationship with Heidi how she could just be herself. Heidi was her comfort throughout all of her expirience at school. She regrets pushing her away. She wishes she could have meet Heidi in a different time and when she was already accepting herself.

Facing Reality

By Nora B

In Albert Camus, Existentialism

“I was tired” (12).

“I stood there, motionless” (33).

“That evening Marie came by to see me and asked me if I wanted to marry her. I said it didn’t make any difference to me and that we could if she wanted to. Then she wanted to know if I loved her. I answered the same way I had the last time, that it didn’t mean anything but that I probably didn’t love her” (41).

Throughout Part One of The Stranger by Albert Camus, the main character Meursault demonstrates interest in practically nothing. Different events in his life, such as his mother passing or his relationship with Marie left him unaffected. His emotional range is very limited; he only really states when he is tired, happy, or nothing when he is indifferent, which is quite often.

The writing style of Part One also reflects Meursault’s distant view on life. The sentences are short and directly to the point. Rarely does Meursault ever think deeply about his surroundings. He will merely just point them out and describe the events occurring, or at least that is all he reveals to the reader. He barely thought of anything when a woman sat down at his table at Celeste’s, or at least he didn’t really question it.

I think that Part Two will be different. I think that the event that occurred at the closing of Part One will force Meursault to face his complex emotions and his surroundings more intimately. How will Meursault move forward? Will the reader discover exactly why Meursault has such a distant view of his surroundings/relationships and life in general? How will Meursault deal with the reality and consequences of his actions?

Is it Really That Hard to Talk to Women? – The Stranger

By Hugh V

In Short Stories, Stranger

An important aspect of The Stranger, written by Albert Camus, is the main character’s monotone narration and his relationships with his surrounding environment. His nonchalant attitude towards the circumstances around him, particularly regarding his mother and the love interest of the story, Marie, add to the dehumanization a reader may feel about him. His attitude and emotional disconnect throughout the first part all but enforce the idea to the reader that Mersault is a husk of a man, without anything keeping him emotional connected to the real world. Some may say that his coping mechanism is valid, and to a certain extent I would agree as it is not my place to judge, however he isn’t sure how he is supposed to feel as made evident by is interaction with the man at the retirement home.

So throughout this story we are given a protagonist that is essentially a robot, made evident by his internal narration through short, cut sentences and his interactions with Marie. He constantly shows that he has no emotional investment with Marie, after she persistently asks if she loves him to his dismissive tone. However the narration in Mersault’s head becomes vivid when he is talking about nature, specifically the beach, to separate his mood from his usual monotone and seemingly disinterested self. It is unclear so far if this is something that makes him feel more alive or human, or just vivid narration intermittently sprinkled throughout the book, however this could be the key to Mersault becoming more of a human in the reader’s eyes.

Longing for Feeling or Apathy?

By Paul M.

It is no secret that Meursalt from Albert Camus’ The Stranger is a bit of an odd guy. The first chapter of the story begins with him finding out about his mother’s death. However, Meursalt remains fixated on the days he will take off of work to attend her funeral rather than her death itself. His mind always seems to be somewhere else, atypical of what most ‘normal’ people would be thinking. That being said, he appears to live a pretty normal life. He enjoys swimming, has friends at a local restaurant, and gets along well with his neighbors. Despite this, that odd feeling in his thoughts remains. It is as if something in his life is missing. Multiple times throughout the text, Meursalt claims something along the lines of, “does it really matter?”, such as when he was offered a new role in his job by his boss. It is clear Meursalt is somewhat apathetic, or as if he is missing something that leads him purpose in life. However, this changes when he picks up the gun given to him by Raymond and shoots his mistress’ brother.

Meursalt’s descriptions in the text were typically rather bleak. However, when he was on the beach by himself, this changes. He notices the mistresses’ brother, who of course he did not like because of his incident with Raymond. Armed with the gun, he finds the opportunity to shoot and kill him. Of course his death was an unexpected turning point in the story, but that was not the only thing that changed throughout this scene. Suddenly, Meursalt begins to give an incredibly detailed description of the setting. As he stands on the beach, the bright sun beats down in his eyes, weathering him. As he is about to shoot, his detailed descriptions of the gun provide a crystal clear image of the situation, something I didn’t feel at any other point in the story. He shoots, then kills the brother, finishing him off with four more shots. During this event, Meursault felt like a different character to me, raising a ton of questions in my mind. He suddenly was illuminated and began to think completely different. The complex descriptions were shocking and took me by surprise in comparison to the bleakness of before. I couldn’t help but question what came to him in that moment. Was it getting revenge on the brother for attacking his friend? The adrenaline of shooting and killing someone? His sudden feelings were a stark contradiction to his past which seemed apathetic. Although I haven’t read further in the story, I think this event will remain significant, and says a lot about Meursault’s emotions. Had the gun caused him to feel strong emotions that he had been longing for? Or perhaps it a moment of panic, where he was so overwhelmed with emotion that he didn’t know what to do, shooting and killings the brother just to alleviate his thoughts.

It’s Not His Fault?

By Mia B

While reading The Stranger, I can’t help but notice how many times Meursault has to clarify to his boss that the death of his maman is not his fault.

On the very first page of the book he describes his interaction with his boss when explaining why he would have to take off work for his mothers funeral. He says “I even said, ‘It’s not my fault.'” At first I didn’t think anything of it, but after noticing it again I went back found that he says something along those lines four times just within the first three chapters. For me, the most interesting time is on page 20 when Meursault tells Marie that his Maman died yesterday, he says “I felt like telling her it wasn’t my fault, but I stopped myself because I had already said that to my boss.” The fact that’s he’s gone to justify his time over four times is clearly intentional, but what does it add to the story? How does Meursault’s obsessive need to justify his time off add to his character?

What Are The Secrets Of Women?

By Patterson Grant

In Short Stories

In this five page short story, there was a significant amount of things to unpack. Overly confused is an understatement of what I felt after completing this story. It made no sense. It was all over the place. But good readers re-read, right?

The second time through, I swore I had read a completely different piece of work. In “The Secret Woman,” Colette does an impeccable job of conveying femininity with self-discovery and identity struggles and finding ways to convert those themes into an interesting, compelling story. While I had limited idea on what was actually occurring during the first read, I still could not put the story down. I wanted to read more. It was a shame when it ended. Granted I hate cliffhangers.

The woman’s husband is searching for her at an Opera ball, reminiscing “her narrow face” that reminded him of “a delicate sugar almond” (37), since she was beautiful enough for him to somehow lose her at the ball… I digress. They seemed like a normal happy couple who loved each other very much. Even though the husband kept getting distracted by old memories of him and his wife, he was really trying hard to find her. But seriously, how they got separated in the first place is beyond me. Little do we know, the protagonist practically hates her life and puts up this front of a fully devoted wife, adhering to the social expectations of her marriage. Shocker. Apparently, behind closed doors she yearns for a deeper connection and self-expression which completely contrasts with her public persona as a dutiful wife. So what does this say about women?

See, I don’t necessarily even know. In my eyes at least, Colette portrays societal expectations of women perfectly. We shall be submissive. We need constraints, guidance even. And some play into that role to fit societal norms when in reality, more often than not, those norms fail to align with what women actually want. Women’s experiences are really complex and diverse, and while this short story is only a few pages long, Colette illustrates these themes in a meaningful and highly respectful way.

A Reflection of Benjamin’s Theory of Subjectivity and Power: the Impact of Language Barriers and Xenophobia on First-Gen Americans Identities and Psychological Development

By Dee E

In Binaries, Jessica Benjamin, Mutual Recognition, Power and Identity

In The Bonds of Love, Jessica Benjamin provides a profound analysis of the psychological foundations of love and relational dynamics. Drawing on her psychoanalytic theory, she critiques Freud’s focus on the Oedipal complex and the power struggles that often dominate male-female and father-son relationships. Benjamin argues that these struggles reflect deeper societal issues of authority and submission, leading to relational disconnections and the reinforcement of patriarchal structures.

She introduced the concept of “recognition,” explaining that true connection requires both people to acknowledge and validate each other’s experiences and feelings. She emphasizes that authentic love fosters equality and cooperation rather than dominance. By examining the complexities of human relationships, she advocates for an approach that prioritizes mutual recognition, ultimately suggesting that the bonds of love have the potential to transform individuals and society as a whole.

As explained in Jessica Benjamin framework, power dynamics w/out mutual recognition leads to oppressive relationships where one side’s identity is invalidated, resulting in feelings of inferiority and alienation (As we all know).

Question: How does her theory of mutual recognition inform our understanding of psychological development of first-gen Americans navigating cultural identity, xenophobia, and language barriers in their relationships w/ immigrant parents and society?

As a first-gen American w/ immigrant parents, I found myself grappling w/ this question to Benjamin’s theory while reading The Bonds of Love — like how mutual recognition can help people like me navigate identities amidst xenophobia and language barriers (The applications of her theory to other aspects). My own struggles with English comprehension as I was growing up made me reflect on how these challenges impact my psychological development and relationships w/ both my parents and society.

After some thought, I feel that Jessica Benjamin’s theory of mutual recognition application to this would emphasizes the importance of acknowledging each other’s experiences and subjectivity in relationships. As a first-gen American, I believe that this theory can help navigate the complexities of cultural identities. As this highlights the need for understanding between immigrant parents and their children, who often face conflicting cultural expectations. Mutual recognition fosters open communication, easing tensions that arise from generational differences. As for xenophobia and discrimination, her theory encourages solidarity and support within communities, reminding individuals that their experiences are valid. Language barriers can also create distances, but recognizing each other’s challenges can strengthen family bonds. Using mutual recognition to cultivate empathy, I believe this promotes healthier relationships and emotional intelligence.

As mutual recognition emphasizes the importance of understanding and validation each others experiences and can be applied to understand dynamics between immigrant parents and their first-gen American children, this helps bridge cultural gaps, reduce tensions, and empower individuals to embrace their unique identities while fostering healthier family dynamics. This framework fosters empathy and open communication, enabling both parties to navigate their identities while respecting their shared heritage/culture identity.
Without it, the experiences and identities of first-gen Americans can be invalidated, leading to feelings of isolation and diminished self-worth. For example, if a first-generation American child hears a xenophobic comment to their family or to them such as, “Go back to your country” or “If you can’t speak English w/out that thick accent, maybe you shouldn’t be in this country, ” it can create a deep sense of alienation, making them feel like they don’t belong in the society they’ve grown up in, and causing rights in their familial relationships as they struggle to reconcile their heritage with the rejection they face from others. (As a native Russian speaker, I often felt a sense of disconnect in conversations when I was younger (pre/during Covid), as people make assumptions about my intelligence based solely on my accent and ability to articulate thoughts in English)

Extra: If anyone would like to share their experiences or their own answer, please do so!

The Characters in “The Tenth of December”

By Reese B

In George Saunders, Short Stories

When I read the “Tenth of December”, the first thing that jumps out to me is the complexity of the characters. We are told very little about the main characters, Robin and Eber but we can learn so much through their thoughts in this one moment of their lives. We learn a lot about Eber’s past because he wants to move on. I think that Eber is looking back on his life so much because for most of the story he feels as though this is its end and he can’t help but reminisce.

I don’t think Eber looks back on his life poorly, he seems to remember many of the people that he loved. But he is scared of being viewed poorly by them. He doesn’t want his loved ones to see him suffer in any way because he fears that will make him like Allen, or make like “that”. Eber is scared of judgment and doesn’t let them help him, he shows this by revealing when he hits a tree in the woods, “He hadn’t cried after the surgeries or during the chemo, but he felt like crying now”(231). This was surely not the most pain that Eber had undergone but he felt like crying and was able to cry if he wanted to because he was free of the judgment of anyone else and almost free from his own judgment of himself.

The hidden character in the story is the winter weather. It sets the whole story in motion. The best way to describe the winter would be unforgiving or harsh, it is an obstacle for the characters to overcome. But it is what propels the characters to help each other. The winter weather reflects the lives of the two main characters. Robin doesn’t admit to seeing his life as a struggle but he realizes it in some ways. Eber has accepted the harsh realities of his life. Both of these are reflected in the weather on that day.

Toxic Masculinity within The Stranger

By Finley E

Multiple times throughout the story, my mouth was gawked wide open. Almost half of the stories we’ve read have had disgusting men as prominent figures, which I don’t think is a bad thing to promote, since most men in our world are disgusting.

Meursault, our main protagonist, has interactions that are often devoid of genuine emotional engagement, particularly in moments that a normal sincere person would have a deeper emotional response to. For instance, his reaction to his mother’s death is strikingly indifferent as he prioritizes dull details over mourning. Additionally his relationship with Marie lacks depth, as he approaches intimacy with a non-chalant attitude that strips the whole relationship of significance, and sadly Marie still has feelings for this man. Meursault’s new friend Raymond also exemplifies toxic mascuilinity, engaging in in manipulative and abusive behaviors.

This dissection of male figures shows the absurdity and often grotesque nature of human relationships, which shows the troubling representations of masculinity in literature.

The Stranger – Is Meursault’s Indifference Real??

By Kelsey O

In The Stranger, we meet a man whose mother has just died. We expect to see him fall apart or have his world shattered, crying, grieving, and searching for answers. Instead, we see him sleep and smoke. Meursault seems to lack any type of emotion for his dead mother, even as people who knew her for a fraction of the time break down around him. At first, I thought this was just his way of grieving. Pretending like nothing happened and trying to go on as normal. But soon it was clear that he wasn’t trying to pretend like things were normal, everything was normal, he just didn’t care about anything. Camus seemed to point this out when he described the robot-like lady on page 43 who seemed to be so invested and care so much about every little thing she was doing. Meursault, in contrast, cared so little about what he was doing that he got up with no intentions but to aimlessly follow this lady.

He also showed his indifference to Marie. He initially was very invested and even at one point admitted he loved her, but then claimed that he wouldn’t care if she loved him back. If he loved her, how could her love not make a difference? Meursault’s callback to the quote “It’s not my fault,” on page 3 and 20 indicates that he has some kind of personal investment in his mother’s death, even if his actions say otherwise. This makes me wonder whether or not he truly doesn’t feel anything, or if he is simply too scared of losing Marie or feeling the pain of loosing Maman to admit that it affects him?

Fear of the Unkown and the Elephant

By Henry K

In Short Stories

When the elephant disappears in “The Elephant Vanishes” by Huruki Murakami, the entire town is confused on how it could have happened. The elephant was was kept in a high security prison with seemingly no way out. The enclosure was surrounded by a huge fence, iron bars, and the elephant was chained down by a heavy steel cuff. And even if the elephant could get out, there was no sign of it escaping.

Naturally, the town began to speculate on how it could have happened. The town newspaper made articles theorizing on how the elephant escaped and people acrossed town discussed what happened to the elephant. However, throughout all of this buzz around the elephant, no one except the main character suggests that the elephant just vanished into thin air.

Instead, the town uses elaborate plans to try to find the elephant. The town has “hunters carrying large-bore rifles loaded with tranquillizer darts, Self-Defense Force troops, policemen, and firemen combing every square inch of the woods and hills in the immediate area as helicopters hovered overhead” (317). This seems extreme just for an old elephant but it’s not actually about finding and getting back the elephant. Really, People just want a rational explanation, and rather than accepting that the elephant proofed out of existence, they do everything in their power to unover an explanation.

I believe that people never claimed that the elephant simply disappeared, not because they didn’t think it was possible, but because they were terrified that something so absurd could even happen. The over the top reactions to the elephant going missing aren’t because people are scared of the elephant itself. Rather, it’s because they’re scared of the possibility that something so irrational could happen as a massive elephant vanishing without a trace.

Why I think Albert Camus’ Writing Strategy Is So Interesting

By Noah S

After beginning The Stranger by Albert Camus, the most noticeable aspect to the book is the writing strategy that Camus uses. Through short, basic vocab and simple, fast sentences, the strategy somehow creates a complex story.

Why is this writing strategy so interesting? Why is something so simple so effective for the telling of this story? I think it’s because we rarely see a style as simple as this (especially in a school-assigned book) and because it perfectly represents the main character.

In most books we’re assigned, It’s usually a pretty dense, hard-to-understand topic that’s written with thick paragraphs and complicated vocab, but The Stranger is different. This book uses simple, easy-to-read sentences and vocabulary, but still has a dense, supported story that still has so much to be revealed, even though we are almost more than halfway through the book.

I think this writing strategy also represents Meursault’s monotone, unemotional personality that he has displayed throughout the story. The basic, short sentences can represent his basic thought process, and the simple vocab can represent his monotone view on life and his experiences.

It Didn’t Matter

By Jane P

At the bottom of p. 8, Meursault says, “Then I felt like having a smoke. But I hesitated, because I didn’t know if I could do it with Maman right there. I thought about it; it didn’t matter. I offered the caretaker a cigarette and we smoked.” Discuss M’s process here (feelingthough/etc,). To what might he be referring when he says, “it didn’t matter”?

After I read the first few sentences of this book, I thought it was going to be a depressing and emotionally enduring torturous read about grief. I was mistaken, however, and the book was astoundingly emotionally muted considering the dark subject matter. That almost made it worse. The fact that I could not figure out what Meursault was thinking was very unsettling to me; this one line, “It didn’t matter,” was therefore somewhat of a comfort to me as I felt I could figure out Meursault.

At this moment Meursault is still unfamiliar with the process and customs one has as a person who is grieving. He therefore doesn’t know how to act about his mother’s corpse. He is startled and sickened about how even little things, like having a smoke, are impacted by the death of his mother, and then decides to ignore it because he cannot handle another one of his ways of life being taken away by his mother’s death.

To a greater extent, though, Meursault is says “it doesn’t matter” and giving up struggling against daily grievances, such as his inability to smoke in front of his dead mother, because he feels as though nothing matters and nothing in life is worth struggling against. His inability to have motivation is due to depression, one of the 5 stages of grief, that Meursault is experiencing because of his mother’s recent passing. This is one of the few moments in which Meursault’s mother’s passing, or indeed anything, seems to effect Meursault, and one of the few moments that keeps the audience convinced of his humanity. Because of this, Meursault saying “it doesn’t matter” is one of the most important phrases in this work of literature so far.

Benjamin and Good Country People

By Andrew G.

In Uncategorized

Flanner O’Connor explores the intricate relationships between deception, trust, and power dynamics in her short story, Good Country People. Many of the complex systems of power that take place throughout the text reflect ideas of Bejaminian “theory”.

Jessica Benjamin’s The Bonds of Love examines the nature of human relationships through the lens of both early Freudian principles and modern feminism. She argues that rooted in our natural desire for recognition is the tendency to embrace patterns of domination in which disproportionate levels of individual respect are shared between subjects.

I found that two specific dynamics found in the story reflected this idea.

In the beginning, the bible salesman seemingly embraces the passive role of a Benjaminian relationship, projecting unbalanced amounts of recognition to Hulga and especially her mom. This is seen specifically in moments when he said he was “nothin’ but a poor country boy”, for example. By directly implying himself to be of lower status, he establishes a power imbalance between himself and the family. However, this turns out to be a manipulative tactic meant to exploit their naivety. In reality, he was actually on the opposite end of the recognition “spectrum”. As a self-serving narcissist, he never saw Hulga or her mother as equals, but rather as inferiors unworthy of mutual recognition.

Hulga, on the other hand, initially took the “dominant” role in her interactions with the bible salesman. O’Connor highlights Hulga’s sense of moral superiority to those around her because of her intellectual prowess., especially to the bible salesman and his (in her view) crude religious beliefs. Yet, as the story continues and they’re relationship grows, this dynamic shifts. Hulga begins developing a newfound respect for the bible salesman and even reaches a point of mutual recognition when she professes her love.

The irony lies in the fact that just as Hulga begins to see someone as her moral equal, she is deceived by someone who never saw her in the same light to begin with.

Analysis/Reflection on Benjamin’s Power and Subjectivity

By Jasmine S.

In Binaries, Jessica Benjamin, Power and Identity

I believe Benjamin’s argument around Power and Subjectivity are based on ideas of individualism and a sense of connection. According to Benjamin, healthy subjectivity can only be achieved through understanding one’s own unique and distinct being but also recognizing and acknowledging others as subjects or individuals. It is also equally important that others recognize a subject for it to be perceived as an individual.

Benjamin’s argument also explains the ideas behind Freud’s argument. Freud did not recognize women as subjects, therefore his argument creates a binary that equates MAN/woman to SUBJECT/object. In order for a man to gain self identity he needs to separate himself from his mother (an object) and instead start to identify with his father who is a subject.

Finally, Benjamin’s argument touches on the source of domination. If both parties do not acknowledge each other’s subjectivity then domination will occur. When one has no respect for the other’s sovereignty and free will they will instead feel a sense of superiority. Because of that they will then attempt to dominate the other on the basis of viewing them as an object rather than a subject resulting in domination

After dissecting Benjamin’s argument I can begin to see binaries that have been established in my own life. Some I can be on the dominant end of, others not so much. One, however, that seemed to stick out to me in particular was the Able-bodied/Disabled binary. I always thought that I was someone who supported and promoted inclusivity in this space, which I do, but my mindset has been flawed because of the sense that it was the duty of able-bodied people to speak for and represent disabled people. Benjamin’s argument challenged my previous thinking and made me realize I was not looking through a lens of mutual recognition.

Kill One Bird With 5 Gunshots

By Leah S

In Albert Camus

In my AP Lit class today, we debated the relevance of the last few paragraphs in Part 1 of Albert Camus’s The Stranger. Meursault, the seemingly simple-minded main character, is at the beach with friends when he ultimately ends up shooting a man not once, but 5 times.

In class we asked ourselves: why was there an emphasis on the 4 additional shots fired? Surely just one gunshot ought to have been sufficient? The uninterested, unemotional Meursault the audience knows would have never been caught lashing out so irrationally, so we were all a bit perplexed during the fishbowl discussion.

I thought one interesting line that could help explain these actions was when Meursault thinks “It was then that I realized that you could either shoot or not shoot” (56). Shooting someone, like everything else so far in the story, doesn’t matter to him. Whether someone is murdered or not, how they die, what the circumstances were, he believes the the world doesn’t care. Society always moves on, and the earth keeps turning on its axis regardless. Ultimately, he wonders: what’s one more dead person to add to the world’s growing toll? Partially, I believe this mindset is propelled by what he has just experienced with his mothers death- people briefly offer condolences but otherwise his job and life remain the exact same. Who’s to say society won’t react the same way to this man’s death? If the man is already dead, who’s really going to care that there ends up being 4 more bullet holes in the corpse at the end of the day?

What Does The Sky mean?

By Leila A

In Albert Camus

When reading The Stranger, I noticed the continuous usage of the word “sky.” Meursault often describes the appearance of the sky, which made me contemplate the significance of this in the story. For instance, on page 12 Meursault details that “above the hills that separate Marengo from the sea, the sky was streaked with red.” I think this representation of the sky represents how Meursault feels when he is in a positive mood. However, on page 16, “The glare from the sky was unbearable.” I think this represents Meursault’s inability to confront his mothers death, with the sky representing his pain. On page 17, he remarks that he felt “lost between the blue and white of the sky and the monotony of the colors.” Once again, the motif of the sky illustrates the blurring of Meursault’s experience of his mothers funeral and the world he is living in, in his own mind. Another example is on page 59, right before Meursault pulls the trigger on the gun he thinks “it seemed to me as if the sky split open from one end to the other to rain down fire.” This description of the sky shows the chaos he is feeling in this moment, no longer living in apathy, before he makes a life changing decision.

Fight Club and The Stranger

By Liam C

Through three chapter of “the stranger”, I imagine Meursault’s character similar to the protagonist in the beginning of “fight club”. I can imagine Meursault’s face in a constant state of “for six months, I couldn’t sleep”. Both characters seem to be in state of emptiness, even looking for emotion that they can’t seem to find. Meursault and the protagonist differentiate from each other slightly by their search, or lack thereof, for emotion and connection. While the protagonist actively looks for emotion, finding it in therapy sessions for the critically ill, Meursault only hints at trying to find any sort of emotional connection. His actions towards Marie, and his seeming care for her demonstrates a want for emotional connection, but one that his internal dialogue and specific responses contradict. Interestingly enough, “fight club” shares a similar element through the character Marla Singer. Marla, who shares a strangely similar name to Marie, is a character that the protagonist constantly denies feelings for, claiming casual dating is his only reason for spending time with her. When asked about Marla (by the voices in his head, but nonetheless), the protagonist also specifically denies feelings for the woman he is spending so much time with. I’m not exactly sure why I find the connection between the two so similar, but the beginning of the two stories seem to be early similar, one an American version of the other.

Where is The Elephant???

By Cole D

In Imagination, Short Stories

As I read The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami, I felt confused. A full-grown elephant in a random suburb in Tokyo just disappears. Nobody knows where it went or what happened to it. To make matters worse, the elephant keeper is missing as well.

The main character shares that the night the elephant had gone missing he visited and saw both the elephant and the keeper. according to him either the elephant was shrinking, the keeper was growing, or both; did the elephant really shrink, and if so how would you explain the keeper?

The elephant is very old in age but fairly new to the town. When the elephant was originally introduced to the people of the town it was all they could talk about. Over time people talked less about it and the original excitement from the elephant was gone.

So what really happened to the elephant; did it escape, die, disappear; Was it stolen? I don’t think it matters as much as you may think. I think the significance of the elephant and the role it plays in the main character’s life is far more important than the elephant itself.

The Key to Feeling Numb: Avoidance

By Phoebe S

When I read the first page of The Stranger, I skimmed over the part where Meursault excused his absence from work because he had to attend his mother’s funeral. He was talking to his boss and quickly said, “It’s not my fault” (1).

After reading three chapters of the story, I realized that his reluctance to miss work wasn’t just a quick reaction to appease his boss. I now see that avoidance seems to be a significant part of his personality.

In the story, Meursault repeatedly isolates himself to avoid forming deep, meaningful relationships and confronting his emotions. This is illustrated when he refers to his mother as “the dead woman” (11) instead of using her legal name or the term “mother.”

He continually avoids his feelings and stays monotone throughout the story. This might be his way of sidestepping sadness, but it also numbs him from happiness.

Although I have not read the full story, I believe Meursault is satisfied with his life because he rarely feels deep emotions. It seems that he enjoys this numb sensation, which lets him avoid problems.

Letting Go

By Alana G

In George Saunders

I read “Sticks” in George Saunders’ Tenth of December before class one day because it was an extremely short story. Consisting of two paragraphs and barely taking up two pages, many would think it lacks meaning. I definitely did not think it would be as thought-provoking as it was.

In whole, the story demonstrates how something important to you can be totally meaningless to someone else. The story centers around a child’s view of their father and a cross-shaped pole in their front lawn that he decorates for holidays and other events. It is clear that he cares tremendously about this pole but even his own children don’t understand his obsession. He gave his time and energy to the decorating the pole even as he grew old and sick. Once he dies and the house is sold, the new owners take out the pole and leave it on the side of the road. Even though the pole was possibly the most important thing in his life, from a different perspective it is trash. It is a hard lesson to accept because it can seem unimaginable for something so vital in our life to be nothing to someone else but the truth is, most of the things we care about don’t mean anything to others.

Additionally, the father’s habit of being stingy (and his later regret of it) tie into his obsession with the pole. Both infatuations are not beneficial for him: his stinginess and resultant cruelty and restriction create tension in his relationships with his children and decorating the pole consumes him more and more. I believe this can be translated into everyday life by comparing it to negative feelings we hold on to. Getting a bad grade on a test or not performing well in a sport are negative things that many people tend to hold onto and obsess over. However, in the end holding onto these feelings only ends in two ways: regret or the eventual realization that it doesn’t matter. This short story teaches us through the father’s mistakes and experiences that we must let go of the things that do not benefit us.

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

By Emilio G

In Uncategorized

The big idea of the text was about a girl that was closed off from society and felt like she was lonely and had nobody. This made Dina come off as “awkward,” around other people and make jokes that can seem off. She met a girl that was the opposite of her and was more outspoken and expressed her feelings to everyone. Unlike Dina, she was more reserved and did not go out of her way to speak to everyone. This girl brought Dina out of her comfort zone and helped to realize that Dina had a side of her that she had no idea about. Another big role of this short story is that it is key to explore the complexities in attempt to figure out who you are or what you feel.

Dina has a difficult background which has convinced her mind to develop all of these defense mechanisms. It has also caused her to feel more pout of place because since she has grew up around all of these hardships it just forces her to feel more disconnected at Yale with all of the people around her who grew up entirely differently. Detachment is one of her mechanisms as demonstrated in the story. She would stop talking to Heidi for months. This highlights the difficulty of having genuine relationships when you cut yourself off and let your insecurities define you.

Watching Life From a Window

By Poppy B.

In Power and Identity, Short Stories

“And then there was Heidi. She was proud that she liked girls, she said when she reached the microphone. She loved them, wanted to sleep with them. She was a dyke, she said repeatedly, stabbing her finger to her chest in case anyone was unsure to who she was referring. She could not have seen me. I was across the street, three stories up. And yet, when everyone clapped for her, she seemed to be looking straight at me.”

ZZ Packer, “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere”

I think that this passage is very important to the story as a whole because it represents the Dina’s isolation. While initially Dina and Heidi were both lacking a community on campus, on the outside looking in to the friend groups and only knowing each other, Heidi eventually finds somewhere she belongs, and finds herself. While from Dina’s perspective there is an abrupt shift when Heidi became involved in the queer community on campus and started identifying as a lesbian, it is clear that did not happen over the one weekend that Dina was in Baltimore. Just as Dina is looking out from her window as Heidi speaks, not able to fully understand due to her separation from her friend and peers, she has been viewing the rest of her life, and even herself, as if watched from a window. While Heidi built a community for herself, even if it took time, Dina stayed as isolated as she could. Many of her actions thoughout the story suggest that she is detached, such as when she said she wanted to wipe out all of mankind. She doesn’t seem to be fully present, she is unconcerned with the impacts of her actions and judgemental of others. This behavior seems to be as a result of internalized homophobia and self hatred in general, although it is unclear why Dina would be affected by those things so strongly. Dina seems to be slightly envious of Heidi in this scene, or at the very least fascinated by her. And yet, she stays in her dorm, looking out at the event instead of getting involved. Even when Dina is speaking with her therapist, there is little insight into the root of her shame. What influenced her so strongly that even when she admits that she wants a reunion with Heidi, she will take no steps to make it happen? Why does she insist on being a passive figure in her own life?

Why did the Elephant disappear?

By Ben Schmollinger

In Short Stories

In the short story, “The Elephant Vanishes,” by Haruki Murakami, the elephant living in a Tokyo suburb mysteriously disappears. Nobody in the town can figure out where the elephant went or what happened to it. However, the main character revealed that he saw what happened and he watched the elephant shrink and shrink until there was nothing left.

The elephant was treated as some extreme novelty from the day that it arrived. The town had become extremely monotonous and unified according to the main character. The mayor acquiring an elephant broke the unity and normalcy of the town. This caused a massive stir in the town where news articles were written, people would visit the elephant, and it was all people could talk about.

I believe that the elephant shrinking is a metaphor for the town losing interest in it. Over time, the novelty of having an elephant wore off. The people of the town were no longer interested, and the elephant, this huge, unique animal, had simply become a part of the town. To the townspeople, the elephant might as well not have been there. The town’s interest in the elephant shrunk down into near nothingness, and that caused the man to see the elephant shrink down into nothingness.

While there must be some sort of logical explanation for the disappearance, I believe that the town’s indifference to this elephant that he was so interested in caused the main character to see the elephant shrinking.

outside body

By Noble A

In Uncategorized

I noticed it is almost as if Meursault is living his life as an observer or in third person, he has a bizarre way of expressing himself almost as if he is not in control or not caring.

Nothing Matters

By Isiah T

On September 24, 2024