In Alice Munro’s “Day of The Butterfly”, “An Ounce of Cure”, and “How I Met My
Husband”, the Narrators reflect on their life’s after the fact. It is interesting how the Narrators
looks back on their lifetime and sees how they could have made better choices and how naive
they were.
In “Day of The Butterfly”, Helen feels that she should have treated Myra better. Helen
wants to fit in she sees that she is different too. Helen feels that she is different, “I was the only
one in class who carried a lunch pail and ate peanut-butter sandwiches in the high, bare,
mustard-colored cloakroom, the only one who had to wear rubber boots in the spring, when the
roads were heavy with mud” (Munro, 236). Helen was afraid of this and being different from the
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From her being different, she can relate to Myra. She
was also afraid of being seen with Myra, she says “I could not afford to be seen walking with
her, and I didn’t even want to but, on the other hand, the flattery of those humble, hopeful
turnings was not a lost to me” (Munro, 236). Helen has a redeeming quality when she shares her
cracker jacks with Myra and tries to share with Jimmy and lets Myra keep the butterfly
brooch.
In “An Ounce of Cure” The narrator is fixated on a boy after dating for two months
Martin breaks up with her. This plays a huge role in her life, her trying to get over him. She
spends time “pining and weeping for him- as I ever spent with him” (Munro. 435). “How I Met My Husband” Edie the narrator, looks back and sees how her life
experiences have led her to where she is now. Sutton states, “Edie the character is a naive
fifteen-year-old” (2). Edie met Chris when she was dressed up in Mrs. Peebles dress and he
called her beautiful, which in a way flattered her. She began to have a crush on Chris. His fiancé
Alice comes to find him in hope they can finial get married. Edie makes a cake for Chris
Neil tries to make sense of why Effie would become so emotional upon seeing him, and tries to discover more about this mysterious person for whom she is waiting...
Chris's next encounter with Ewan is after the events of the fire at Peesie's Knapp. He kisses her but she doesn't realise it is him at the time. The kiss is described as being "dark, frightening and terrible in the winter road". Chris response is described as "kicked the man that held her...kicked him hard with her knee and then brought her nails down across his face...she kicked him again" During the night, she realises that she liked the kiss and her sexuality is awakened. Later on, Ewan visits her home looking for her
The story begins with Jodee’s description of how she was victimized in a 4th grade Catholic grammar school; coming to the defense of deaf children that were being treated cruelly. She supplied the school officials with names and was labeled a “tattletale.” No one would talk to her, recess was spent in anguish, and she would find garbage and spoiled food in her book bag. As she progressed into 5th grade some of the social atmosphere began to shift in subtle but profound ways. Being accepted into a clique was all that mattered. Instead of being admired for class participation, as in earlier years she was laughed at and labeled as “teacher’s pet.” She said the rules were simple “shun or be shunned—if you weren’t willing to go along with the crowd, you would become the reject.”
Hattie spent much of her younger years living with different relatives because both of her parents had died when she was five. As Hattie was “tossed” from one relative’s home to another throughout her childhood, she never had a sense of belonging. To make matters worse, her relatives treated her like a hassle—as though her very existence was an annoyance. Needless to say, Hattie’s relatives were neither supportive nor encouraging of her. By age 16, Hattie’s feeling of self-worth was at an all time low. The story did not describe her appearance in depth, but it did say she was very modest and dressed humbly.
Most of the time there is a moment in life where one realizes they have lost all innocence and gained some compassion. “Marigolds” shows how one young girl transferred from a child to young adult through her life experiences. Throughout this story another young, but at the same time old in her prime, lady’s experiences are revealed: the author’s. In this short story, “Marigolds,” Eugenia Collier’s subconscious is unmasked through symbolism, diction, and Lizabeth’s actions.
Helen comes from a very low class family and community. Helen’s family is known as what is called “the ghetto”, although they may not have riches they have a great heart that unites them happily. Helen depended so much on a believed love who failed her. Helen never really came far on her education due to having everything with Charles. Charles lost interest on Helen, but she was blindfolded to see that her happiness didn’t exist. Charles has had an affair during their matrimony with a light complected woman who is mother of his two children. The woman had more power over Helen’s feelings because Charles realized his children needed him. Charles left Helen without much to do, kicking her out o...
The misfortunes Jane was given early in life didn’t alter her passionate thinking. As a child she ...
Though unbeknownst to many, the experience of being an outsider is a sensation that everyone can go through. In the world, it is entirely possible for a person to be judged on physical appearance, opinions, and status among other things. It is simply how humans have adapted; they experience society by forming social groups that they are comfortable in. Generally, this group is seen to those involved with it as the “inside group”, and those not directly related to it are seen as “outsiders.” Even in literature, it is clear that the feeling of being one of these outsiders is universal. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Fences by Pat Mora, and The Doll’s House by Katherine Mansfield all properly display how anyone can be an outsider.
Helen is Jane's best friend at Lowood. Helen is a religious role (angelic, and talks about God), in shaping her character. Helen believes everyone should love their enemies. Although Jane does not take to Helens good heart and good nature, with her wie word, Jane respects her for them and listens very passionately to what Helen has to say.
Helen takes a turn for the better by the end of this story. She ends up finding the man that she deserves, she
Although the people surrounding Susanna feel perturbed towards her lack of social-conformity, which is demonstrated through others questioning her “self-image”, she knows that she is simply exp...
Sharon Olds’s poem, “I Go Back to May 1937,” is an emotional piece that takes the reader back to the early days as the speaker’s existence was first thought about. The speaker is a female who describes the scene when her parents first met; she does this to show her wrestling thoughts as she wishes she could prevent this first encounter. She speaks about this topic because of the horrendous future of regret and sorrow that her family would experience, and also to contemplate her own existence if her parents had never met in May of 1937. Olds uses forms of contrasting figurative language, an ironic plot, and a regretful tone to convey the conflict between the speaker and her parents while she fully comes to understanding of past actions, and how these serve as a way for her to release her feelings on the emotional subject.
Guy de Maupassant’s Mathilde Loisel and Eugenia Collier’s Lizabeth are two characters enduring what they perceive to be an abject state of existence. In Maupassant’s narrative, “The Necklace,” Loisel longs for material things she cannot have. In a similar way, Lizabeth, the protagonist of Eugenia Collier’s “Marigolds,” perceives her own life in the shantytowns of Maryland as dreary and dull. Despite their different character traits and backgrounds, Collier’s and Maupassant’s characters have similarly negative perspectives towards their own lives that greatly influence their actions and consequently, the outcome of the story.
To begin, although Helen tries on many occasions to sacrifice herself for the good of her husband, without effort on his part her sacrifices are in vain. Helen’s naivety is often analyzed by literary critiques, “Helen displays the ironic naïveté of a young woman who, subscribing to the ideas about woman’s moral influence articulated by Sarah Ellis and others, ardently believes that as her husband’s ‘angel monitress’ she can redeem him” (O’Toole 717). O’Toole is correct to a point in Helen’s naïveté belief that she could save her husband. What O’Toole neglects to mention is why Arthur cannot be redeemed by Helen’s self-sacrifice. Unlike Lizzie from “Goblin Market” Arthur does not make any action to help himself even after being warned of the dangers of alcoholism.
While at Lowood, a state - run orphanage and educational facility, Jane’s first friend, Helen Burns, teaches her the importance of friendship along with other skills that will help Jane grow and emotionally mature in the future. She serves as a role model for Jane. Helen’s intelligence, commitment to her studies, and social graces all lead Jane to discover desirable attributes in Helen. Helen is treated quite poorly, however, “her ability to remain graceful and calm even in the face of (what Jane believes to be) unwarranted punishment makes the greatest impression on the younger girl” (Dunnington). Brontë uses this character as a way to exemplify the type of love that Jane deserves. This relationship allows Jane to understand the importance of having a true friend. Given Jane’s history at Gateshead, finding someone like Helen is monumental in her development as a person. Helen gives through honest friendship, a love that is