Michael Oppenheimer The Paring Knife

Born in Berkeley, California, Michael Oppenheimer published the short story, “The Paring Knife”. A paring knife is small, sharp, and ideal for peeling or carving. It is also lightweight and comfortable. The couple in this story face hardships in their relationship. The narrator points out, “While I cleaned the kitchen floor, I remembered something that happened four years before that explained how the knife had gotten under the refrigerator” (Oppenheimer 188). Was the paring knife used during the fallout between the couple? The narrator utilizes a small knife in “The Paring Knife” to symbolize an incision in their relationship. Within the incision, there is blood as well as a cure. (Meyer 188) To start off in “The Paring Knife”, the couple’s dinner leads to the penetration from a knife. The atmosphere in their home gives a clear vision of comfort and trust. The narrator comments, “We had eaten a large dinner and had drunk many glasses of wine” (Oppenheimer 188). Dinner between two people in love is sentimental. It is the sharing of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level. This moment shows they share a strong bond. It is similar to breaking bread as it brings the couple together as one. There is love and happiness in the air,

Although the reason is abundantly unclear, the couple is slowly peeling apart. The narrator’s anger is uncontrollable as he or she admits, “I became incensed”(Oppenheimer 188). As blood does from a deep cut, the relator’s anger is gushing out relentlessly. An unruly fight between the narrator and the dishes is caused by their anger. The imagery in this scene is gloomy and frigid. In order for the picture perfect couple to redeem their relationship, the wound needs stitches. Lastly, by placing the knife back under the refrigerator in “The Paring Knife”, implies to the couple’s healing