Delicate Touch Waxman Analysis

Waxman’s “Delicate Touch” was a very well-thought-out scene, in my mind. I like the way she uses one scene only in her story so she can build her main character more, including the sense that he feels very foreign in the American office building. Her devotion to Mr. Takamura made the story for me. When the American woman comes onto him, it’s just one more strange and foreign layer on top of many. I got the sense that everything felt uncomfortable and odd to him. He thinks American tradition is odd, “he wished she would move back, but… he would never ask such a thing” when she stands close to him, he “was momentarily confused” when they don’t drink together, and more (208). I’m very drawn to characters that are very vividly done, and scenes that build in tension over time. This is harder to find in short fiction, and limiting the scenes made it possible in this story. …show more content…
I don’t find myself drawn to the strong, overbearing voice of the narrator. He’s kind of a jerk, and if I was supposed to connect with him, I didn’t. I think it was supposed to be humorous in places, but it’s not my kind of humor. The narrator says, “I’ll cut your face off and show it to you,” and all I could think was, “I’m glad that’s not my husband/ my dad/anyone I know” (245). It’s also a wordy story for such a short piece. By that, I mean the concentration of larger words and the way the author uses them. I supposed the narrator is supposed to sound pretentious? He says, “I was shocked by the impertinence of a ringing telephone, which I, with due caution, answered,” and “My pace that of a woebegone trudge, and with my implement of agriculture I displaced the slack” (247). You mean you dug something up with a trowel? Without reading more of Hansen’s work, I can’t tell if that’s just the way he writes or not, so I’m not trying to pass judgement. I’m merely saying I don’t connect with this particular