Matrimony, monogamy, and children either leads to happiness, hardship, or usually a combination of both. Sharon Olds’ touches these subjects in her poem “Station.” To fully understand the deeper meanings within the poem one must understand that Olds’ 35-year marriage was strained to the point of divorce, and that this poem records an event that occurs towards the beginning of this strain. She uses her husband’s description and their interaction as a canvas to paint her subject matter into physical form, combining the physical and emotional. Olds’ uses simile, metaphor, and apostrophe to describe her husband as a “lord,” and through these comparisons she shows admiration towards her husband (9).…
She constantly goes between him and several other guys, which demonstrates the way a lot of women became more free with their expression of love. She plays up the fact that she’s beautiful to get guys to like her, which is how a lot of women during this time acted. Judy Jones’s promiscuity and casual attitude about the expression of love embodies the attitude of women during the…
However, she fakes such false happiness because this is what he expects of her. In line 19 she remarks “Thus do you want me-marveling, gay, and true.” She behaves in the way that pleases him. In contrast to the narrator, the mysterious man is completely unaware of the depth of feelings experienced by his companion. He is not only a womanizer, evident by his tales of late delights with indiscreet ladies, but he also lacks the same level of emotional sensitivity as the…
The biggest piece of Rafaela’s identity is her lust for a prince charming: someone who will come and take her away. She sits on her windowsill wishing she could go to the bar around the corner and find a different man; however, because she is trapped by her marriage, she can’t. Rafaela drinks her juice and wishes it is sweeter. She sits in her room, wishing it was less lonely. She waits by the window and waits and wishes, “[leaning] out the window and [leaning] on her elbow and dreams” (79).…
They are forced to complete arduous and bland housework all day. The author portrays the women’s lifestyle after marriage as insipid and bleak in comparison to their vibrant lives before marriage. In both “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and “A jury of Her Peers” the main characters are in an oppressive marital relationship, and find a way to cope with this matrimonial burden.…
Hawkins examines the way lying creates distance, diminishes honor and weakens communication in relationships shown through Megan and Scott’s broken marriage, Rachel and Tom’s fallout, Anna and Tom’s insecure matrimony, and Rachel’s involvement with the police force. First, Hawkins demonstrates the detrimental way lying creates distance in a relationship through Megan and Scott’s fractured marriage. Scott portrays an aggressive and violent man who holds the power and control in their relationship evidently shown by his frequent searches on Megan’s laptop, and consistent questions pertaining to where she is. His controlling nature causes her…
Relationships are more than just being with someone, “I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone, it’s not, it’s to end up with people who make you feel alone” (Robin Williams) . Relationships can be the most amazing thing in the world, they can change a person to be better, but they can also change a person into something they are not and that can never be foreseen. The relationships between John and Ann in the short story “The Painted Door”, by Sinclair Ross, and Gabriella and Liam in the short story “Bluffing”, by Gail Helgason, are both unsuccessful, which leads them to unravel. It is nearly impossible for a relationship to be perfect, but there are some important aspects that a relationship should have in order for…
For example, when Mrs. Harding is introduced in the novel with a photograph, she is seen openly filtering with the photographer in the presence of her husband (Alvarado 355). Mrs. Harding position and attitude in the photograph compared to her husband’s appearance, gives the impression that the she dominates the relationship (Alvarado 355). Mrs. Harding is openly defiant her sexuality, which causes her husband to feel inadequate. For example, when she visits her husband she spends the whole visit exploring the many ways she can allude to the fact that he is impaired sexually (Alvarado 355). Harding also feels emasculated by his wife body, “ample bosom at times gives him a feeling of inferiority” (Kesey as quoted in Leach).…
When discussing monogamy, we see that it is okay for men to be promiscuous however for women, they live a life catered to men and are expected to be sexually loyal to the same man for their entire life. Both stories give examples of how this is portrayed and also how the act of gossip had negative impacts on a…
Spring Fragrance’s elderly cousin, Sing Foon, wrote him a letter that shook his confidence in his relationship with his wife. The cousin confided in Mr. Spring Fragrance telling him that the man Laura was betrothed to was spending a lot of time with Mrs. Spring Fragrance. His cousin even added in that the schoolteacher’s son was good looking. Foon writes, “but if women are allowed to stray at will from under their husbands’ mulberry roofs, what is to prevent them from becoming butterflies” (Far 869).…
An outsider’s judgement should never negatively affect the behavior of a couple’s relationship. This idea is portrayed in two heartwarming short stories, “Poor Fish” and “The Tall Woman and Her Short Husband.” In the short story “Poor Fish” by Alberto Moravia, a man who has a low self-esteem meets a woman named Ida, who instills a lot of self-confidence and love in the man. Another couple, who symbolizes ‘perfection,’ spots…
When both parties in a marriage are not fully committed to each other, it may lead to infidelity and heartbreak. Ann and John are in a long marriage, and John is loyal to Ann. She feels that some aspects of a relationship are missing between them. She doubts her husbands love for her as she feels he does not give her intimacy. The paint in The Painted Door is reflective of the miscommunication in their relationship; leading to Ann’s inner struggle, and betrayal; the title provides the reader with guidance to the importance of the door and the process of painting it.…
In today 's society, divorce is more the norm than ever before. With fifty percent of marriages ending in divorce, it is no surprise that we have become so familiar with the concept of divorce. Whether it be through personal experiences or through the works of literature, the idea of a marriages failing has become more known and sadly more accepting. In “A Temporary Matter”, author Jhumpa Lahiri delineates one woman 's desire to end her marriage while her husbands seems to do everything possible to save it. This idea of one sided love makes it evident to the readers that their marriage will inevitably come to an end.…
Women do not live only to please and serve men! The story, “The Chaser,” the author John Collier, builds this brief story between a young man, Alan Austen, who is deeply in love and wants to possess his sweetheart entirely. Alan Austen then meets an unnamed old man who produces a love potion. Alan has no concern for the consequences that the potion may have on his sweetheart. He really just wants his sweetheart, Diana, to be deeply in love with him.…
Relationships are delicate. In order to thrive, it requires love, but without that durable foundation, the smallest of fractures can cause the collapse of the entire relationship. “Sexy” in the collection, Interpreter of Maladies, written by award winning author Jhumpa Lahiri, portrays what basis an extramarital relationship is supported by. Miranda, a young American, is engaged in an affair with a wedded man, Dev, who is different from any other guy she has ever dated.…