Little Miss Sunshine

The film “Little Miss Sunshine” provides an interesting outlook on the cultural institution of family.  Society has very perceived concepts for how each individual family member should act.  Mother’s are expected to be a stable influence within a family.  They are supposed to cook, clean, and most importantly care for the children.  While the other stabilizing influence, a father, is looked upon as the primary bread winner for the house.  If a family is fortunate to have close connections with grandparents, they are mainly viewed as the calming authority of a family.  Their main roles are to give love, support, and advice to everyone in the family.  While each family member has a specific role the relationships and interactions between them are also interesting. The Hoover family dynamics in “Little Miss Sunshine” present a conflicting view with the cultural norms society has created for a functional family.   

From the beginning of the film the audience is introduced to the unique dynamics of the Hoover family.  Richard, the father, is desperately trying to get a new motivational program to the public.  He is feeling pressure to sell his program because all of the family’s savings have been poured into creating it.  Dwayne has taken a vow of silence as homage to Nietzsche until he gets into the Air Force Academy.  The Grandfather is a crude old man, recommending a life of meaningless sex with lots of women while snorting large amounts of heroine.  Uncle Frank recently tried to commit suicide after a messy break up with his male partner.  Olive is a happy four year old obsessed with beauty pageants who wants to one day wear her own crown.  And Sheryl, the mother, desperately tries to keep the family together despite the growing dissention from every angle within the family.  In the public eye, the Hoover family is definitely seen as dysfunctional.  When Dwayne screams “divorce, bankrupt, suicide…you’re all losers” this illustrates how most people would view the Hoover family from the outside.  However, as the movie continues it is clearly evident that their family bond is stronger than many “functional families.” 

The relationship between Richard, Sheryl, and Olive is quite interesting.  Richard is very results oriented and appears to be concerned with how others perceive the family.  As Olive prepares for the beauty pageant, Richard is mainly concerned with the results of the pageant.  He repeatedly asks Olive if she is going to win as this is all that matters. While Richard is concerned with winning, Sheryl makes sure Olive knows to just have fun and try her best.  It is ok that Olive is not the best as long as she gives her best effort and is happy with whom she is as an individual.  When the family is at the diner, their family dynamics are also revealed.  When Olive is asked what she wants she initially apologizes to the waitress because she did not know what she wanted to order.  Immediately Richard tells Olive “Don’t apologize, it’s a sign of weakness.”  This illustrates Richard’s yearning to be seen as a positive and strong individual in the public eye.  When Olive finally decides to order “Waffles Ala Mode,” Richard does not hesitate in alluding to the fact that ice cream contains fat.  Richard conveys this message to Olive by asking her “Are the people who win pageants skinny or fat?”  As a result Richard sways Olive away from eating her ice cream.  Until this point Olive is naïve to the fact that she is a bit chubby compared to other children.  However, Richard’s concern with how the public eye views Olive pushes him towards making her feel self-conscious about her body.  As Richard is informing Olive about ice cream, Sheryl defends Olive’s innocence by saying “It’s ok to be skinny of fat.” Sheryl is mainly concerned with Olive’s happiness and wants to instill that body image does not define a person.  Most important is to be happy and enjoy living life.  The rest of the Hoover family supports Sheryl’s views.  When Olive’s ice cream comes she does not eat it however; Dwayne, Uncle Frank, and Grandpa start to eat the ice cream.  By eating the ice cream they support Olive and show her that body image is everything. 

Throughout their journey to California the Hoover family bonds are tested.  Their true family bonds are shown in the final scene of the movie.   When Olive is told to get off the stage it presents a pivotal moment in the film.  The Hoover family could have easily remained in their seats and let the audience ridicule Olive.  By staying in their seats the Hoover family would be giving into the cultural norms of the pageant.  However, by joining Olive on stage it represents the family breaking the cultural norms of society.    They do not care if Olive is different from all the other contestants.  They support their daughter and her individuality.  It is especially important that Richard joins Olive on stage.  Throughout the movie it is clearly evident that Richard values how the public views his family.  However by going on stage, it illustrates a huge shift in his attitude.  Joining Olive on the stage as a family is a key turning point in the film.  It illustrates that every family has its struggles and differences but at the end of the day their family bond remains intact and stronger than ever.  

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

“The Outcasts of Poker Flat” takes place in California between November 23 and December 7, 1850.  During this time period in history there was an influx of people in the towns seeking fortunes by mining for gold.  The town of Poker Flat had been a popular place for gambling.  After losing several thousand dollars, two horses, and a worthy citizen, a secret committee was established by the townspeople.  This committee saw to the hanging of two people and the banishment of others including; Oakhurst, The Duchess, Mother Shipton, and Uncle Billy.  The Duchess and Mother Shipton are prostitutes and Uncle Billy is a drunken thief.  Oakhurst, a philosophic level headed man, is forced out of town because he won a substantial amount of money from the townspeople.  Some members of the secret committee even wanted to have Oakhurst hung, than they could raid his pockets and take back their money.  The idea of hanging Oakhurst is very hypocritical.  The townspeople became gamblers themselves when they sat down at the poker table to play with Oakhurst.  Consequently, he has won all their money and now they wish to hang him or run him out of town.

Hypocrisy is a main theme throughout the text.  The title “The Outcasts of Poker Flat” indicates that the town is well-known for gambling.  The gambling townspeople create “a secret committee [who] had determined to rid the town of all improper persons.”  The Duchess, Mother Shipton, Uncle Billy, and Oakhurst were all seen has “improper” and were ejected.  Ironically, Oakhurst, the gambler was banished by other gamblers from a town known for gambling.  At the end of the story The Duchess breaks “the silence of many hours: “Piney, can you pray?” “No, dear,” said Piney, simply.”  Piney, the apparent virgin, is unable to pray as is the prostitute, The Duchess.  “The younger and purer pillowing the head of her soiled sister upon her virgin breast, they fell asleep.”  The pure virgin and the soiled spirit die linked arm and arm.  “You could scarcely have told from the equal peace that dwelt upon them, which was she that had sinned.”  Society had distinct concepts of who was good and bad but in the end one could not tell them apart.  The secret committee had apparently banished the “improper persons” but in the end the true personalities of the outcasts were revealed.  

The Duchess, Mother Shipton, Uncle Billy, and Oakhurst begin to make their way out of Poker Flat to Sandy Beach.  The trip is long and treacherous and about half way to Sandy Beach The Duchess declares she can go no farther.  Although Oakhurst wants to continue, “The thought of deserting his weaker and more pitiable companions never perhaps occurred to him.”  As the groups settles, except for Oakhurst, the others shortly become under the influence of alcohol.  From their initial actions, The Duchess and Mother Shipton appear to be foul-mouthed, lazy, and prone to drunkenness.  However, as the story progresses, it is evident that there is goodness and heroism within them.  For example, when Piney Woods arrives at the camp, both women act as surrogate mothers to the young girl.  Mother Shipton starves herself to death in order to save a week’s rations of food for Piney and Tom. Throughout the story, Oakhurst always had “a usual clam,” his true heart and goodness is illustrated when he gives his snowshoes to Tom, allowing him to return to civilization.  The Duchess, Mother Shipton, and Oakhurst were seen as outsiders in society.  They went against cultural norms in Poker Flat.  However, once isolated from society, their genuine personalities were revealed.  All three of them had a kind heart and treated the young couple with the upmost respect.  Cultural norms had led the townspeople to believe that The Duchess, Mother Shipton, and Oakhurst were detrimental to society thus getting banished.  However, if the secret committee would have taken the time to get to know them individually, they would have not lost three great members of their society.

When Tommy joins Oakhurst and the others he immediately puts all his possessions at the disposal of Oakhurst.  It is clearly evident that Tommy admires Oakhurst as something of a God.  Oakhurst earned Tommy’s trust when he had previously won money from Tommy during a gambling match.  After Oakhurst won the money he said “Tommy, you’re a good little man, but you can’t gamble worth a cent. Don’t try it over again.”  He then handed Tommy his money back and from this point forward, Tommy was a devoted slave to Oakhurst.  As a result, Tommy was eager to share his food rations and camp with the outcasts.  He says “We’ll have a good camp for a week, and then the snow’ll melt, and we’ll all go back together.”  In any culture once one earns respect from his fellow companions, this respect will be evident throughout their relationship.  Trust and respect are two qualities that people value in today’s society.  Throughout history, culture has taught that respect for your neighbor is right and just.  Alike Tommy’s and Oakhurst’s relationship, relationships today are built upon a solid foundation of trust and respect.  As Oakhurst discovers with the town’s people it only takes a few frowned upon actions to destroy a relationship.  Although Poker Flat is known for gambling, once Oakhurst becomes successful at their own game they wanted him gone from their town. 

Throughout the story it is also evident that religion is a large part of Poker Flat’s culture.  Although the outsiders face a streak of bad luck they always go back to their roots singing, “I’m proud to line in the service of the Lord, And I’m bound to die in His army.”  The outsiders realize that death is imminent but never lose their faith in their religion.  I believe this is a large factor for Oakhurst.  When he takes his own life at the end of the story many people might say he was cowardly.  However, his actions throughout the story were exemplary and he was not afraid to die.  Oakhurst put his trust in the Lord and when he committed suicide he was prepared “to die in His army.”  If religion had not been a large part of his culture and life, the event in the story could have resulted very differently.  It is also apparent that religion was a large part of The Duchess and Mother Shipton’s life.  By treating the young couple with respect and giving them food, they were carrying out God’s goal for Earth. 

In “The Village” the elders chose isolation as their way of life.  However, in the “Outsiders of Poker Flat” they were forced to leave.  Poker Flat rejects them from society and they shortly find themselves in seclusion.  In “The Village,” the myth plays the controlling role of keeping the villagers in isolation.  In the “Outsiders of Poker Flat” the outsiders become isolated due to the continuous heavy snowfall.  The clouds momentarily open up offering hope, but Mother Nature quickly dashes any optimism but starting to snow again.  Lucius and Oakhurst share many characteristics.  At the end of the story when Oakhurst chooses suicide it reveals he “was at once the strongest and yet the weakest of the outcasts of Poker Flat.”  Alike Lucius, Oakhurst was very level headed and brave leading the outsiders throughout the story.  Lucius began the journey to the towns, carving the way for Ivy to finish his journey.  In each of these texts, the characters cultures have had an impacting role on their decisions and way of life.  It is interesting to see the connections between their actions and cultures.    

The Village

The Village Blog

“The Village” is an excellent example how a myth can become a controlling force over a whole village.  Violent losses of family members resulted in the elders voluntarily leaving the towns to start a new isolated community.  By isolating themselves from the towns, the elders believe they could prevent the feeling of suffering of loss.  For example, a woman being raped and killed or a man corrupted by greed could have been prevented if not in the towns.  The elders leave the towns in hope for something good.  The main difference between the village and the “real world” is in the village the people could live in a simpler time without the corruption of modern day and without money at all.  In the village, the elders could create life the way they believe it was to be lived.  The isolated village also offers a closer connection between its inhabitants compared to a large city where people are more spread out.  In order for their village to remain isolated, the elders create a myth that instills a fear of the woods surrounding the village.  According to the myth, “those who we do not speak of” live in the Covington Woods.  There is also a pact between the village people and the creatures of the woods.  The pact states that if the village people do not enter the woods then the creatures will not attack.  When dead carcasses begin appearing all over the village people start to get suspicious blaming Lucius for going into the woods to seek medical supplies.  I believe the elder’s reasons for creating the myth are justifiable; however, the fear of the myth should not keep the village completely isolated.  Although the village is self sufficient, it lacks the medicines that could have saved August Nicholson’s son, Daniel, or cure Noah’s mental state.

After Daniel Nicholson’s funeral, August says to Lucius “you may run from sorrow, as we have, but sorrow will find you. It can smell you."  This is a significant statement in the movie that connects the past and the present.  The elders ran from the sorrow in the towns but it has still found them in their isolated village.  The death of Augusts’ son has brought sorrow to his life in the isolated village.  It is significant that August says this quote to Lucius because it gives Lucius the idea of going to the towns to get medicines.  If Lucius did not enter the woods, the village would have remained the same as previous years. 

The use of color throughout the movie is very symbolic.  Since birth the villagers have been taught that yellow is the safe color and it will protect against the creatures in the woods.  For example, when Ivy is traveling through the woods and her yellow robe becomes muddy, she fears the monsters.  Even though she knows the monsters are not real, she has been taught that the yellow color provides a sense of security.  Similarly, the villagers have been drilled to associate the color red with the creatures in the woods.  Red, known as the “bad color,” instills fear in the villagers when spotted.  For example, a beautiful red flower is seen as a connection to “those who we do not speak of” and is immediately covered.  The creatures throughout the movie are also always wearing red.  It makes sense that red was chosen as the “bad color” as it represents the devil but it is ironic that yellow was chosen as the “safe color.”  Yellow is often associated with weakness or cowardice, but in “The Village” the yellow color gives the people strength and security against the creatures.   

The elders created “the village” to protect their innocence and get away from the corruption and bloodshed of the “real world.”  This is highly ironic because in the village there is not just sunshine and rainbows but also violence.  For example, when the dead carcasses were scattered around the village it prompted the people to act out thinking the creatures did this out of madness.  Although the elders believe they have control over the violence that the people are exposed to, this is not the case when Lucius is stabbed by Noah.  The villager’s innocence might be protected from the violence in the “real world,” but they still are exposed to bloodshed within the village.   

Fear of the myth is instilled into the villagers from birth.  As a result, they do not have a choice in the way they are living.  The fear within them is so great, that they are afraid to explore beyond their set boundaries.  The villager’s have been taught that there is only one way of life and no one should seek new ways of living.  In “The Village” the members were frightened into self-protection and self-preservation; however, this is not right.  I believe the villagers should not be frightened but have a free mind to do as they please.  Ivy goes into the woods to seek medicine in the towns for Lucius.  When she leaves Mr. Walker says to the elders “yes I have risked and I hope I am always able to risk everything for the just and right cause.” The cause for letting Ivy venture into the woods is definitely just and right.  Lucius was stabbed by Noah out of jealously.  He was an innocent victim in this awful crime.  It is only right to let Ivy go to the towns and get medicine in an attempt to save Lucius.  There would be a price to preserving such a powerful myth.  If Mr. Walker wanted to preserve the myth he would not have let Ivy go into the town to get medicine.  Without the medicine the death of Lucius, one of their own villagers, seems very probable.   

There are some parallels between the functioning myth and its organizing principles.  The myth allowed the village to attempt the creation of a utopian society.  The Amish today have created a similar separation from the “real world.”  However they differ from the villagers in they occasionally trade with others.  “The Village” wanted to appear that they had a utopia but it is impossible to live in isolation.  There are also functioning myths in today’s society that manipulate people’s actions, behaviors, and choices.  For example our world today is very materialistic.  People have been programmed that if one wears designer clothes then they must be superior.  When two people go in for a job interview, their appearance should not be a big contributing factor to whom gets the job.  However, it is almost guaranteed that the person who “looks” the part is more likely to receive the job because we have been programmed to value and desire good outer appearance.  “The Village” provides great insights to how functioning myths have control over people even in today’s society. 

"The Story of an Hour" & "The Yellow Wallpaper"

“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin provide interesting insights to life in the 19^th century.  The main themes in both texts revolve around gender roles, power, control, oppression, love, and independence.  Both stories also contain symbolism, metaphors, and irony which add to the overall themes of the texts.   

Main themes in both texts revolve around gender roles in society, power, control, and oppression.  Male domination ruled daily life during this time period in history.  Females were simply seen as house wives and their roles included bearing and raising children, housekeeping, and cooking.  In both stories, the women were under the oppression of their husbands.  In “The Story of an Hour” Mrs. Mallard was dominated by her husband. This becomes evident after Mrs. Mallard receives the news of her husband’s death.  She initially grieves his death but then “She said it over and over under her breath: "free, free, free!"  Mrs. Mallard feels a sense of freedom and relief.  She is now an independent woman.  From this point forward, she will only know joy and happiness.  “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence.”  Although she will grieve her husband’s death, inside she feels joy.  It was “only yesterday she wished that life would be short, now she wishes that life will be long.”  Mrs. Mallard is eager to return to her vivacious spirit that she once knew.  However, she really did love her husband. Mrs. Mallard’s true love for her husband is revealed by the statement “She knew that she would weep again, the kind, tender hands folded in death; the face that had never looked save with love upon her, fixed and gray and dead.”  She clearly loved her husband; however, she was suffocated by his attempts to put her on a golden pedestal.     

In “The Yellow Wallpaper” John’s domination is evident from the beginning.  To carry out the narrator’s treatment, she was not allowed to read, write, or see her newborn baby.  Throughout the story, John constantly patronizes his wife by calling her “a blessed little goose.”  He continues to show his dominance throughout by vetoing her smallest wishes such as her fancy to change bedrooms.  Being a physician of high standing, John believes he knows the best remedy for his wife.  He has instilled in her head that his ideas are the only ones that matter.  The narrator “personally…disagree[s] with their ideas,” but the powerful and authoritative voices of John and her family urge her to remain passive.  She might disagree with her treatment but has no power to change the situation.  She is unable to stand up for herself without seeming unreasonable or disrespectful.  As a result, the only place she can retain some control is in the power of her mind.  John seemingly has control over her physically but also of her mind.  When the narrator says “I sometimes fancy that in my condition if I had less opposition and more society and stimulus—but John says the very worst thing I can do it to think about my condition.”  It is interesting that the narrator interrupts her own thought process and immediately recalls John’s instructions.  This shows how John has internalized his authority within his wife to the point that she hears his voice within her head.  The narrator was not content with being the typical housewife.  Her love of writing and creativity distinguishes her from the idealist picture of woman in the 19^th century.                 

“The Story of an Hour” contains a vast amount of symbolism.  The “Dull stare in her eyes” embodies her true feelings.  She is set in a routine and has become less independent; however, she is looking forward to her new freedom.  The room Mrs. Mallard goes to once she hears the news of her husband is a reflection of her newfound freedom.  The window which she looks through represents the beginning of new opportunities that await her in the years to come now that she is free from the control of her husband. “The delicious breath of rain [that] was in the air” is analogous to the cleansing nature that spring rain brings new life to a dead landscape.  New life has not broken ground yet but will soon sprout, as will Mrs. Mallard’s life.  A new dawn is upon her.  The patches of clouds amongst the blue sky represent the different aspects of her relationship with her husband.  The clouds are the rough spots when she felt a puppet of her husband.  The blue sky peaking through the clouds symbolizes the shift from oppression to the opportunity for renewal and freedom.  At the end of the story when Mrs. Mallard leaves her room, she sees her husband walk through the door, alive and well.  She lets out a piercing scream and then collapses.  “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease – of a joy that kills.”  This is ironic.  Although she was excited about her newfound freedom, her weak heart could not withstand the happy shock of seeing her husband and ultimately resulted in her death. 

The yellow wallpaper is the most significant symbol in Gilman’s story.  The wallpaper is a symbol of female imprisonment within the domestic sphere.  Throughout the story the woman tries to figure out the sub-pattern within the wallpaper.  “The dim shapes get clearer every day” until she eventually unscrambles the pattern.  It resembles a woman “stopping down and creeping” behind the main pattern which looks like the bars of a cage.  The cage represents the woman’s structured life and her feeling of being trapped.  At night the narrator envisions the woman in the wall struggling, shaking the bars in an effort to escape.  The lady trapped in the wallpaper is the narrator, trapped under the control of her family.  As a result, the narrator begins to tear down the wallpaper.  When she finally tears down the wallpaper, she believes she had finally broken out of the ‘wallpaper’ which John has imprisoned her.             

Gilman also uses situational irony in the text.  Situational irony is when a character’s actions have the opposite effect that was intended.  For example, John’s course of treatment backfires.  His wife’s depression gets worse and she is eventually driven insane.  The narrator’s fate development also is ironic.  At the beginning, when she is mildly depressed, she is under the complete control of John.  The narrator only gains power and insight by losing her self-control and sanity at the end of the text.

In conclusion, both texts contain symbols that greatly contribute to the overall themes of the stories.  The main theme of females breaking out from male oppression is clearly evident.  Both stories provide an interesting outlook of life in the 19^th century.         

Trifles by Susan Glaspell

Susan Glaspell’s, one act play, “Trifles” provides an interesting outlook on gender relations and cultural norms during the nineteenth century.  During this male-dominated time period in history, the roles of men and woman in society appear vastly different.  The two sexes are very distinguishable throughout the story in their physicality, their methods of communication, and their power of observations.   In the play the men present themselves as tough, serious detectives in search of evidence to solve the murder case of John Wright.  The men’s tendencies to be aggressive, rough, and egotistical were in large contrast to the woman’s deliberative, intuitive, and sensitive natures.  Glaspell alludes to the fact that woman pay attention to small details, to the “trifles” which helps them solve the murder case. 

From the moment the characters enter the Wright’s house, the men make it unmistakably evident their thoughts on the woman’s role in society.  While in custody Minnie shows concern about her fruit freezing due to the cold weather.  As the women enter the house, Mrs. Hale makes the observation that her fruit did freeze.  The men joke that she should be worrying over greater issues such as the accusation of murder.  Mr. Hale comments “well, women are used to worrying over trifles.”  As the men enter the kitchen they are quick to comment on the disarray of the house.  Making comments such as “Here's a nice mess.”  The county attorney also ensures to make a scene of the dirty towels.  He then says “Not much of a housekeeper, would you say, ladies?”  From early on in the play the woman’s role of a home maker is made evident.  The men view the unclean kitchen as a sign of laziness and neglect on the part of Minnie Wright.  As a result the men quickly pass through the kitchen thinking there is “nothing here but kitchen things,” “nothing that would point to any motive.”  However, as the women enter the kitchen they immediately notice the ruined fruit preservatives, bread that was left out of its box and the half cleaned table top.  It is by making observations such as these that lead the women to uncover the truth behind the murder. 

As the men are busy throughout the play examining the dead body and scanning the surrounding area for evidence and clues, the woman uncover evidence in the kitchen area.  One of their observations involve Minnie’s unfinished quilt.  The beginning of the quilt is sewn meticulously but as they continue to scan the quilt they notice messy and uneven stitching. The quilt is symbolic of Minnie’s life, once orderly and neat and now a now in complete state of confusion. Mrs. Hale speculates why Minnie was so nervous sewing the quilt; however, Mrs. Peters excuses her poor sewing as a result of tiredness.  While examining the quilt the women also contemplate whether Minnie “quilted it” or “knotted it.”  This simple inquiry seems irrelevant.  The Sheriff jokes by saying “they wonder if she was going to quilt it or knot it.” Little did they realize that this minuscule detail would be extremely significant in the trial. 

As the women continue to gather Mrs. Wright’s belongings, Mrs. Peters comes across an empty birdcage in the cupboard.  The door on the birdcage was broken and the hinge pulled apart.  It “looks as if someone must have been rough with it.”  The canary and the birdcage are very representative of Mrs. Wright’s life.  The caged songbird embodies the previous bright and cheerful personality of Minnie Foster before she wed.  Minnie now became the focus of the abuse and degradation from her husband, Mr. Wright, a “hard man”. Minnie attempts to fend off her depression and dreary life by getting a cheerful song bird who she kept cage in a cupboard.  As a result of Mr. Wright’s exasperation with the bird’s singing, it was clearly evident that he had wrung the canary’s neck.  The killing of the canary is directly linked to Mr. Wright’s domination of Minnie and her spirit. 

Between the dead canary and the unfinished quilt, the women’s abilities to deal with the trifles of life allow them to understand the truth behind Mr. Wright’s murder.  Their eyes meet; a look of growing comprehension, of horror. The strangling of the canary’s neck was performed in the same fashion as Mr. Wright’s murder.  Minnie chooses to use strangulation as her method for murder as it is typically a male’s method for killing.  Minnie gains the strength to murder as a male which represents her rebellion against her dominating husband thus asserting her equality.  At the end of the play the county attorney asks the women if they had determined whether Minnie “quilts it” or “knots it.”  Mrs. Peters replies “we think she was going to knot it.”  The knots used for her quilt appear to be the exact knot used to strangle her husband. 

At the end of the play the women have a clear understanding of who murdered Mr. Wright.  However, instead of coming forward they choose to hide the evidence as an act of compassion for Mrs. Wright.  By stealing the box with the dead bird, it is an act of loyalty to the female gender in a male governed society.  The men in the play are still at a loss for a motive and lack evidence to convict Minnie.  “Trifles” are important and valuable.  Women’s thoughts and talents should be considered equal to those of the other gender. Perhaps if the men in the play were to see the women in an equal light, the case of Mr. Wright would see a conviction. In many ways, Glaspell’s “Trifles” reflect certain cultural, gender and power struggles that are still seen even today.

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Beginners by Raymond Carver

The “Beginners” by Raymond Carver offers an interesting insight into his view of the institution of the power of love.   Carver, in his minimalistic approach to literature offers a varied explanation of the elusiveness of love through the perceptions of the four major characters found in the short story.  Although each of the characters attempt to define love their descriptions become more puzzling as the storyline continues.  Each character initially feels that they have a clear concept of love and this helps to create the culture in which they live.  Carver addresses the institution of the power of love and its ideology by revealing these ideas through conversation, action, and symbols. 

At the commencement of the story, four friends sit around a sunlit room having a social drink of gin enjoying each other’s companionship when the conversation turns toward the topic of love.  Herb, a cardiologist, takes the lead in the conversation and tries desperately to depict his ideas of love by saying that love is somewhat spiritual or agape in nature, developing these ideas from his seminary classes.  Ironically being a heart surgeon, most people would assume that he has the most insight to the true functioning of the heart.  However, he proclaims “I’m just a mechanic. I just go in and fix things that go wrong with the body. I’m just a mechanic.”  He sees himself as a glorified mechanic where his association to the inner workings of the heart is purely mechanical and lacks any connection to love and its symbolism.

As the conversation continues it shifts towards the subject of Terri’s ex-lover, Carl.  Terri claims true love with her ex-abusive lover who would do anything to keep her.  “He dragged me around the living room by my ankles, all the while saying, ‘I love you, don’t you see? I love you, you bitch.’” He went on dragging me around the living room, my head knocking on things.”  She feels love is all controlling and all consuming.  Although Herb disagrees with this concept of love, he shares a parallel to Carl with his verbal and mental abuse of Terri portraying a deep seated resentment and anger.  Terri’s response to Herb, “Say what you want to, but I know he loved me.”          

Love is confusing. Herb indicates this quite clearly in his statement, “And the terrible thing, the terrible thing is, but the good thing too, the saving grace, you might say, is that if something happened to one of us tomorrow, I think the other one, the other partner, would mourn for a while, you know, but then the surviving party would go out and love again, have someone else soon enough.”   Herb is uncertain whether it is a great thing loving someone unconditionally one day, like his ex-wife Marjorie, and then wanting to see her die the next day.  He even suggests that Laura could be a possible wife if she and Nick were not together.  Herb’s suicidal tendencies indicate a lack of love for oneself making it difficult to be able to love others. 

The narrator of the story, Nick, provides an interesting link in the plot.  He remains relatively quiet throughout the conversation, only making observations about the changing light and the amount of gin remaining.  When Laura states “Well, Nick and I are in love… Aren’t we, Nick?” Nick responds by “[taking] her hand and [raising] it to my lips with a flourish.” Although he does not vocalize his opinion of love, Carver makes his viewpoint well known through his observations and physical movements.  Throughout the story one of Nick’s main observations is the dwindling sunlight in the room.  At the beginning of the text, the room is bright and it appears the characters have a firm idea of love.  Love is palpable as Nick caresses his wife, Laura.  Nick initially feels that love is absolute and perhaps as the storyline continues he finds that love is much more. 

Carver’s view of the elderly couple from the car accident indicates that they share an eros and storge type of love.  They share a sensual connection as well as a familial bond. Initially, the sunshine pours in the room as they converse which reinforces a philia type of love shown in the friendship between the four people.  Even at the end of the story, this love endures as Laura gently holds Terri as she sobs.  However as the story progresses, the sunlight begins to set and the room gradually darkens as the gin bottle empties.  This reveals how the character’s idea of love grows blurry and confusing.  Gradually, the light diminishes as Nick’s intoxication and confusion crescendos regarding love and its meanings.  He implies that he could ride off into the sunset and leave the critical analysis of love, life and relationships behind.  At the end of the text Carver gives the reader insight to Nick’s ideas of love.  Nick “could feel [his] heart beating” which indicates that he may have a greater understanding than the other characters of the idea of love. 

Carver has given his readers on a very real level a “slice of life” without a firm endpoint.  He leaves you hanging a bit without tidying up his ending.  The reader must put some thought into this illusive idea of love and see through the eyes of these realistic people their views of love. He makes you think of the love in this cultural setting and helps guide you into thought processes to question your beliefs about love.  Their views of love are real and down to earth on so many levels.  Love is so much more.   Carver believes in the institution of love, even though it is confusing, difficult to define, and elusive.  Everyone’s own personal experiences help to create their ideas of love. Thankfully, even though love can be lost, it can also be found over and over again.