I think that this was a very well written short story. In my opinion, the author was able to grab the readers attention with the title alone. When I first saw the title, it grabbed my attention and made me want to read on because there obviously arent dogs that can really talk. So I was definatly interested to see what this piece was all about.
Prose also did a very good job with characterization. She created very distinct characterisitics between all of her characters. With her abilitly to do this, we were able to see how big a change came over the narrators sister once Jimmy dies. In the beginning she seemed to be a laid back, fun person who idolized another person with the same qualities. Once Jimmy dies, we see a drastic change and she goes from driving out onto the lake in a car to not even wanting to get out of bed to answer the phone. I found it intersting that in the middle of the story, the narrator is convinced that her sister has forgotten about Jimmy simply because she got married to someone else. I dont think that this was the case at all. I think that after something that tragic happens, and the grieving is done, you reach a point where you realize that things arent ever going to go back to the way things were, and you have to move on with your life... as hard as it may be. Sometimes there is no use dwelling on what could have been. The narrators sister just moved on with her life. However again because of the characterization that the author created, we were able to see the change in her that occured not only once Jimmy died but also after she got married. Her happy , fun loving side was gone and in its place there was a very serious person, who just kind of went along with things. I think that that in itself should portray how she still at that point was not over the death of Jimmy.
Theres that saying that you always want what you cant have and I think that this idea is what the narrator was portraying in regards to Jimmy. on the last page of the story. It was clear that she had a very big crush on him, but then , she says " For a fraction of a second, i thought that I might still want him. But I didnt want him. I just didnt want her to have him forever. I was shocked to be so jealous when death meant that it could never be fixed. I didnt want it to be that way, but that was how it was." p.512. How selfish is it that she would rather have her sister dead, than see the two of the together.
The narrator was convinced that her sister had forgotton about Jimmy, but after reading the story and seeing the outcome of the situation ... would you agree? Do you think that the love they share for one another is true love??
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
g string
I dont know how unlikely a pair Gillan and Mr. Kip actually are. Personally, I think that there are alot of couples out there today that are just like them. You have a a female who is not too confident in themselves and a male who has money and loves to flaunt it. Usually in realtionships like this the male always is in control and the female kind of just goes along with it, like a puppet because she isnt confident enough to speak up for herself. The woman in Gillians position, go to great lenghts in order to make the man happy, including buy expensive clothes and hoping that they notice it, or doing exactly what they say so they wont make them mad in any way. I also think that alot of middle aged woman today are in the same boat as Gillian because the world that they grew up in is completely different than the more modern one that they have to adapt to today. Alot of the time, they decide that its easier just to stick with their old ways, instead of trying to keep up with the changing times.
I dont know if anyone has seen it, but this story kind of made me think of the movie "The Holiday" starring Kate Winslet. The movie took place in England, so everyone spoke with an English accent and she was kind of out dated from the rest of the world. She is hooked on a guy who constantly plays with her, and only calls when its convient for him or he needs something from her. Kate's character goes online and ends up replying to an offer to swap houses with another woman who lives in LA (very modern), and ends up moving there for a good amount of time. Its obvious once she gets there that these two woman live completely different lives. Kate was used to having living in a little one bedroom bungalo, with no tv or any other modern things, and then she moved to LA where she got to live in a home where there was a remote control for everything in site and a maid to clean up any mess that you might make. She goes from wearing "knickers" to "g-strings" kind of like Gillian and in the end, she puts her foot down with this guy and tells him that the way he has been treating her will not continue to go on. Similar to what happend with Gillian. I think that changing with the times and trying to adapt to the modernized way of living is important as far as womans rights go. If they are stuck in the older way of living, more likely than not they will also have an older mentality. And in this day and age, its so important for woman to speak their minds and stick up for themseleves and not just settle for anything less than they deserve.
Both Gillians and Kate Winslet's character finally learned to be modern woman with modern ideas and a bit more confident than they started out to be. Very important in todays society.
I dont know if anyone has seen it, but this story kind of made me think of the movie "The Holiday" starring Kate Winslet. The movie took place in England, so everyone spoke with an English accent and she was kind of out dated from the rest of the world. She is hooked on a guy who constantly plays with her, and only calls when its convient for him or he needs something from her. Kate's character goes online and ends up replying to an offer to swap houses with another woman who lives in LA (very modern), and ends up moving there for a good amount of time. Its obvious once she gets there that these two woman live completely different lives. Kate was used to having living in a little one bedroom bungalo, with no tv or any other modern things, and then she moved to LA where she got to live in a home where there was a remote control for everything in site and a maid to clean up any mess that you might make. She goes from wearing "knickers" to "g-strings" kind of like Gillian and in the end, she puts her foot down with this guy and tells him that the way he has been treating her will not continue to go on. Similar to what happend with Gillian. I think that changing with the times and trying to adapt to the modernized way of living is important as far as womans rights go. If they are stuck in the older way of living, more likely than not they will also have an older mentality. And in this day and age, its so important for woman to speak their minds and stick up for themseleves and not just settle for anything less than they deserve.
Both Gillians and Kate Winslet's character finally learned to be modern woman with modern ideas and a bit more confident than they started out to be. Very important in todays society.
G-STRING
I thought the story was too short also but, it was quite amusing. Although I do hate reading stories in which the characters have English accents. I was able to relate to Gillian and her dilema's with keeping up with the modern time. I myself feel as though it hard to keep up with everything that changes in the world one a daily basis.
Gillian and Mr Kip to me seem like an unlikely couple. It shows that they are both uncomfprtable with their relationship in different sections of the story. Gillian is uncomfortable with herself and how Mr Kip perceives her to be and Mr kip seems uncomfortable with the way Gillian looks and acts.
The part where Gillian is in the Lingerie shop with her friend trying out clothes sticks in my head for many reasons. This part of the story makes it so realistic to me. As woman we all have our moments when we are out with friends shopping for that special item that is going to make us feel like we are beautiful. Unfortunatly we usually end up with something uncomfortable that makes us look better. The fact that Gillian is pretty much forced into wearing a g-string to make her outfit look more acceptable. She felt uneasy about it the whole time but did it anyways.
Mr Kip seemed very self-centered. He was comparing Katherine Hepburn to Gillian. Making her feel insecure about her appearance. He told her she was frizzy not fizzy like Katherine. When it came time for the to go to the Rotary club he told her not to put her head on the head rest if she had used hairspray. This shows that her comfort level isn't important to him. While they are at the club he compared her to a cone-shaped upstanding white napkins instead of trying to compliment her. He sat at the table with her and drank and smoked, tipped ash on her and didn't introduce her to any of his friends.
While the were on the way home Mr Kip's windshield wiper flew off and ontop the side of the road Mr Kip's fogged up glasses prevented him from seeing much, so he demanded Gillian to help him look. In her new dress went flopping around in the muddy side of the road and found the wiper. When it didn't work he blamed her and Gillian finally took control. She took his tie, her G-string and swiss ary knife and constructed a way to make the wipers function. He then in some effect got "Off" on this and tried to come on to her but, Gillian wasn't having it. She had finally realized she was a modern woman and she wasn't going to be a fool for Colin(Mr Kip) anymore.
I believe that the story should have gone on a bit but, it did get its message accross. I think that if the story was to proceed from that point maybe they would stay in the relationship but, Gillialn would now wear the pants.
Gillian and Mr Kip to me seem like an unlikely couple. It shows that they are both uncomfprtable with their relationship in different sections of the story. Gillian is uncomfortable with herself and how Mr Kip perceives her to be and Mr kip seems uncomfortable with the way Gillian looks and acts.
The part where Gillian is in the Lingerie shop with her friend trying out clothes sticks in my head for many reasons. This part of the story makes it so realistic to me. As woman we all have our moments when we are out with friends shopping for that special item that is going to make us feel like we are beautiful. Unfortunatly we usually end up with something uncomfortable that makes us look better. The fact that Gillian is pretty much forced into wearing a g-string to make her outfit look more acceptable. She felt uneasy about it the whole time but did it anyways.
Mr Kip seemed very self-centered. He was comparing Katherine Hepburn to Gillian. Making her feel insecure about her appearance. He told her she was frizzy not fizzy like Katherine. When it came time for the to go to the Rotary club he told her not to put her head on the head rest if she had used hairspray. This shows that her comfort level isn't important to him. While they are at the club he compared her to a cone-shaped upstanding white napkins instead of trying to compliment her. He sat at the table with her and drank and smoked, tipped ash on her and didn't introduce her to any of his friends.
While the were on the way home Mr Kip's windshield wiper flew off and ontop the side of the road Mr Kip's fogged up glasses prevented him from seeing much, so he demanded Gillian to help him look. In her new dress went flopping around in the muddy side of the road and found the wiper. When it didn't work he blamed her and Gillian finally took control. She took his tie, her G-string and swiss ary knife and constructed a way to make the wipers function. He then in some effect got "Off" on this and tried to come on to her but, Gillian wasn't having it. She had finally realized she was a modern woman and she wasn't going to be a fool for Colin(Mr Kip) anymore.
I believe that the story should have gone on a bit but, it did get its message accross. I think that if the story was to proceed from that point maybe they would stay in the relationship but, Gillialn would now wear the pants.
Monday, November 26, 2007
"G-String"
I like the evolution of the characters throughout the story. I think this story represents the evolution of the place of women in society. Before, women were only supposed to have kids and clean the house, they didn’t have any opportunities to study or work, and they were totally dependent of men. However, nowadays women have the same rights as men, the right to study, work and be independent, although this has not been fully accomplished in some countries.
We could compare the evolution of women in society with the evolution of Gillian in this story. At first, she is presented as a quiet character that lets Mr. Kip control her and bring her down. She doesn’t particularly stand out in her job, working for “a car-hire firm in Grays Thurrock”, whereas Mr. Kip’s insurance business is “small but flourishing”. She is very insecure and has no self-esteem because she is constantly compared to this perfect actress, Katharine Hepburn, who is “skinny and elegant and sparky and intelligent.” Gillian doesn’t like anything about herself; she doesn’t like her frizzy hair or her body, and tries constantly to fit in the “modern woman” stereotype. Also, Mr. Kip’s behavior doesn’t help her. He compares her to “the cone-shaped upstanding white napkins on the fancily made-up tables” when she is wearing her new white dress, and doesn’t introduce her to any of his friends. He even “tips ashes on her” while smoking his cigar.
However, “all of a sudden, wheeewwoing!”, the wipers of the car flew off as the character’s roles dramatically changed. Gillian finally stands out for her dignity. She proves that she can be clever, strong, independent, and that she has the right to be respected. She no longer calls him “Mr. Kip”, but she now calls him “Collin”, and finally, Collin ends up falling for her. As far as I am concerned, I think that the author created an evolution in character and situation which surprises the reader. I think this dramatic change is what makes the story stand out for itself in only 3 pages.
What do you think about the story beginning with a question: “Ever fallen out with somebody simply because they agreed with you?”, how does this question relate to the situation described in the story?
We could compare the evolution of women in society with the evolution of Gillian in this story. At first, she is presented as a quiet character that lets Mr. Kip control her and bring her down. She doesn’t particularly stand out in her job, working for “a car-hire firm in Grays Thurrock”, whereas Mr. Kip’s insurance business is “small but flourishing”. She is very insecure and has no self-esteem because she is constantly compared to this perfect actress, Katharine Hepburn, who is “skinny and elegant and sparky and intelligent.” Gillian doesn’t like anything about herself; she doesn’t like her frizzy hair or her body, and tries constantly to fit in the “modern woman” stereotype. Also, Mr. Kip’s behavior doesn’t help her. He compares her to “the cone-shaped upstanding white napkins on the fancily made-up tables” when she is wearing her new white dress, and doesn’t introduce her to any of his friends. He even “tips ashes on her” while smoking his cigar.
However, “all of a sudden, wheeewwoing!”, the wipers of the car flew off as the character’s roles dramatically changed. Gillian finally stands out for her dignity. She proves that she can be clever, strong, independent, and that she has the right to be respected. She no longer calls him “Mr. Kip”, but she now calls him “Collin”, and finally, Collin ends up falling for her. As far as I am concerned, I think that the author created an evolution in character and situation which surprises the reader. I think this dramatic change is what makes the story stand out for itself in only 3 pages.
What do you think about the story beginning with a question: “Ever fallen out with somebody simply because they agreed with you?”, how does this question relate to the situation described in the story?
Sunday, November 25, 2007
G-String
I think some of the story captured the essence of what men and women are today, but not all. When it comes down to Mr. Kip, I don't think all men think like he does. The men that I know want a woman to be able to support herself if need be and they want them to have a voice because they want to know what they think or at least they want to argue with them. When it comes to Gillian, I think she's insecure about her weight and size and the fact that she's not like Katharine Hepburn. Which, in turn makes Gillian so much more insecure due to Mr. Kip's obssesed affections towards Hepburn.
When Gillian is convinced to buy and wear this G-String, she's at a lost about this new contraption. She's so used to being her old self and being in place where not even Mr. Kip respects her for who she is. Gillian doesn't even respect herself because she's with a guy who is always comparing her to an actress that he'll never meet and if he met her, he wouldn't like her because she's old now. Why would this woman ever stay with a man like that? Like I said before she has no self-respect.
She wears the G-String on a night where Mr. Kip takes her out. It's the same thing all over again. He downs her, makes her feel like she's worthless, but this time she's had enough. She agreed with Mr. Kip in the beginning, thinking that she was worthless. But she doesn't agree with him anymore and now she's the one that's going to get herself out of the situation that Mr. Kip put her in, but also in the situation that she put herself in. She saves herself and Mr. Kip out of the rain, but I also see her saving herself from Mr. Kip. Katharine Hepburn would never do what Gillian did to get out of rain and for that Gillian should be proud of herself.
When Gillian is convinced to buy and wear this G-String, she's at a lost about this new contraption. She's so used to being her old self and being in place where not even Mr. Kip respects her for who she is. Gillian doesn't even respect herself because she's with a guy who is always comparing her to an actress that he'll never meet and if he met her, he wouldn't like her because she's old now. Why would this woman ever stay with a man like that? Like I said before she has no self-respect.
She wears the G-String on a night where Mr. Kip takes her out. It's the same thing all over again. He downs her, makes her feel like she's worthless, but this time she's had enough. She agreed with Mr. Kip in the beginning, thinking that she was worthless. But she doesn't agree with him anymore and now she's the one that's going to get herself out of the situation that Mr. Kip put her in, but also in the situation that she put herself in. She saves herself and Mr. Kip out of the rain, but I also see her saving herself from Mr. Kip. Katharine Hepburn would never do what Gillian did to get out of rain and for that Gillian should be proud of herself.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
G-String
I think the shortness of the story does in fact work. I think it makes a neatly packaged point. Although I must admit I would have liked it to be longer. It could have expressed in more ways how modern women feel.
I really liked the last line, actually. I think the author was trying to portray what modern women actually feel like or have to be like, insecure, strong, clever. In her own way, Gillian displayed a distinguishable set of admireable attributes, she was smart (she was able to figure out a way for the wipers to work when Mr. Kip couldn't), self-assured (getting out of the car and going ito the rain wearing a white dress, something that Miss Hepburn would not have done), clever (using her g-string to fix wipers) in which Mr. Kip seemed proud and maybe a little turned on by and in turn by putting his hand on her thigh gave her a little 'pat on the back.' I think in that moment it reminded him of what real women are like today, and why they should be appreciated.
The attributes of women like Kathrine Hepburn that Mr. Kip seems so in love with (i.e. elegance) doesn't fit in the world we live in today. In that situation Gillian could not be elegant. She had to trudge in the rain and fix the wipers because Mr. Kip couldn't. She had to take off her g-string (not so elegant) and in doing so, it seemed to earn Mr. Kip's respect even if it wasn't something that Kathrine Hepburn would have done. The traditional roles of men and women have changed greatly. If Mr. Kip was more of a man (in the traditional sense, like he wants Gillian to be) maybe Gillian could have been more elegant. I think this story poses a reminder as to why women today should be appreciated. We may or may not be elegant, or proper, or classy but we are definately strong, confident, feisty, sexy, and clever in our own ways. One must just pay attention to detail. This is not to say that men haven't changed in some good ways as well.
Do you think this captured the essence of what men and women are like today?
I really liked the last line, actually. I think the author was trying to portray what modern women actually feel like or have to be like, insecure, strong, clever. In her own way, Gillian displayed a distinguishable set of admireable attributes, she was smart (she was able to figure out a way for the wipers to work when Mr. Kip couldn't), self-assured (getting out of the car and going ito the rain wearing a white dress, something that Miss Hepburn would not have done), clever (using her g-string to fix wipers) in which Mr. Kip seemed proud and maybe a little turned on by and in turn by putting his hand on her thigh gave her a little 'pat on the back.' I think in that moment it reminded him of what real women are like today, and why they should be appreciated.
The attributes of women like Kathrine Hepburn that Mr. Kip seems so in love with (i.e. elegance) doesn't fit in the world we live in today. In that situation Gillian could not be elegant. She had to trudge in the rain and fix the wipers because Mr. Kip couldn't. She had to take off her g-string (not so elegant) and in doing so, it seemed to earn Mr. Kip's respect even if it wasn't something that Kathrine Hepburn would have done. The traditional roles of men and women have changed greatly. If Mr. Kip was more of a man (in the traditional sense, like he wants Gillian to be) maybe Gillian could have been more elegant. I think this story poses a reminder as to why women today should be appreciated. We may or may not be elegant, or proper, or classy but we are definately strong, confident, feisty, sexy, and clever in our own ways. One must just pay attention to detail. This is not to say that men haven't changed in some good ways as well.
Do you think this captured the essence of what men and women are like today?
Friday, November 23, 2007
Nicola Barker Story
Mr. Kip is presented well as a villain. Just the fact that he has a nickname like "Mr. Kip," and that he gave it to himself, tells what kind of a character he is. Twice the author uses the word "deign" in reference to Mr. Kip: when he deigns to drive the Aston Martin (pg. 69) and when he deigns to drive Gillian home (pg. 71). It's a good word to get across his sense of superior character, like he's some kind of nobleman helping a peasant. I like the line that "Mr. Kip told Gillian to get out and look" for the windshield wiper (pg. 71). I just thought it was really funny because he's dead serious about having her get out in the rain and look for something.
I'm not sure that I like the final line of the story, that "she was a truly modern female." It feels like "they all lived happily ever after," like the author is explaining the point of the story. This story kind of reminded me of Raymond Carver's story with its briefness, but Carver ends his story more subtly, with the husband thinking about the shining car when he first bought it. It makes you think and connect that image with the rest of the story, whereas maybe the meaning of this story is made too obvious. But I don't know, because maybe the author wanted it that way. Maybe she was aware that she wasn't leaving any subtlety, and maybe that fits in with what she was trying to do with the story.
Obviously a short story is supposed to be short, but some are longer than others. This was only about three full pages. Does the briefness of this story work?
I'm not sure that I like the final line of the story, that "she was a truly modern female." It feels like "they all lived happily ever after," like the author is explaining the point of the story. This story kind of reminded me of Raymond Carver's story with its briefness, but Carver ends his story more subtly, with the husband thinking about the shining car when he first bought it. It makes you think and connect that image with the rest of the story, whereas maybe the meaning of this story is made too obvious. But I don't know, because maybe the author wanted it that way. Maybe she was aware that she wasn't leaving any subtlety, and maybe that fits in with what she was trying to do with the story.
Obviously a short story is supposed to be short, but some are longer than others. This was only about three full pages. Does the briefness of this story work?
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