This was another long story, but I didn't mind reading through it compared to 'Midsummer.' I found the use of flashforwards entertaining. I pictured it like a movie which starts in the present then shows random visions of the future. The flashforwards were really effective since it gave the reader clues on what will happen to Ricky in the years to come. The slow, lazy pace of the story(mostly in the present time) was in contrast with quick glimpses of the future, and that's why I feel that this story had the right balance. I also believe that the title is fit for the story since it gives a perfect impression of being frozen in time.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Midsummer by Manuel Arguilla
This is definitely one of those stories which can fit into two or three pages. I almost fell asleep reading through this because of the very long descriptions. The only thing I liked about this story was the local setting. It really set the mood for the events. When I try to picture the story in my head, all I can think about is a painting, and I think that's what the author was going for. That probably explains the elaborate descriptions. I'm not really a fan of these types of stories, because I found it a bit obvious when the characters met that something will definitely happen between them(since they're the only ones in that place). I cannot stress enough how much of a chore it was to go through this, sorry.
Map Reading by Katharina R. Mendoza
The first thing that came into my mind after reading this was that it was somewhat the opposite of "Hills Like White Elephants." In Hemingway's story, the characters had a colorful lifestyle, and they were pondering whether or not to give this up for something new. Meanwhile in this story, the couple has a boring, monotonous life. The author tries to break the slow routine in their lives and tries to spice it up with change when Brenda discovers a book and finds out that doing something new is actually fun. I must say that I found the story a bit short(I actually browsed through the other selections just to see if there were missing pages), but the message it tried to deliver was clear enough. Presumably, there are two possible scenarios after the story: the couple will start anew or they will end up in conflict.
Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway
Having read "Old Man and the Sea," I expected this story to have the same Hemingway-like elements such as elaborate, symbolic descriptions and dialogue. Like all great writers, Hemingway does not disappoint. I loved the story for its seclusion on the topic of abortion within the paragraphs. Each dialogue gave subtle hints as to what the couple's problem was all about, and it took me a while to figure out. The description of the setting and the comparison of hills to white elephants made me use my imagination a lot, too. I believe that stories that can make the reader ponder on things are the best pieces of literature. The cliffhanger ending really makes one think if the couple would push through with the abortion or not. Based on the clues though, I assume they would.
The Use of Force by William Carlos Williams
I didn't enjoy this story at all. The lack of punctuation marks made the story difficult to read. I had to re-read some lines just to figure out who the speaker was or who was doing what. The characters weren't exactly likeable either. The child was spoiled, and she acted like a brat. She should've seen that the doctor was there to help her, and that nothing good will come out if she resisted. The parents also sugarcoated a lot of things, which didn't help the situation and pissed off the doctor even more. I found the doctor odd, though. It was nice that he wanted to go on with the procedure because he valued the lives of his patients but sadly, his way of doing things was detestable. He allowed his anger to get the best of him and his success was at the expense of a poor, little child.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
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