Post by Alexis Iguina on Dec 9, 2015 23:07:16 GMT
For the protagonist I think the relationship is suffocating. The thing that is "strangling" him is his wife's "cage mentality." It seems that every time he goes away, whether to buy her food or to work, when he returns they would scuffle back and forth, almost as if to try to make the other feel more guilty. For example, when he went to the kitchen to cook her food (chicken innards) he made a remark calling her a weird animal, eventually comparing her liking of animal innards to the cold-bloodedness of animals. To which she said "You're the one who's so cold and intellectual, so cold-blooded, thinking all the time about ways of getting away from me (p.114)." This shows that she get's really restless when he leaves her side even if he is in the same house. Which in turn doesn't give him the freedom to go anywhere. It also reveals that he can't say just anything even if it is a joke because she is very sensitive to it. Furthermore, the author mentions that these types of responses would hurt and completely unbalance him.
For the wife I think the relationship is tense. Even though he does his best to make her feel better, the husband doesn't understand his wife feelings. In the same situation mentioned above, the husband countered his wife's response by saying "The truth is that, well I do object to sitting here with you. Tuberculosis is hardly a thing to rejoice over, is it?" This demonstrates how he can be insensitive he can be. Instead of handling the situation with delicate care his matter-of-fact response reveals his own cold-bloodedness. Although the nagging of his wife puts a strain on him, his obvious unhappiness with her illness creates a tense environment for the two. Additionally, when he talked about walking in Munich in the rain his wife said she would like to go. She even started wiggling around. I think her moving around is important because in this instance she is not allowing the physical constraints of the illness to overpower her. Yet, the protagonist replied, " You've been ordered absolute rest and quiet." For me this very response shows that his rational ways alienates her and makes her feel like her sickness is who she is. Who knows, maybe going outside would make her feel better and lighten up the tense atmosphere.
Although, the sickness has taken a tole on their relationship, I believe they love each other. Towards the end, when the husband realizes that she will die soon, he brings her sweet peas he found while walking on the beach. He offered it to her saying spring has finally come. Although at this point in her sickness she can't go out, he brought the outside to her. And it was a plant from a season that usually represents life since flowers flourish during that time. He also cried a few times. I think her apologizing to him about causing pain shows that she loves him. She says that her words when arguing are not from her but from her sickness.
Question: I felt like the sea is an important symbol in this story. What do you think it represents?
For the wife I think the relationship is tense. Even though he does his best to make her feel better, the husband doesn't understand his wife feelings. In the same situation mentioned above, the husband countered his wife's response by saying "The truth is that, well I do object to sitting here with you. Tuberculosis is hardly a thing to rejoice over, is it?" This demonstrates how he can be insensitive he can be. Instead of handling the situation with delicate care his matter-of-fact response reveals his own cold-bloodedness. Although the nagging of his wife puts a strain on him, his obvious unhappiness with her illness creates a tense environment for the two. Additionally, when he talked about walking in Munich in the rain his wife said she would like to go. She even started wiggling around. I think her moving around is important because in this instance she is not allowing the physical constraints of the illness to overpower her. Yet, the protagonist replied, " You've been ordered absolute rest and quiet." For me this very response shows that his rational ways alienates her and makes her feel like her sickness is who she is. Who knows, maybe going outside would make her feel better and lighten up the tense atmosphere.
Although, the sickness has taken a tole on their relationship, I believe they love each other. Towards the end, when the husband realizes that she will die soon, he brings her sweet peas he found while walking on the beach. He offered it to her saying spring has finally come. Although at this point in her sickness she can't go out, he brought the outside to her. And it was a plant from a season that usually represents life since flowers flourish during that time. He also cried a few times. I think her apologizing to him about causing pain shows that she loves him. She says that her words when arguing are not from her but from her sickness.
Question: I felt like the sea is an important symbol in this story. What do you think it represents?