"Motherfucker" by Aimee Bender

     "Motherfucker" by Aimee Bender is about a man who's soul desire is to seduce and have sex with mothers.  Once the seduction and the sex actually happens he never sees them again.  I guess it is the thrill of pursuit that gives this man such a rush.  When I question why he goes after only mothers my best guess is that they represent love, responsibility, and they know what it is like to love unconditionally.  Mothers have a lot more issues than women without children, when mothers meet a man they have to think "Is this man good for me, and more importantly, will he be good for my kids?"  This might make the seduction just a little bit more difficult, having to basically earn the trust of someone who can't just trust every man she meets.  It seems a little cruel to me that he seems so genuine and trustworthy just for sex, for that feeling of desire that he gets when he has sex with a person for the first time.  He teaches an actress mother about containing her desire and condensing it so it becomes stronger and stronger.  Of course once he has sex with her he disappears but he taught her a lesson about owning your desire and this leads to her becoming even a greater actress.

Michael Savage

"Ironhead" Aimee Bender

    "Ironhead" if taken literally is an unbelievable tale of  a man and woman who are cursed with the heads of pumpkins that gave birth to a boy with a head made of an iron.  I actually like to look at the story as a little boy who was born with a serious birth defect.  Not only was this boy totally different from the other kids at his school, his life was mad even more difficult because as kids often do they picked on him for being different.  This story is a sad story that happens in every school in America, if you are different you get picked on.  Sadly this little boy with the head of an iron dies, he really shouldn't have lived much past birth.  I feel old enough to know that being mean to people with disabilities is wrong.  This story would probably benefit children in elementary school to teach them a bit of a morale lesson.

Michael Savage

"Sex Scenes from a Chain Bookstore" Aryn Kyle

     My opinion about Eric Moe is that he is a terrible husband.  His poor wife has a bad body because of the fact that she was a figure skater.  Her skating made it very hard for her to have or enjoy sex.  Instead of standing by his wife and putting his own sexual gratification second he decides to have an affair.  Instead of going to a bar and meeting a stranger to have sex with he makes a stupid decision to have sex with his subordinate Jillian.  She is connected to his family because she gives Eric's daughter flute lessons once a week.  At first (as it usually goes) Jillian and Eric commit to the fact that it is "just sex" with no strings attached.  That little agreement is the starting point for most extra-marital affairs.  Even though I have never done this I know enough people who have and after two people have sex long enough feelings eventually start to creep in and cause big problems.  Eric is strictly thinking with the wrong head because he tells Jillian after each sexual encounter that "this will be the last time," but of course it never is.  Now to the other issue in the story, Aryn Kyle captures what it means to work retail and what it takes to deal with unruly jerks who come in as costumers.  Jillian ends up in a verbal confrontation with an asshole and he actually gets physical when he reaches over the counter and chokes her.  Eric being a man jumps in and beats the hell out of the choker.  I totally think Eric did the right thing and deserves no punishment.  Once a man starts hurting a woman it gives every other man there a "free pass" to beat the hell out of him.

Michael Savage 

Signifying Nothing

     First off I believe that the memory you have about your Dad is true.  If you were 3 or 4 years old I may question it's validity but since you were 9 and the actual description of the scene (and the penis) is so vivid I have to believe it happened.  Since your Dad did something so perverted and bizarre I wonder if there were more instances of abuse that you might have blocked from your memory.  There is absolutely no excuse for that kind of behavior and he actually committed a crime.  I respect the fact that you called your Dad out about it.  The reaction he had was also quite bizarre.  You decided to cut your Dad and by default your Mom out of your life for a year.  My only advice is that you should have told your Mother about the memory so she wasn't left to question why you left.  I hardly believe that your Dad will tell her, therefore furthering the fact that he did it and is embarrassed about it.

Michael Savage

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

B.I. #11 06-96

Dumbass,
      If you want to break up with a girl just be a man about it.  Don't be such a moron and try to turn all the blame on her.  In your interview it appears that you have no backbone.  Your excuse for breaking up is that she always worries about you breaking up with her when you get moody or withdrawn.  Considering the fact that you have broken up with her before when you get withdrawn, makes me believe she had a valid concern.  Why are you trying to be the victim here?  Why can't you just be frank with this girl and not try to run her over and make her feel guilty?  Your statement "Maybe if I loved you a little less or cared about you less I could take it.  But I can't.  So yes, that's what the bags are, I'm leaving."  Are you a fucking idiot?  Do these words that came out of your mouth actually make sense to you?  I love you too much, therefore I'm breaking up with you.  Are you 11 years old?  Were your parents first cousins?  Be a man and place all the blame on yourself (even if it is not all your fault) and leave this girl with a little bit of confidence.  You also said "And don't think this is about something wrong with you."  That statement contradicts everything else you said.  You clearly are trying to confuse this young lady by making her think there is something wrong with her.  If you care about her at all tell her you're an idiot and gracefully leave her the hell alone.

Michael Savage

"Captain's Club" Aryn Kyle

    In "Captain's Club" I believe the author wanted us to feel Tommy's quick maturation caused by a far away trip to the Mediterranean with a boy from his class.  Tommy was forced to grow up and rely on himself during this trip because the boy he went with was not a good friend and they spent much of the vacation separated.  It was also Tommy's first extended absence from his mother, causing homesickness.  As the vacation went along Tommy spent more and more time with Tree an attractive adult woman.  Tommy had such great times with Tree that his emotions got confusing and he ended up misinterpreting Tree's motives towards him and he told her he loved her.
     The character I relate to is Tommy.  I was invited to a lot of trips with my friends out of state when I was a young teenager.  My family was poor so my mother allowed me to go on all these trips so I could experience the country and broaden my horizon.

"Me and Miss Mandible" Donald Barthalme

     Miss Mandible stands out in my mind because I experienced some hardships in my life at ten years old.  I know that a large part of my being remained 10 years old as I grew older.  The main character is in a fantastical place where he was allowed to return to the sixth grade with the mind of a 35 year old.  My memories of sixth grade center around liking girls for the first time, I had no idea what sex was but I knew that some of the girls in my school were attractive.
     The main character is in his thirties and has served in the Army.  I am the same in those respects.  99% of the Army was a big fat waste of my time and talents.  The quote about the Army being a waste of time and the fact that it took him a long time to figure out what a waste it was is totally accurate.  After basic training I realized I had signed up to waste 5 years of my life, and I hated myself for that.
    Miss Mandible is a difficult read because his actual circumstances in class aren't told.  I believe he was in a class of adults but the sexual tension and the long time it had been since he sat in a classroom made him think of sixth grade.

"The Drunkard" by Frank O' Conner

     The point of view used in Frank O' Conner's "The Drunkard" is 1st person.  The story is told through the eyes of a child but also includes reflection from the child as an adult.  The theme of the story is a drunk father who is able to stay sober for long periods of time only to succumb to alcohol periodically.  The son shares great acts of kindness that his father performs during his sober stretches.

     The reflection as an adult about his own childhood is necessary because the child is an unreliable narrator because of his age and also because he is drunk at the time.

     The inciting incident in this story is the death of the father's friend.  After the man's funeral the father figures it is a deserving time to race to the bar and have a drink.  The son accompanies his father to the pub and steals a drink causing him to become greatly intoxicated himself.  The father then has to face an angry public when it becomes obvious that he allowed his son to get drunk.  Seeing the affects of his action the boy actually becomes a lesson to the father and he is compelled to stop drinking.

"The Supper" by Tadeusz Borowski

     Tadeusz Borokowski author of "The Supper" suffered tremendously during his short life, surviving one of the most torturous environments in human history, a Nazi concentration camp.

     Foreshadowing is used in this story as Borowski defines the absolute insanity humans will show when deprived of food.  The concentration camp was used to get free labor from prisoners while starving them to death.  Borowski uses sensory images in the first paragraph, foreshadowing how cold and dark this existence is.  He needed his readers to understand what limits man will cross when faced with hopelessness and starvation, coupled with the will to survive.

     Cannibalism is performed by the Jews when Soviet soldiers are executed, it is a terribly bleak yet appropriate message written by a man who knew this sort of desperation entirely too well.

"The Piano" by Anibal Machado

     "The Piano" by Anibal Machado is written in 3rd person omniscient point of view. 

     Joao is the proud owner of an old piano that he views as almost priceless.  This value is defined because it was passed down to him by his family.  Joao's character is structured to show a passionate man who wants to do the right thing for his daughter, and this means he must get rid of the piano to create room in his small house for his newly married daughter and son in law.

     The conflict in this story is Joao versus himself.  He simply needs to get rid of something he greatly treasures.

     Irony is used heavily because Joao dumps the piano in the ocean because he cannot find anyone that will pay him a fair price for it.  After the piano is gone Joao discovers that his new son in law loves to play the piano and would love to own one.  Another irony is when a buyer for the piano comes soon after it is set in the ocean.

     The piano is used symbolically as a representation of freedom and softness while Joao and his family are living through a war which his son in law is a fighter.

"In the Penal Colony" by Franz Kafka

     "In the Penal Colony" by Franz Kafka is written in 3rd person omniscient point of view.  The main character in the story is the commandant, one of the most sadistic characters I have ever read about.  The Commandant designed a "device" that tortures a person for twelve hours slowly cutting the person in half.  The antagonist in this story is the commandant.  The explorer who is introduced as a witness to this device is expected to give criticism and to state his horror when a prisoner is about to face this torture.  The characters in this story represent different parts of society.

     The imagery surrounding this device is well crafted.  Kafka describes to the reader a device that is so complicated as well as foreign expertly until the reader can actually imagine the device.

    The main conflict for the commandant is that he is a member of an old dying regime and he finds himself on the outs with new leadership.  He doesn't need to use the device but he loves it dearly.  The sickness and the dialogue in this story is amazing to me.

"Thirst" Ivo Andric

     Thirst is written in the 3rd person Omniscient point of view, this P.O.V is used so the audience can see different character's thoughts of the brutality regarding a prisoner being held without food or water. 

     This story is about a powerful leader of an outlaw clan being caught by a commander.  He is suffering from infection and he smells of rotting flesh.  The commander is a dynamic character situated between a loving husband who wants to go home to his wife and a stern leader who kills his enemies without guilt.  The commander's wife feels tremendous sorrow and pity when she hears the outlaw begging a guard outside her bedroom for a simple drink of water.  During the night the wife cannot sleep because of the prisoner but her husband is sleeping soundly.  The wife is a round character.

    Imagery is used in the writing when the narrator describes the awful smell coming from the outlaw's wound.  Imagery is also used when the wife hears the sounds of the outlaw begging for water and the different ways the outlaw tries to get sympathy for his situation.

    Conflict in this story centers around the commander and the outlaw, also the commander and his wife.

"The Other Wife," Colette

This story's point of view is third person omniscient, the narrator moves the audience between multiple character's personalities.  In "The Other Wife" we are moved between two character's thoughts.  Marc, a recently divorced/ recently re-married man and his new wife Alice a submissive and controlled wife.  This point of view gives me the impression that Marc is a bad husband, by referring to Alice as "darling" commenting about her recent weight gain, and ordering for her at the restaurant.

The setting technique Media Res is used to set the reader down in the middle of things.  Following Marc and Alice to a restaurant where Marc's ex-wife happens to be.  His new wife has never seen her so Media Res places the audience into that same instance of not knowing her.

The controlling idea is that Marc has a past, which is an ex-wife that his new wife gets to see while dining.  This meeting sends thoughts through Alice about Marc's ability to keep a marriage together.  Eventually Alice is envious of the ex.  Perhaps because the ex is free from Marc and his snooty arrogant nature.

"The Necklace" Guy de Maupassant

"The Necklace," by Guy de Maupassant is written in third person limited P.O.V., the reader understands the thoughts, feelings, and actions of one character, Mathilde.  As in third person limited the narrator is not the character.  The audience has intimate knowledge of Mathilde

Mathilde has an internal struggle which is that her only worth is "beauty, grace, and charm," she wants money and she wants to be desired by men in upper-classes.  She also thinks she is too good for her husband and deserves better.

The story uses personification while describing the "mean" walls inside Mathilde's house giving a human quality to an object.

The inciting incident in this story is when Loisel tells Mathilde that they are invited to a formal party.  Having nothing to wear immediately makes Mathilde bitter and angry. 

She solves this problem, during the rising action, by buying when she buys a dress with her husband's savings and by borrowing a diamond necklace from Madame Forestier

The climax of this story is when upon returning home the necklace is missing.  The couple lie to Madame Forestier to buy some time, searching endlessly for the necklace, they eventually give up looking and switch the necklace with a new one on credit for thousands of Francs.  This missing necklace takes 10 years to repay and Mathilde is weathered from the hard times.  Finally after ten years she runs into her old friend Madame Forestier.

The Denoument of the story is when Mathilde admits to losing the necklace and replacing it with a costly look-alike.  Madame Forestier is shocked because she explains that the necklace was a imitation worth no more than five hundred Francs. 

The story is written chronologically.

The controlling idea is that material things were all Mathilde cared about and that her desires for riches cost them 10 years of their lives repaying debts and become old and rough.

Lorrie Moore "You're Ugly Too" 1990

Lorrie Moore's "You're Ugly Too" follows a young American History Teacher Zoe Hendricks she is unmarried and feels alienated in the mid-west.  Sexual discrimination issues prompted the college into hiring Zoe.  She is often late for class and through the reading you learn that Zoe sings or tells jokes (often using dark humor) when she feels nervous.  Lorrie Moore is well-known for using this "dark" humor. 

Evan is Zoe's younger sister from Manhattan, she invites Zoe to a Halloween party.  Evan is on the verge of getting engaged and she worries about Zoe's love life.  In the mid-west Zoe goes on a couple of dates.  One of the men even have the nerve to flirt with the other woman while out on a double date.  Zoe doesn't go on many second dates.

Evan invites Earl to the party to introduce to Zoe, he is dressed like a naked lady and he is going through a divorce.  He wants to talk about love out on the balcony with Zoe, but she can't seem to take him seriously.  The story ends  with Zoe pretending to push Earl off the 21st story balcony scaring and appalling him.  Zoe's character is totally developed, she is given the trait of feeling alienated in the mid-west, a trait that Lorrie Moore also has.  She is self-involved and she is true to herself.

"The Best Girlfriend You Never Had" Pam Houston 1999

Wanting something that you can't have is the theme I see throughout this story.  In 1999 the year Pam Houston wrote "The Best Girlfriend You Never Had" I was 19 and I was for the first time on my own trying to decide what I wanted; what I thought I needed.  The story's main character Lucy knows what she wants, she wants her friend Leo.  They hang out watching weddings performed outside Leo's window, they talk of poetry and love. 

The only thing keeping these two apart is the fact that Leo loves Guinevere a woman that doesn't know he exists even though they have met several times.  All of Houston's characters in this story want something; some want love; some want money.  A great part about this story is the small details that lead to people getting what they want, namely a beggar holding a sign saying he wants no money only a smile, this heartfelt sign leads to Lucy given him all her money. 

Lucy is strong in some ways and terribly weak in others.  She stays with Gordon, an incredibly smart and incredibly jealous, through many altercations that a stronger person wouldn't have accepted.

Houston's mother was an actress and demanded her daughter be "thin and perfectly made up." I believe actor's are mostly insecure people pleasers who possess many problems the second the camera gets turned off.  Maybe her mother's lifestyle of acting gave Houston the personality that led her to write many stories about self-reliance and love.  

"Proper Library" Carolyn Ferrell, 1994

Carolyn Ferrell's "Proper Library" is centered around an inner city, the story follows Lorrie, a homosexual teenager trying to survive his peers and his lifestyle.  Lorrie skips class often to be with Rakeem, the boy he secretly lusts for. 

This story Lorrie attempts to help his relatives survive poverty through education.  On page 706 he teaches his brothers "math 4."  Lorrie states "I never hate anybody," and "I keep moving, it's the way I learned keep moving."  This shows the reader that Lorrie has plenty enemies including a white girl that calls him "faggot" on the bus, but he still pushes through life. 

This story has characters that are pulling Lorrie in every direction.  Rakeem wants Lorrie to skip school, his mom wants him to study hard, the street lives of gangs trying to target him as a member or a victim.  Mrs. Gabrini's positive reinforcement in school helps Lorrie keep focus.  He is influenced everywhere he goes.

Carolyn Ferrell wrote this piece capturing many different dimensions of a character's life, complicated many times over because of mixed sexual feelings, trouble in school, and having everything falling around him as he tries to climb out of his life's problems.  Ferrrel felt alienated in her younger years growing up in Brooklyn, her own childhood seeps through in her character's own alienation.  In the scene that shows Rakeem getting out of a beating by threatening a gang by saying "I have Aids," stays consistent with her reputation of using AIDS as subject matter in many if her writings.

John Updike's "Gesturing"

John Updike's "Gesturing" uses third person omniscient point of view.  Updike's story tells the tale of a middle-aged couple that have decided to separate because their marriage has grown "stagnant."  The husband Richard through the narrator is shown to still be in love with his wife Joan, but both Joan and Richard had taken on outside lovers.  The narrator jumps between Richard's thoughts of hurt and also his discovery of happiness when it came to his new found freedom in bachelorhood.  Richard's lover Ruth who also is married to another man gets mad at Richard for having sex with Joan in his new apartment even though she continues to have sex with her husband, Richard does not feel guilty telling Ruth about his sexual encounters with Joan.  This story is written for playboy, written about love affairs with no guilt attached, this story's attempted audience is middle-aged men living in the eighties that find themselves unhappy and fantasizing about sexual liberation in a stagnant life.  It also says something about excessive behaviors of the 1980's questioning "Why have one sexual partner when I could have many?"  Followed closely by the widespread outbreak of AIDS ironically.

Cynthia Ozick's "The Shawl"

In Cynthia Ozick's "The Shawl," the narrator is using the third person omniscient point of view, this point of view is used to jump between the character's thoughts and actions.  Magda is an infant suffering and on the verge of death in a WWII Nazi concentration camp.  In spite of her Mother Rosa's normal desire to not let her child suffer the fact is that she is starving and she cannot produce milk to feed her daughter.  Rosa's other daughter Stella a fourteen year old is jealous of Magda, the narrator uses third person omniscient point of view to show this, "Stella wanted to be wrapped in a shawl, hidden away."  Ozick uses third person point of view professionally, she doesn't overwhelm the reader by "jumping" too much between characters.  This story's narration is absolutely heartbreaking because it displays how each character is suffering individually and also as a family unit, wanting the other to be saved.  Ozick's writing of "The Shawl" is her way to display the struggle of her people, she had to survive her own struggles in America surrounded by anti-Semitic people in her own life.  She does an outstanding job of describing the struggles of her characters to her readers, Ozick's ability to describe thought, worries, smells, torture, despair, and love makes this story extremely painful and powerful.

"Verona: A Young Woman Speaks" Harold Broclkey

In "Verona: A Young Woman Speaks" Harold Broclkey writes of a Christmas time train ride across Europe shared with a little girl and her parents.  They were not a rich family but had saved money and were spoiling themselves during the trip.  The mother a strong woman with potential she may never reach finds herself jealous of the love that her husband has for their daughter, I would define it as unconditional love, the love between a man and his wife however, has many conditions.  The father was a people pleaser as if he was an actor in a play.  The trip was full of shopping and art and meaningful situations so full of love that the girl almost bursts at the seams.  Broclkey sadly did not have this love in his childhood, having his mother die and his dad giving him up for adoption.  I feel Broclkey's message is when you experience true love, recognize it and take it for all it is worth.  People in this life feel love for other's but each case of love is unique.  There is a difference in the love the little girl felt for her mother compared to the love for her father.  Broclkey in his life experienced a passionate love for men as well as women, but I assume love was still present.  I also find it impressive that Broclkey writes in the point-of-view as a little girl, and does a totally convincing job at it.