Love Me Not Unit- The Story of an Hour

"The Story of an Hour" 

By: Kate Chopin

"The Story of an Hour" follows the love both lost, freed, and gained in what one could suppose, was simply an hour. Following the tale of Mrs. Mallard, Kate Chopin sends the reader upon an emotional adventure. It is in the loss of love that Mrs. Mallard finds freedom and it is through gaining the love once more that she finds the ultimate end. 

In a paradoxical statement, the theme of  love not being fitting for everyone is presented. Such a statement is the ending line of the piece itself which states, "When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease-a joy that kills." The phrase illustrates the belief that happiness sometimes is the sorrow that brings one's death. Seeing her "love" once again after believing she had been freed form its binds led Mrs. Mallard to submit to the controls of death. Rather than lose all joy once again, Mrs. Mallard took death. Additionally, in diagnosing the cause of death as heart disease, the symbolic place association of love, illustrates that having a broken heart can lead to the death of one's happiness. Such heart break came from realizing that her love of her new found freedom was impossible.   Thus, the phrase of "joy that kills" appears self-contradictory, but in fact reveals a truth in that most would rather die happy than to die miserable and false to one's own self. 

Love Me Not Unit- Popular Mechanics

"Popular Mechanics" 

By: Raymond Carver

"But it was getting dark on the inside too." The setting of the short story by Raymond Carver, as illustrated in the short phrase above, establishes the theme and tone of the piece. For, in this simple phrase, the speaker illustrates that not only is there darkness in the outside, but also spreading upon the inside of the house. The darkness that engulfs the setting symbolizes the effluence of fighting on one's emotions. As the young couple fights over both the baby and their marriage, darkness comes to symbolize endings. For example, as the husband and wife leave the room, the husband turns off the light, putting the past (their marriage) into complete darkness. Through this action, the darkness from the outer world begins spreading upon the family. The greatest darkness comes though at the end of the story where the reader is left in the darkness about the details of the final separation and  death of the baby. Although darkness does not completely determine the story's course, it plays a crucial element in guiding the reader through the events. As darkness encompasses the world every night, its engulfing powers encompasses the young couple's love. 

Love Me Not Unit- You're Ugly, Too

"You're Ugly, Too"

By: Lorrie Moore

"'You wan't a second opinion? Ok,' says the doctor. 'You're ugly, too (360).'" This joke, simple yet pertaining to the theme of the novel develops the literary technique of characterization. For, the joke not only characterizes the book itself as based upon humor and irony, but also characterizes the characters. Characterization, thus, is presented as the most fundamental literary technique used throughout the short story.

Through characterization, the reader is able to imagine and understand the individual traits of each character. They are able to see how the relationships form and understand why others are unsuccessful.  The most powerful example of characterization is presented in the costumes chosen by each character for the Halloween party. For example, Evan chose to dress as a "hausfrau," or housemaid, but later comments of regretting this choice. This could illustrate her feelings towards her marriage and fear if she is doing what is best. It also illustrates her new role that she will enter in her relationship with Charlie. Charlie dresses as a fish illustrating that he is the provider and the source of nourishment for the family as he is the one who finances the apartment and living style. Earl, dressed as a naked woman, presents his feelings and "naked" emotions. Just returning to the single life following a divorce, Earl bares the emotions often associated with women of focusing on and wanting to discuss the view and definition of love. Finally, Zoe herself is characterized in her simple and dull costume of a bone. The bone in characterizing her, illustrates her hardness and bare feelings towards love. Despite every opportunity provided to her, Zoe remains hard and avoids love by turning it away and breaking it in others. 

Love Me Not Unit- Getting Out

"Getting Out"

By: Cleopatra Mathis

Throughout the poem by Cleopatra Mathis, literary techniques direct and guide the story. Through imagery, similes, and organization a clear path of storytelling is created. The reader is thus guided on an emotional roller-coaster of love and separation which creates a sense of heart-break both within the characters themselves as well as the reader.   

"That year we hardly slept, waking like inmates who beat the walls (Page 896, Lines 1-2)." This opening phrase of the poem creates a simile that defines the tone of the speaker. In comparing the individuals in the relationship to an "inmates," the speaker immediately creates the imagery of being trapped. Trapped for one's own doing and faults. Thus, the first stanza focuses on fights while not blaming the speaker, but rather seeing it as the speaker and their partner's own conflict in character as some relationships just simply do not work. The poem progresses then, while maintaining this imagery, to the second stanza where hesitation and desire is presented. While it talks of the man trying to leave, but never actually being able to, the conflict of desire for love over happiness  is illustrated. Finally, however, love wins through the giving of happiness to each other as the couple finally parts as there hands and the tie that once linked them becomes broken. 

Love Unit- Lonely Hearts

Lonely Hearts

By: Wendy Cope

Different from the short stories, the poem by Wendy Cope addresses love from the view of loneliness. The narrator approaches love with uncertainty as represented in the questions posed in every stanza. Additionally, the narrator approaches love with ideas and regulations. 

"Can someone make my simple wish come true? Do you live in North London? Is it you? (Page 974)" This refrain, repeated constantly at the end of each stanza in segments, illustrates the central uncertainties and questions of the narrator. Within each stanza is a different detail or quality that the narrator searches for in potential suitors. In the first stanza, the quality is the person's location. In the second, it is their interests. The third and fourth contradict in that the third approaches the detail of differences and the fourth addresses similarities. The fifth stanza suggests final details and finally the sixth addresses communication. As each stanza addresses such different qualities, they are tied together by the core questions of is there someone for them to answer their simple wish and is that person you. Thus, the refrain serves an invaluable purpose of tying together every detail and quality by rooting such in the basic, but fundamental questions of does love exist for the narrator and who is that person. 

In the poem, Lonely Hearts, the narrator connects to the reader through the central theme of questioning the existence and presence of love.  It is through the refrain that the narrator ties this uncertainty felt by many people to that of the message of the poem. From finer qualities of pinpoint details to the central theme of searching for feeling and understanding, Cope creates a poem where repetition leads to change. 

Love Unit- Bright Star

Bright Star

By: John Keats

In the poem, Bright Star, by John Keats, the narrator uses an apostrophe to address the imagery of a star. Through the star, Keats creates symbolism by comparing a star to love. In the end, this symbolism is what illustrates the narrator's true feelings and ideas of love.

The star addressed within the poem characterizes love and acts as a metaphor. Through the star, love's quality of being steadfast is illustrated as stars are fairly constant, taking millions of years to change. Additionally, love is presented as eternal, something that always fills one's heart just as the stars fill the sky. In expanding upon the idea of love as eternal, the star is used to illustrate that the light it puts forth always shines until the end of the world just as love is felt until one's own world dies. Finally, the quality for which the narrator separates love from the symbol of the star is that stars only watch as the earth passes by. In contrast to this characteristic, the narrator suggests that love should not simply be watching from a distance, but action . Action in the sense of giving of one's self and both feeling and expressing emotions. 

By comparing love to a star and addressing the star directly, the narrator presents their belief of love. The narrator states, "And so live ever-or else swoon to death (Page 792)." Thus, the narrator states that one must live their love by loving steadfastly and eternally to avoid death of simply watching as love passes by. 

Love Unit- Eveline

Eveline

By: James Joyce

The short story by James Joyce uses multiple literary techniques such as flashback, dialect, metaphor, and hyperbole. Most influential to the work, however, is the use of metaphors and hyperbole as they illustrate the narrator's true feelings as connected with her past and present experiences and circumstances. Additionally, the hyperbole connects the flashbacks, dialect, and metaphors. 

"Everything changes (Page 218)." This hyperbole reflects the narrator's view that with maturing, people change as well as one's own emotions. Yet, in this phrase, the narrator illustrates that the protagonist is overlooking those things that have served as constants in her life: her surroundings and her family. These constants become crucial to the narrator's decision to leave all constants behind for adventure and change or to stay behind where everything would be the same in a hard, yet not fully undesirable life. The phrase, originally meant to exaggerate the differences in the past and present, later can be reflected upon to illustrate the difference between love for a spouse or love for family. Most importantly though, the hyperbole illustrates the central theme of change. Change as something powerful, adventurous, and promising. Change as moving away from the past in focus on the future.

Love Unit- How I Met My Husband

How I Met My Husband

By: Alice Munro

The story of Edie's path to love is illustrated in the setting established by the theme of the short story. The theme of infatuation's blinding ability and love as a path of a series of steps (events) is established in the setting characteristic of time. By beginning with the story of Edie's first infatuation, the narrator guides the reader to see how this simple event led Edie to ultimate love. 

In the closing section of the story, the narrator states, "I believe in it (letter) coming just like I believed the sun would rise in the morning (Page 145)." In this short phrase, the narrator's hubris is presented as the reader learns that Edie's limiting flaw is her blindness to uncertainty. Edie is blinded by the idea of love that she does not see the true love forming around her. Originally standing at the mailbox in the hopes of receiving the promised letter from Chris Walters, Edie befriends the mailman with an optimistic smile and pleasantry. Through an unpredictable turn of events, this waiting leads Edie to fall in love with the mailman, thus illustrating how one event can be crucial to guiding one to the next. It is by Edie's initial hubris, that she gains her ultimate desire. 

Upon reading the short story written by Alice Munro, I was reminded of the TV series, How I Met Your Mother. Within the series, each episode acts as a short story of how past events and love stories, ultimately led the protagonist to true love. Thus, an episode of the TV series can be compared to the initial story of Edie and how that short segment, in the end, led her to love.