Chopin vs. Hemingway vs. Kafka.
Bleh... as much as I hated Old Man and The Sea to the extent of not going beyond the first chapter.... Hemingway here gets my vote for best short-story writer... of all the three I'm studying for my Critical App paper. I quite liked Chopin's
Story of an Hour at first, but after spending hours mugging on Charlotte Perkins Gilman's insane nonsense, I think Chopin's attempts are a little ... little lacking. Don't you see the similarities??? Both oppressed women! Both have dominating ego-bursting idiots for husbands and both are a little mad. Have you ever heard of somebody dying of happiness??? Bleh.... So what if she had a weak heart?? Double bleh... (I better get rid of this blehing weakness....) Bleh bleh bleh...these feminist advocates are horrible, horrible representatives of women - they do nothing but lament about unhappy marriages and oppressed women who have no guts and prefer to kow-tow to their husbands. Why can't they write stories which are less depressing? Fiction is about creating fantasies sometimes, not always depicting real life!! When I read I'm looking for common experiences, but more importantly I WANT TO RELAX, ENJOY!!! Not be stunned out of my wits about what awaits me in the future (If my husband is a Mr Mallard or John, I'd leave them immediately). Write lah - about a woman who is successful, independant and more importantly, not oppressed by men!!!
At least every story in my list is tonnes better than
The Bucket Rider. Now that's what you call sheer nonsense. Theme: hardships of poverty? Isn't that like sooooooooo lame? What's the point? When you die nobody cares because you are poor? Okay, fine. Let's say I like the theme. I sure hate the plot. What riding the bucket? What clang what hoot? I don't think Kafka did a very good job in his first person narration either.
So
Hills Like White Elephants wins. Hands down!!! My interpretation of the woman is - she is totally brave, the epitome of the modern women. Please applaud Mr Hemingway for ... modelling, at last, an independant woman who makes up her own decisions and well even thought she goes with the man in the end, its entirely her own decision. For love, ah love... is great!! I don't really think her decision was affected by her lover. Aborting her child for the sake of the man - she loves him that's why!! Chopin's heroine does not love the man!! And the man, well, the man he can go to hell.
The above post is entirely my own opinion. I will not welcome sticks, stones or words. Bllllllleeeeeeeeeeeehhhhh
