The first short story i read was Babysitter. This story is about a mother leaving her kids with their nanny to go to an appoinment. As the mother drives to her appointment she is thinking about her kids and her husband. She is wondering if this is the right thing to do. You get that hint that she is going to a hotel room to have an affair with a man. The interesting part is that this man won't tell her his name or much about him. At first she feels like this is the right thing to do. But as they begin to start the misdeads, she realizes that he wants her gone right after they are finished. She feels lost because she was late getting home to her kids and she feels bad for her husband. On her drive back home she brings up that their is a child snatcher on the loose.
I liked this story beause it opens up with a lot of description. " Midday, early spring, sunshine in steel bars flashing on the river, she drove to meet him where he'd summoned her." This opening really draws me in to read more and see where this story was going. I feel as if i were her, Joyce Carol Oates did a great job of making her emotions seem very real. I liked how at the end you weren't quite sure of what happened. The ambiguious ending made you want to read more of her stories and see what was in store.
I actually am really interested in this story and I kind of want to read it now. It sounds really interesting with an ending that leaves much to the imagination, similar to the stories I read by Ray Bradbury. The fact that the child snatcher is brought up so suddenly immediately makes you assume that this man must be it, so I wonder about all the different ways you could play with that idea. I also liked the part about being on the fence about something, then being sure it was the right choice only to realize later that it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. Really good! :-)8
ReplyDeleteThe way you describe the short story made me really want to read it! You did a great job giving enough details for us to really understand what the short story is about. The fact that it has an ambiguous ending makes me think I may become frustrated not knowing what will happen next. However, I am curious about what role the babysitter plays in the story. Is she a minor or a major character? I am also very curious to see why the wife would want to cheat on her husband. You did a great job and I actually want to read the short story so i can find out my questions! Go Rachel!
ReplyDelete-Jolie
I agree with the comments about the ending leaving you wanting to know more. I'm curious to know if I read the story, if I would be pleasantly intrigued that I don't know how it ends or frustrated, like Jolie said. I think it's really interesting that the main character isn't exactly sure if what she's doing is what she wants to be doing. I think this confusion is relatable and could be the cause for many people veer off track in a relationship. I might check out this story... :D
ReplyDeleteRachel,
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good story. I want to read this one, too. Maybe I'll borrow your book and photocopy it. It sounds similar to a short story by Claire Keegan called "Antarctica," though that one ends in a much more terrible way.
Proofread your posts more carefully. You've got some misspellings and other errors.
I really like the idea of the story. It's interesting how people can convince themselves that the worst things to do are okay. Maybe one day, I will read it because it sounds like a good story. Also, it seems you did a good job of summarizing and commenting on it.
ReplyDelete