Mareke’s Comments (group member since Oct 02, 2015)

Mareke’s comments from the Forms of Literature (Keating's Goodreads Discussion forum) group.

Eunice wrote: "In “Everyday Use” and "I Stand Here Ironing," both are told by the prospective of the mothers. “Everyday Use,” the mother focuses on Maggie's and Dee’s well being, while the mother family values in..."

I agree, it does seem that the mother in, "Everyday Use," is more connected with her children than the mother in, "I Stand Here Ironing".

Wendy wrote: "In the stories “Everyday Use” and “I Stand Here Ironing” are narratives stories told by the mother and pointing out general ideas of the family, but in two different perspectives. Both stories have..."

I agree with your point of view, it is also very true that fighting within siblings does enhance bonding between them.

In the two stories,"I Stand Here Ironing," &, "Everyday Use," both are based on family values & the children growing up. Both stories are written in the view of the mother, & show each child as they are. Both stories demonstrate the importance of family, especially in times of need. In, "I Stand Here Ironing," the mother expresses how difficult it is to raise Emily when there is so much neglect that she can't control. In, "Everyday Use," the mother has to deal with the sad truth that her daughter Dee, or Wangero, does not want the family artifacts to keep the family heritage up & going. Both of these stories talk about a hardship going on, although both mothers feel greatly in trying to fix the problem.

Perla wrote: "One of the main symbols in The Horse Dealer’s Daughter is the way Mabel wanted to die. If we understand the main problem has how she had no way out of the situation. Her family had lost everything ..."
The doctor does seem to provide a good outlook for Mabel, during her time of depression & loneliness after her father's death. Mabel may have also been quick to ask if he loves her for this specific reason: to escape depression.

Jennifer wrote: "In “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter,” the father’s occupation of a horse dealer symbolically grows animal characteristics within his children, Mabel, Joe, Fred Henry, and Malcolm. The oldest sibling, J..."
I agree, the animalistic descriptions of the children portray how they would appear in both the human & animal population.

In, "The Horse Dealers Daughter," each of the children, Mabel, Joe, Fred Henry & Malcom Pervin, represent an animal. The eldest son, Joe, is most like the horses in the barn, "massive, slumbrous strength, and.. stupidity". The next oldest son, Fred Henry, is more relaxed & has a better composure about himself. He is compared with, "an [animal] which controls" rather than letting himself be influenced by others. The youngest son, Malcom, is described as having a, "fresh, jaunty museau," a French word for snout. Lastly, the sister Mabel, is constantly teased by her brothers about her looks. They say she has the face of a, "bull-dog". Each of these animalistic symbols show how each of them plays a role in society. Just as we humans have our own cities & roles, so do animals in their habitats. The horse is strong, but mindless, doing the work for others with no ill intentions. The animal in control would be like the alpha wolf in charge of its pack. The animal with the jaunty snout would be the pup in the wolf pack. The bull-dog would be the lazy one, staying in the shadows and barking only when needed.

Krebs is a frat boy at the Methodist college in Kansas before joining the military. We expect him to be like the normal frat boys as that is the generic thought. For example, he may be outgoing, & wild-ish. Once Krebs returns home from the war, two years after everyone else, he is quiet, not motivated, & more about the easy life. His parents try to encourage him to get out & find a girlfriend by allowing him to use his father's car at nights. But this is not what Krebs wants. He can't be bothered with the thought of trying to work into a relationship with a girl. He would much rather keep,"his life from being complicated ". I believe Krebs has seen all he has wanted to see of the crazy life & would rather have things easy from now on & enjoy the luxuries of living in an area that is not filled with war as the areas he has seen during his time in the military.

In, "A Jury of Her Peers," isolation is prominent throughout the story. The feel of isolation is what creates a feel of what may soon be coming for the reader to read. During Martha Hale's conversation with Mrs. Peters she looks out onto a forest of, "lonesome looking trees". Loneliness & isolation is portrayed through the appearance of the outside world as well as the feel of the air inside the house. Later Mrs. Hale admits that she feels she, "let [Mrs. Wright] die for lack of life," as though Mrs. Wright was like the canary, full of life when able to sing for others, but it is neglect & abuse that silenced it.

While evaluating Emily's character, I would focus on demeanor. The way she acts or displays herself in different settings displays what time of a character she is. Emily is rounded when it comes to comical lines or anything to make her joyful. Most of the time though, she is flat, displaying very little to the reader.