CR Readings/Historical Choice

Trifles
This story is interesting because it focuses in such detail on a short amount of time. This is a play, but small points are brought into our attention. The first important point is that Mrs. Wright has become terribly frazzled. She is blankly rocking back and forth and is speaking very little. The question that is discussed in this story is who killed Mr. Wright. The women did not have a good opinion of the couple in general. They both spoke worse of Mr. Wright though. The story takes place in an earlier time period. We know this because the women are allowed to walk into the crime scene with their husbands and pick through the house. The procedure they follow is informal and possibly not as precise as the procedure that is in place today. Also, word choice, such as queer, shows the time period difference. The title itself is a play on words. There are two significant definitions of trifle: an article of little importance and a circumstance of importance. The clothing that the women were focused on was very trivial in that it did not matter much to the case. The actual finding of the bird was extremely trivial in the case because it added a huge level of evidence.

Anorexic
This story was told from the point of view of a girl battling anorexia. She feels that her skin does not fit well with her body and with who she wants to be. She feels that her body is evil. The line, "Yes I am torching her curves..." is interesting because the narrator refers to herself in the third person point of view. The only way to deal with her pain was to punish her body by starvation. The narrator continues to refer to her body as another being and is angry with it. The narrator then refers to a man. Is she referring to a possible boyfriend? He may have caused the intense agony the narrator feels. Also, the narrator may be referring to her sense of comfort in a masculine tone. It is sad that the underlying thought is that if only I was a little bit thinner I would be more approved. It is interesting that the narrator clumps the words angular with holy. She thinks of being thin in the same idea as being holy and good.

Diving into the Wreck
This poem is a metaphor for life. The diver is putting on his gear to go into the depths of the sea to search through a ship wreck. The diver is alone. When we personally have to deal with an issue, we must face it alone. The narrator discusses a ladder in the poem. The ladder is the main bridge between the open depths of the sea and the reality on land. The person is on this journey alone. He is alone to face his own issues and to resolve what has been hidden away. Damage to certain things can leave a lasting impression on people.

Choice for Paper: A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings (pg. 183-187)
The author of this story is Hispanic, and I do know a little about the Hispanic culture. The names in the story are Spanish. The historical context of this story is a superstition that is based on culture. I am not familiar with the custom, but I am familiar with the festivals and traditions of the Hispanic culture. Some cultural clues in the story are that the villagers do not fear the angel. Instead, they welcome him as an unusual addition. There is also mention of miracles throughout the story, which plays a large part in cultural beliefs. I would like to get other information on similar superstitions and beliefs in the culture. Also, I would like to relate this information to any historical information that might be relevant. For keywords I would use Spanish angels, enormous wings, angel impersonators, angel superstitions, carnivals, and the angel of death.