David Foster Wallace's Everything Is Green

933 Words2 Pages

“How can you say the things you say you feel like when every thing outside is green like it is.” This statement from Mayfly is just one example of the misunderstandings between Mitch and Mayfly. The short story, “Everything is Green” by David Foster Wallace is about a couple having relationship problems. From the point of view of Mitch, we see how he is being emotionally neglected by Mayfly and how he feels he needs to chase his own happiness before it is too late. Mayfly, on the rare occasions she speaks, only expresses her failure to comprehend the situation that they are in. Her inability to articulate her inner thoughts give us little understanding of how she feels about the change Mitch is demanding. Wallace shows how unalike they are …show more content…

As Mayfly is looking out the window, she states that “every thing is green” in response to everything that Mitch has told her. Mitch is confused by this because even though there is a lot of green outside, “every thing is not green.” Mitch goes on to say, “the other trailers are not green, and my card table out with puddles in lines and beer cans and butts floating in the ash trays is not green…” and describing all of these other things he sees outside that are not green. While Mayfly sees the beauty outside, Mitch sees what is dirty and unpleasant. His view of the world is altered by his emotions. Because of the uncertainty and unhappiness that has been plaguing him from his relationship with Mayfly, he ignores the beauty and sees the green as a “mess,” while seeking out what is ugly and out of place. This is different from how Mayfly sees the view of outside. Her perception of things is dependent on her surroundings. Because of this, she reacts to Mitch’s wishes to seek his own happiness by saying “How can you say the things you say you feel like when every thing outside is green like it is.” Mayfly doesn’t understand how the sadness of his words and their situation can be present in the context of beauty. How Mayfly views Mitch does not match what she is surrounded by. So, while Mitch begins to understand Mayfly better towards the end of the story, Mayfly doesn’t seem to be able to comprehend …show more content…

Mayfly is transfixed by the world outside her window. She is amazed by its beauty and allows it to guide her outlook on life. Mitch does not care for what is going on outside. His main reason for looking at the window is to see Mayfly’s reflection in it. When he does look outside, it is in response to Mayfly saying “every thing is green.” When he does this, all he notices are the things that are ugly. Based on how they see the world, Mitch can be described as a pessimist and Mayfly as an optimist. These differences between them seem to be the basis of their relationship problems. Mitch feels as if there is an inequality of give and take between them. He also emphasizes their age difference several times, making it clear how important it is to him. As Mitch begins to understand Mayfly a little more, he is struck by melancholy for his feelings toward her. By the end of the story, it is not clear as to whether their relationship has ended or not and even though Mitch has a better understanding of Mayfly and still has lingering passion for her, Mayfly seems to be unlikely to change or take Mitch’s concerns into consideration. This suggests that their relationship is unlikely to last in the long

Open Document