Expectations versus Reality in Rich's Living in Sin
Relationships end for a variety of reasons, the most common being that people enter relationships with certain expectations which, when unmet, start and fuel the domino effect which eventually leads to the end of the relationship. How one perceives a relationship is altered by various conditions such as age, experience, and personal background. Differentiating between what is real and what is imagined in a relationship is also tailored by these experiences in life. In her poem "Living In Sin," Adrienne Rich examines how one woman's perceptions of her physical environment, her motive for entering the relationship, and the tone of the relationship are altered when she differentiates between the relationship she expected and the relationship as it actually is.
In her idealistic relationship, the speaker's physical environment is free of daily domestic responsibilities. There is no need to dust or wash the windows because, as she expects in her fantasy life, the studio will "keep itself." There are definitely no leaky or noisy faucets in need of repair. And in the dream relationship, there are no creeping insects, just a "picturesque" mouse found attractive by a cat. In actuality, however, the speaker's physical environment needs cleaning; she battles dust on the furniture and grime on the windows. A noisy, leaky faucet in the studio needs repair. She also spots an insect in the kitchen that acts as the representative from the "village" behind the moldings. Her dream world is infested, probably with roaches.
The narrator's motive in the relationship was initially the romantic desire to live with the man she loves, but eventually her motive is simply to bear the routine and break the now boring nature of the actual relationship. She wanted in the beginning to escape from restrictive religious beliefs and live with her musician boyfriend in his studio. As the title suggests, the narrator believed the relationship was a sinful one. Living with her boyfriend implies a daring departure from behavior normally expected of her, either by herself, her parents, or society. Still, the light of each day reveals just how dull and routine her life has become. The stairs shake each morning at five o'clock with the arrival of the milkman; each day she has to make the bed, dust the furniture, and look out dirty windows while listening to the leaky faucet.
The narrator begins the story by recounting how she speculates there may be something wrong with the mansion they will be living in for three months. According to her the price of rent was way too cheap and she even goes on to describe it as “queer”. However she is quickly laughed at and dismissed by her husband who as she puts it “is practical in the extreme.” As the story continues the reader learns that the narrator is thought to be sick by her husband John yet she is not as convinced as him. According
In Tobias Wolff’s 1985 short story “The Rich Brother,” we are introduced to two brothers. According to Wolf, you cannot even tell that they are brothers because of their physical differences, but as the story goes into more detail we can tell that they are different in every aspect. One of the major differences is that one is wealthy and the other is always in need of financial assistance. The older brother, Pete, is a successful real estate agent while his younger brother, Donald, works as a painter whenever he can. The two brothers are very different in their belief about what is valuable. Pete is a man that has worked hard and values what he has acquired. His brother Donald, on the other hand, values sharing whatever he has. Even if giving everything he has leaves him with nothing.
In contrast, as seen with Dee Ann’s grandmother’s recollections of Dee Ann’s mother, raising her well from her birth results in a very emotional reaction to her death, crying with Dee Ann’s father on the couch (357). By focusing on the needs of her daughter, Dee Ann’s grandmother became emotionally attached to her mother’s well-being, having a connection to the way in which they have lived their life. Likewise, although their relationship was not healthy, Dee Ann’s mother’s addiction to her father’s actions resulted in a dependency that ultimately held their relationship together: “Her momma lived for these routines, she watched till watching killed her (370).” This dependency stems from her father satisfying her mom’s desire for these captivating acts, creating the emotional ties that held the marriage together, at least for some time. In both of these cases, the dependence on the other in the relationship resulted in a reason to maintain it, as their existence is contingent on the other person. In the case of Dee Ann and Chuckie however, their propensity to go out and enjoy themselves on their own suggests a lack of physical dependency on their spouse, weakening the bonds of need by satisfying a desire for company through other means. Chuckie for example, satisfies this desire by going out with friends for a drink, and Dee Ann immerses herself in digital entertainment such as TV or music (362). Their independence results in lacking the emotional attachment necessary to hold their relationship together, destroying the reciprocated love present in healthy
The author of Coffee and Cigarettes seems to have been in a relationship in which she totally bound herself with someone, who did not exactly cheat her, but his chauvinistic, machismo actions prove harmful for her fragile and sensitive psyche. Out of the fear of ending up alone, she got into a relationship, whenever she got a chance and seems to have confused the physical attraction with long term commitment. She is bent upon the desire that her lover should meet her important unmet needs, but due to insufficient understanding, of the opposite sex’s psychology, this desire is not fulfilled. Every time, she steps into a relationship, without having a second thought, she fails to understand that, males easily compartmentalize sex and emotion
Relationships are key to stories, the most interesting stories keep the reader guessing as to what is to happen further on in a relationship. In life relationships are key, that is why solitary confinement is the worst possible punishment to a human being. Every person has different views as to what a good relationship is, in this following essay I will try to put across my views.
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The writer feels that life is something that is valuable, even when people can't move around themselves, or can't do all things for themselves. Life isn't just something that everyone inherits. People were given life for a reason, and whether that reason is to work through a terminal illness or to make it through life without any health problems, nobody should be able to choose their time of death. Someone who fights through a terminal illness dies with more dignity than someone who takes the easy way out does.
Cummings theme of how strong someones love can be appeals to readers minds, because everyone wants that connection with their partner, That undying love for one another. Some people long for a love...
...ng in their relationship, but cannot deny something that her newly awakened sexuality craves. It is her way of rebelling against society and fulfilling many suppressed wants and desires. It leaves her empty, however, as this passion did not come from love.
When Auletes died in 51 BCE, Cleopatra VII and her younger brother, Ptolemy XIII, were to co-rule as requested by Auletes before he died. Although Cleopatra came into power shortly after Auletes’ death, she was only eighteen and Ptolemy XIII was only ten years old. Because of Ptolemy’s age, he required a regent to advise him with political decisions. The regent appointed to work with Ptolemy made Cleopatra very unpopular to the Egyptians because of how he presented her thoughts, ideas and goals. An uprising began in 49 BCE and forced Cleopatra to flee to Alexandria where she befriended Julius Caesar. By gaining Caesar’s trust, she also began to regain power in Egypt. Cleopatra and Caesar arranged for Ptolemy XIII and his regent to be killed in order for Cleopatra to become the sole ruler of Egypt. Following her suicide, Cleopatra became known as the “Last Queen of Egypt.” In the years since her death, historians an...
Upon moving in to her home she is captivated, enthralled with the luscious garden, stunning greenhouse and well crafted colonial estate. This was a place she fantasized about, qualifying it as a home in which she seemed comfortable and free. These thoughts don’t last for long, however, when she is prescribed bed rest. She begins to think that the wallpaper, or someone in the wallpaper is watching her making her feel crazy. She finally abandons her positivity towards what now can be considered her husband’s home, and only labels negative features of the home. For example, the narrator rants about the wallpaper being, “the strangest yellow…wallpaper! It makes me think of… foul, bad yellow things” (Gilman). One can only imagine the mental torture that the narrator is experiencing, staring at the lifeless, repulsive yellow hue of ripping
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Richard Parker- Richard Parker is a real tiger that was on the ship to America and swam to the lifeboat to stay alive. He was tamed and was in a zoo so he knows how to act to Pi’s dominance. Richard Parker helps Pi gain confidence when facing other dangers because he already faced the tiger. Richard Parker represents the more animalistic part of Pi, the part that does the things that he would not usually do. For instance, giving up on his vegetarianism and eating fish and birds to stay alive. Richard Parker gave Pi something to do and think about and is what kept him from giving up while on the lifeboat.
Family and romantic relationships are the most common relationships we encounter in our society. Whether it’s a family relationship, a friendship or a romantic relationship, good relationships are very important and can have a dramatic effect on the lives of the people involved. Relationships we make with other people will be a part of us forever, it is important that the ones we do make are good and lasting. Yet it’s not always sunshine and butterflies. Some relationships can cause a lot of pain and disappointment.