'I Fell In Love, Or My Hormones Awakened'

Love is a concept that has puzzled humanity for centuries. This attachment of one human being to another, not seen as intensely in other organisms, is something people just cannot wrap their heads around easily. So, in an effort to understand, people write their thoughts down. Stories of love, theories of love, memories of love; they all help us come closer to better knowing this emotional bond. One writer in particular, Sei Shōnagon, explains two types of lovers in her essay "A Lover’s Departure": the good and the bad. Judith Ortiz Cofer and Ernest Hemingway also wrote about love; they wrote stories of lovers in certain situations. Cofer describes her fascination with a boy in "I Fell In Love, Or My Hormones Awakened". Hemingway describes a couple’s vacation in "Cat In the Rain". These stories actually connect with the essay on the topic of love. Characters in these two stories are good models for the lovers

The first one is an example of one who cares more about his belongings than his lover. She describes this man by saying “What careless behavior! 'Hateful' is an understatement.” after he finishes searching her room for his fan before busily leaving. (Shōnagon, 683) This way he acts makes it seem like he cares more about his possessions than his woman. This makes him a bad lover because the other lover is more meaningful than a fan. The other bad lover leaves early to protect his ego. Shōnagon criticizes him by saying “ Does he really think someone may see him at this time of night and criticize him for not being impeccably dressed?” (Shōnagon, 683) He rushes out of her room after making himself look nice, and he leaves early at that. He does this to protect himself, because he cares about his appearance more than his woman, similar to how the first man cared more about his possessions. The way these two appease themselves, rather than loving their partner, makes them bad lovers in Shōnagon’s