Michael Oppenheimer The Paring Knife

Born in Berkeley, California, Michael Oppenheimer published the short story, “The Paring Knife”. A paring knife is small, sharp, and ideal for peeling or carving. It is also lightweight and comfortable. The couple in this story face hardships in their relationship. The narrator points out, “While I cleaned the kitchen floor, I remembered something that happened four years before that explained how the knife had gotten under the refrigerator” (Oppenheimer 188). Was the paring knife used during the fallout between the couple? The narrator utilizes a small knife in “The Paring Knife” to symbolize an incision in their relationship. Within the incision, there is blood as well as a cure. (Meyer 188)
To start off in “The Paring Knife”, the couple’s dinner leads to the penetration from a knife. The atmosphere in their home gives a clear vision of comfort and trust. The narrator comments, “We had eaten a large dinner and had drunk many glasses of wine” (Oppenheimer 188). Dinner between two people in love is sentimental. It is the sharing of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level. This moment shows they share a strong bond. It is similar to breaking bread as it brings the couple together as one. There is love and happiness in the air,

yet soon there is tension. The tension is thick like bread; the knife can easily cut through it. The storyteller states, “ We thought we would make love, but something happened and we had an argument while making love” (Oppenheimer 188).
The narrator gives insight about the disagreement with the woman he or she loves, but leaves out the specific details about what caused the tension. The battle of minds causes the paring knife to officially slice open the wound. Secondly, the commotion between the couple in “The Paring Knife” illustrates blood from a cut. The hemorrhage starts when the narrator admits, “I said some very hurtful things to the woman I love. She kicked at me in bed and I got out and went into the kitchen” (Oppenheimer 188). An intoxicated woman is dangerous when hurt. Depending on how much a couple drinks, determines how big a fight turns out. The relator does not give any evidence about what he or she says to their woman during the argument.
The possible cause of the conflict can be an affair, hate, or maybe betrayal.

Although the reason is abundantly unclear, the couple is slowly peeling apart. The narrator’s anger is uncontrollable as he or she admits, “I became incensed”(Oppenheimer 188). As blood does from a deep cut, the relator’s anger is gushing out relentlessly. An unruly fight between the narrator and the dishes is caused by their anger. The imagery in this scene is gloomy and frigid. In order for the picture perfect couple to redeem their relationship, the wound needs stitches. Lastly, by placing the knife back under the refrigerator in “The Paring Knife”, implies to the couple’s healing

cycle.
The narrator writes, “ I was about to ask the woman I love if she remembered that incident when she came in from the next room and without saying a word, picked up the knife from the table and slid it back under the refrigerator” (Oppenheimer189). The actions of the woman symbolizes there is no reason to sweat the small things in life. By throwing the knife back under the refrigerator tells the narrator that the woman has moved on and does not want to discuss the long forgotten events. Whatever led them to the dispute, the couple is able to forgive but never forget. Even though there was an incision, it was not big enough to tear them apart. The knife was small as well as the issue in the argument.
The couple is mature enough to leave the past in the past and restore what was broken. However, the narrator claims, “Nothing much was broken, but the floor was very messy” (Oppenheimer 188). Although this quote refers to the mess of the dishes, it is very well relatable to the couple’s relationship. A mess is nothing comparable to being broke. Once something is broke, it is hard to put the pieces back in place. Also, fighting is the key ingredient to love. A couple that fights together stays together. It shows the couple has the power to survive. In addition, many years ago highlights the couple’s ability to throw the small things under the table and stay together through thick and thin.
In literature, a symbol is a person, object, or event that suggests more than its actual meaning. In “The Paring Knife”, Michael Oppenheimer uses a small knife to relate to the couple’s feud. A relationship has plenty of setbacks. How the couple handles those setbacks, either makes or breaks the relationship. The many possible reasons why the couple had an argument while making love are still unclear. Furthermore, the essence of the title emphasizes the ups and downs of relationships. Some relationships are torn apart due to a knife wound to the heart or back. Other relationships, as Oppenheimer illustrates in this short story, the couple redeems their love by sticking the knife back under the refrigerator.