Short Story Reflection
In this course, I have encountered several short stories. Some of them were amusing and enjoyable while others were less interesting. The story that I found very interesting is The Girls in Their Summer Dresses by Irwin Shaw. This paper explores why I was fascinated by this short story and the extent to which it has influenced my personal character.
I found Irwin Shaw’s The Girls in their Summer Dresses interesting for various reasons. To begin, I think that this short story uses characters that one resonates with. Michael and Frances plan to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Shaw, 1939). However, their plans are delayed when Frances catches Michael looking at women walking along the streets. Michael’s conduct raises a relatively serious conflict as Frances thinks that the behavior of her husband suggests that he is less interested in her and may end up cheating on her. On the contrary, Michael argues that he is very committed to his wife and is only entertaining his eyes by looking at other women (Shaw, 1939). Although Michael’s explanation seems flimsy and unwise, I resonate with his situation. There are many situations in my life where I have found myself admiring other people’s cars, partners, laptops, or smart phones not because I am not satisfied with what I have. Instead, I believe that human beings are naturally curious. Additionally, I enjoyed reading Shaw’s Girls in Their Summer Dresses because of the way it depicts two characters who have opposing traits. On one hand, Michael is very self-aware and loving towards his wife. Frances, on the other hand, is insecure. Despite their relatively contrasting characters, Frances and Michael complement each other.
In this short story, the character I found interesting is Michael. When he is caught looking at other women, he could have decided to lie and even blame his wife of being jealous and insecure. Instead, he admits that he enjoys looking at other women but he does not intend to sleep with them. I find Michael interesting because he admits to his weakness regardless of the implication his statements may have on him, his wife, and their family (Shaw, 1939). Frances could have resolved to leave Michael after latter’s strange admission. However, she chooses to stick with her husband. From Michael’s conduct, I have realized that it is almost impossible for me to view the world from an outsider’s point of view. As a thinker, I am part of the world I am criticizing. As such, Shaw’s The Girls in Their Summer Dresses taught me an important lesson that I will seek to apply in every aspect of my life. In this story, Michael is self-aware of his weakness but does not intend to act on any instinct he may have regarding other women. In my life, I may feel that other people have better cars, jobs, laptops, or clothes than me. This is a normal feeling, and it does not make me a bad person. What would make me a bad person is if I decide to act on my feelings towards other people’s properties, jobs and partners, for instance, by choosing to engage in an affair, steal, or change careers for no good reason.
On the other hand, the short story I found less interesting, and which I suggest that it be dropped in the coming semesters, is Eveline by James Joyce. This short story is about a young woman who wants to leave her abusive father, who she lives with, and elope with her lover, Frank, to Buenos Aires (Joyce, n. d.). I did not find this short story interesting since there is nothing about it that I could resonate with. Besides, the theme of this works of literature is not clear in addition to the short story having dull characters. For instance, the only character that I think is fully developed in this short story Eveline’s father, who is depicted as a drunkard and abusive. Just like the life of Eveline, the story Eveline by James Joyce is dull and uninspiring to a person of my generation.
In conclusion, I had a lot of fun throughout this semester, especially because I enjoy reading short stories as a result of their brevity and fewer characters. I found The Girls in Their Summer Dress very interesting to the point that I read it several times because I resonated very much with its theme and characters. On the contrary, I found the story Eveline very dull and uninspiring, and that is why I am suggesting that it be dropped in the coming semesters.