Neither man turns his head toward me.
This line struck me because obviously they are discussing her body, but neither of them consider her opinion or even acknowledge her presence.
3 Matching Annotations
- Sep 2020
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granta.com granta.com
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I am beautiful. I have a pretty mouth. I have a breast that heaves out of my dresses in a way that seems innocent and perverse all at the same time.
This line is written from a female's perspective, but it is very clear that it is influenced by how men see her, or how she believes/wants men to see her. I think that this line is one of the first things that alerts me to the theme of this story.
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(If you read this story out loud, please use the following voices: Me: as a child, high-pitched, forgettable; as a woman, the same. The boy who will grow into a man, and be my spouse: robust with his own good fortune. My father: Like your father, or the man you wish was your father. My son: as a small child, gentle, rounded with the faintest of lisps; as a man, like my husband. All other women: interchangeable with my own.)
The narrator instantly creates a distinction between the women and men in this story, making the women out to be meek, replaceable, and unimportant while making the men out to be strong and noticeable. I think that this sets the tone for the rest of the story and how the male and female characters are treated throughout.
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