I though Jerome Stern's "An Anthology of Really Short Stories" was an interesting collection. All but one of the stories had characters from Mexico, trying to adjust to life in America. The first story, "Wrong Channel," was the one I enjoyed the most. The main chracter, Barbarita, and her translator Mima are going to the doctors so she can be approved for her green card. However, the words don't fall into place, leading to confusion and a new problem for Barbarita. In the next story, Mockingbord, Peter has just returned from Mexico. He and his wife are talking when she realizes they are not in the same place in life. Despite this, he is able to make her laugh and all is well in the world again. The third story, Land's End, takes place on a foreign beach. The main character has left Kansas for Mexico, a place she can not call her own. She feels tremendously isolated in the foreign land. The final story, Waiting, is the only one that does not appear to take place in Mexico. This one is about a subsitute teacher waiting for her big break in life to find a better job. She wants to be in a better place in life and is still waiting for something more. Though the majority of the stories actually have the same setting, they are all very different from each other. Their unifying factor is they are all considering their metaphorical places in life, looking for a home or just something more, which I found interesting.
James Joyce's story, Encounter, was vastly different from Stern's collection. In this story, a group of young boys from Ireland is constantly reading and dreaming about the Wild West, the place they most desire to be. They read books about the culture on their own time and provide an escape for the children. The characters within the text hold the lives they want to lead. However, when the main characters try to capture a bit of this adventure in their own lives, they run into a strange older man who frightened and questioned the boys immensely. This part of the story really had me worried for their safety. It brought to mind the saying "in the wrong place at the wrong time," as if the boys had gone to school, they never would have found themselves in that situation. It definitely captured the reader's attention though; I was curious to read more of the story after seeing this chapter; I wanted to know where the boys would end up next.
James Joyce's story, Encounter, was vastly different from Stern's collection. In this story, a group of young boys from Ireland is constantly reading and dreaming about the Wild West, the place they most desire to be. They read books about the culture on their own time and provide an escape for the children. The characters within the text hold the lives they want to lead. However, when the main characters try to capture a bit of this adventure in their own lives, they run into a strange older man who frightened and questioned the boys immensely. This part of the story really had me worried for their safety. It brought to mind the saying "in the wrong place at the wrong time," as if the boys had gone to school, they never would have found themselves in that situation. It definitely captured the reader's attention though; I was curious to read more of the story after seeing this chapter; I wanted to know where the boys would end up next.
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