Anne Sexton’s “Cinderella”

Anne Sexton’s version of Cinderella is similar to that of the Grimm Brothers’, if one were to disregard the first four stanzas, but is quite distant to that of Walt Disney’s. In comparing it to the Grimm Brothers’ version, I found that there were only a few differences in the two texts. Among them is that the Grimm Brothers were more detailed in their telling of the story; they embellished more on details and there was more depth to it. Apart from this, the Grimm version had more dialogue from the characters, thereby lending us more insight into their nature and personalities. Even though these differences were present, they did not lend much into changing the plot or overall feel of the story. The version by Anne Sexton can basically be said to be an abbreviated account of the Grimm Brothers’ story of Cinderella.

 

On the other hand, when one compares Disney’s version of Cinderella to Anne Sexton’s, a drastic change in the telling of the story can be noticed. In Anne Sexton’s version, Cinderella is granted help and wishes by a white dove, whereas in Disney’s version this dove has been replaced by a fairy godmother. Secondly, Disney changes some events in the story, such as when the ball where the prince dances with Cinderella happens only once instead of the original three times. In addition to this, Disney’s account of the story tones down the gore and bloodshed by choosing not to mention that the sisters of Cinderella mutilated themselves in their attempts to fit their feet into Cinderella’s shoe and by excluding the fate of the two sisters after the prince chooses to marry Cinderella from the story.

 

In her poem, Anne Sexton uses a number of literary devices, but what stands out most is her use of tone that can be observed in the repeating line “that story.” From the way she uses that particular phrase, it comes of as if she is belittling the tale that precedes the line. Another way that the tone can be interpreted is that the narrator looks upon the preceding story with bitterness or envy. This lends a whole new perspective to the story of Cinderella from being a childhood rags-to-riches fairytale to being one that is cliché or looked upon with negative feelings. This use of tone ties in with the importance of the first 4 stanzas. The introductory stanzas were of incredible rags-to-riches scenarios that were very down-to-earth. By placing these stories before the story of Cinderella, the author lumps them together into the same category, and by doing this the author removes the air of enchantment from this childhood fairytale.

 

My discovery of this version of the story of Cinderella has opened my eyes to the fact that Disney has manipulated almost all the fairytales that they produce into movies. However, even with this knowledge I would still say that the version of Cinderella that I like most is Disney’s version. The reason for this is that I feel that there are times when we need something to pull us back to our childhood memories just for the sake of our sanity. The telling of Cinderella by Disney paints a world in which all we have to do is to wish for what we want and believe for us to get our happily ever after, and sometimes we need stories like this to give us hope in our lives.

Mme. Tchernomordik and the Lieutenant

The stories The Chemist’s Wife and Sunstroke both offer interesting protagonists and themes. Each element in the stories is layered with meaning and adds to the character of the protagonists and helps to build the theme of the stories. In The Chemist’s Wife, the protagonist is Mme. Tchernomordik while in Sunstroke it is the unnamed lieutenant. Both protagonists actually share the fate of being unnamed throughout their respective stories, as Mme. Tchernomordik is referred to only in affiliation with her husband, the chemist.

In terms of characterization, motivation, and their view of life, these two characters share some common traits and ideas. The two of them were characterized as being lonely and frustrated at their search for love. In Mme. Tchernomordik’s case, she has already married and yet is not satisfied with what she has. This dissatisfaction is probably the result of her having already fallen out of love with her husband, as is illustrated by the fact that even her caresses could not wake the chemist from his sleep. In the case of the lieutenant, his frustration stems from losing the woman he has fallen so deeply in love with only after a night together, and his inability to contact her due to his lack of information.

This frustration that they both experience is what drives them to act the way they do and perceive the world through lenses of despair. It causes them to do foolish things, such as Mme. Tchernomordik flirting with two men, and saps them of their will to live, which is seen when the lieutenant feels as if he has aged ten years at the end of the story.

Both characters view their lives as hopeless and unlivable if love is not found. Based on what was happening at the story’s beginning, it seems as if Mme. Tchernomordik will continue in her depression while the lieutenant will forever be haunted by the memory of his lost love.

Although they share quite a few things in common, one can see a difference in the two character’s views on love and relationships. From the actions of the chemist’s wife, it seems as if she does not value the love she already has. If she truly did value it, then she would try everything in her power to rekindle the love in their relationship. On the other hand, the lieutenant values the love he has so much that it hurts him when he realizes that he has lost the woman he cares for. The same can be said about their views on relationships. While Mme. Tchernomordik is content to throw her relationship with her husband away, the lieutenant cherishes his relationship with the woman he loves and sought to make it a lasting one.

We now move on to the respective themes of the two stories. The theme of The Chemist’s Wife is loneliness while in Sunstroke it is the idea that too much of anything can harm a person. The idea of loneliness can be found all over The Chemist’s Wife. From the remote setting of the story to the way Mme. Tchernomordik felt, one can truly sense the loneliness felt by the protagonist. Even with her husband, the person she should love the most in the world, Mme. Tchernomordik felt lonely not just physically, but emotionally. In Sunstroke, we can see that love, which is generally thought of as a positive emotion, hurts the lieutenant because he has lost the woman he has fallen in love with. The thought drives him crazy with frustration and helplessness at his situation, which eventually leaves him weary and heartbroken.

The Injury

It was January of the year 2012. Our team was bound on a championship run for the Filipino-Chinese Amateur Basketball League cup. We had a well-rounded team, all the pieces were in place; the coaches, the players. Throughout the year we had practiced with our eyes set on the prize of winning a championship.  We were confident. No one could stop us. The team was the best it had been in a while, and I was their captain.

Two weeks into the league, the unthinkable happened.

I got injured.

I was used to getting sprained in the ankles, I had been playing basketball for 5 years already and it was inevitable that in that time I would not encounter this injury. However, this was a sprain unlike any other I had encountered before. Usually I could walk it off and the ankle would heal in a day or two, but this injury, for lack of a better word, was devastating. I couldn’t straighten the ankle and every movement I made elicited shots of pain from the joint. For a few minutes I was on the ground gasping in pain. I spent the next week and a half in crutches with my ankle bound. Every day I would try to put weight on it, but the joint just couldn’t take it. Even after it could fully support my weight there were still times when the pain would come back to haunt me, it took close to a month for the ankle to completely recover. Needless to say, I missed every game after the injury and our team did not finish as champions.

The worst part about this ordeal was that I was forced to sit on the sidelines, helpless, as I watched the games. Time and time again I suffered through situations where I could have made a difference.

During this period of time I tried to look at the good in things. It was all I could do, much like in the case of Jonathan Iwegbu in Civil Peace. I chose to not dwell on my helpless situation, rather, I focused my energies on the things I could do. I concentrated on things other than basketball. Being unable to attend the practices, I spent more time with my classmates. I got to know them better and I reconnected with them. Aside from this I also had a lot more time for my studies.

In hindsight, having that positive attitude really helped me from plunging into an even deeper hole than I was already in. As Winston Churchill said, “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”

The Reconstruction Work in “Reconstruction Work”

The short story Reconstruction Work by Bruce Rogers presented two sides of reconstruction that happens to a person’s body after they die. The physical side and the psychological side. In reality, they are both forms of covering up. They are both ways to make the deceased person look better than they truly are so that the lasting impression in the minds of those concerned is one that is better than the truth. In a way, it is a last act of kindness to the deceased.

It is to be noted, however, that the physical reconstruction lasts only so long. Once the casket is sealed and lowered into the ground, no one will ever see the body again. For all the beauty that the body is given after death, the effects of this will only be fleeting and temporary. What truly lasts though, is the psychological reconstruction.

Many times we can encounter this kind of reconstruction when people reminisce about the departed. We sometimes leave out facts or tell the stories in a way to highlight the persons better qualities. Often times these are harmless things, for at the core the stories are still true. On the other hand, when the core truths are altered we are now talking about a different matter all together. That is now called lying.

This story highlights the fact that there was a group of people paid to specifically reconstruct the reputation and legacy of Mr. Fordham. A long deceased wealthy man. Their job was to plant seeds of doubt subtly into the minds of future generations to change his name from being known as that of an abusive father into that of a loving and caring one. This was the real reconstruction work in the story.

Being made aware of the existence of this kind of work unsettled me a little. It brought out the fragility of truth while at the same time making me more conscious of my own reputation. How will people remember me when I die? It made me want to live my life better so that when I too depart this world, I won’t be needing a group of people reconstructing my reputation.