SSRJ #2: Three Girls, by Joyce Carol Oates

This is a story of two NYU girls who consider themselves poets. They go into a bookstores on a snowy evening. One is narrating the story to the other, as if they were remembering that special day. As they browsed through the store, one spots a women who they end up thinking is Marilyn Monroe. This women is dressed in what could be a disquise of mens clothes. Soon, they gave up looking at books and followed her around the store. She seem to be unnoticed in the crowds as she browsed and picked out books. Marilyn seems to panick when it is time to pay for the books, and the two girls step in and offer the pay for them for her. She lets them and waits outside. In the end she never speaks to them, but hands them a book of poetry as a thank you.

When I read the story for the first time, the last sentence surprised me a bit."That magical evening of Marilyn Monroe, when I kissed you for the first time."(19)But, when I went back and reread it, I caught on a bit better and understood it more. It was 1956 and two girls were in love with each other. "...we were admittedly American middle class, and Caucasian, and female.(Yet we were not "conventional " females. In fact, we shared male contempt for the merely "conventional " female.)." (3) They did not go along with the norm of the way things should be. They then spot Marilyn Monroe in the store and she is dressed as masculine as they are. Wearing men's clothing. They were expecting someone to show up and be with her, but she was all alone. "Like us (we began to see)this Marilyn Monroe required no man." (9) The girls were intrigued by her, and they all were hiding something. I feel that the girls were hiding their relationship , and Marilyn was hiding from the public and trying to be normal.

One question I was thinking about was , why Marilyn? Out of all the famous people Oates had to choose from, I wonder why she picked her?

SSRJ #1: A Sorrowful Woman by Gail Godwin

As I began to read this story, my initial reaction was to feel sorry for this woman who was going through a troubling time in her life. But then the more I read, I started to feel that she was just dissatisfied with her role of being just a housewife and mother. She wanted more from her life and even she did not know what that was. I realize that people go through changes in their lives, but shutting out the ones you love, and who love you never really helps the situation. If the women needed more help than what the husband could give, and I think she did, why was a Doctor never brought in or mentioned? Something as troubling in ones life such as this, it seems as though they would do whatever was needed to get better. I could not even imagine having a three year old child whom I would not want to spend my day with.

When the women moves into the white room, she brought with her all the necessities she would need for awhile. "All day long she stayed in the white room. She was a young queen, a virgin in a tower; she was the previous inhabitant, the girl with all the energies."(19) She did not like her life, and in this room she could pretend to be anyone she wanted. But, even that did not make her feel any better. "She tried these personalities on like costumes, then discarded them." (19) She could not find anything happy in her life, so she completely shut herself off from everyone and everything, both physically and emotionally.

Was her husband going to go on like this forever? Was he going to let his wife live secluded in her own room, while he worked, watched the child, and tried to take care of her?

Introduction

Hi,

I am living in Auburn with my kids and husband. I go to Sierra full-time, and will transfer to either Sac State or UC Davis in the fall. (Depending on where I get in.) I have an AA in Liberal Arts, and I am going for a Child Development Major. I am looking forward to an exciting semester.....