Analysis of How to Talk to a Hunter by Pam Houston

How to Talk to a Hunter by American writer Pam Houston (b. 1962) was originally published in the literary magazine Quarterly West. It was subsequently included in The Best American Short Stories, 1990, and in the authors 1993 collection, Cowboys Are My Weakness. The story focuses on a woman who continues dating a man -- a hunter -- even as the signs of his infidelity and lack of commitment mount. Future Tense One striking feature of the story is that it is written in future tense. For example, Houston writes: You will spend every night in this mans bed without asking yourself why he listens to top-forty country. The use of future tense creates a sense of inevitability about the characters actions, as if shes telling her own fortune. But her ability to predict the future seems to have less to do with clairvoyance than with past experience. Its easy to imagine that she knows exactly what will happen because it -- or something just like it -- has happened before. So the inevitability becomes as significant a part of the story as the rest of the plot. Who Is the You? I have known some readers who resent the use of second-person (you) because they find it presumptuous. After all, what could the narrator possibly know about them? But for me, reading a second-person narrative has always seemed more like being privy to someones internal monologue than like being told what I, personally, am thinking and doing. The use of second-person simply gives the reader a more intimate look at the characters experience and thought process. The fact that the future tense sometimes changes to imperative sentences like, Call the hunters machine. Tell him you dont speak chocolate only further suggests that the character is giving herself some advice. On the other hand, you dont have to be a heterosexual woman dating a hunter to be dating someone whos dishonest or who shies away from commitment. In fact, you dont have to be romantically involved with someone at all to be taken advantage of. And you definitely dont have to be dating a hunter in order to watch yourself enact mistakes that you see perfectly well are coming. So even though some readers might not recognize themselves in the specific details of the story, many might be able to relate to some of the larger patterns described here. While second-person might alienate some readers, for others it can serve as an invitation to consider what they have in common with the main character. Everywoman The absence of names in the story further suggests an attempt to portray something universal, or at least common, about gender and relationships. Characters are identified by phrases like your best male friend and your best female friend. And both of these friends tend to make sweeping declarations about what men are like or what women are like. (Note: the entire story is told from a heterosexual perspective.) Just as some readers might object to second-person, some will surely object to gender-based stereotypes. Yet Houston does make a convincing case that its difficult to be completely gender-neutral, as when she describes the verbal gymnastics that the hunter engages in to avoid admitting that another woman has come to visit him. She writes (hilariously, in my opinion): The man who has said hes not so good with words will manage to say eight things about his friend without using a gender-determining pronoun. The story seems entirely aware that its dealing in clichà ©s. For example, the hunter speaks to the protagonist in lines from country music. Houston writes: Hell say you are always on his mind, that youre the best thing thats ever happened to him, that you make him glad that hes a man. And the protagonist answers with lines from rock songs: Tell him it dont come easy, tell him freedoms just another word for nothing left to lose. Though its easy to laugh at the communication gap Houston portrays between men and women, country and rock, the reader is left wondering to what extent we ever can escape our clichà ©s.

Technology And Its Effect On Society - 1812 Words

Being human in the 21st century is a paradox. We long for companionship yet we isolate ourselves. We compete for jobs, yet loathe the workplace. We feel existentially entitled to liberty, yet we enslave ourselves. Technology is a major player in the contradictory dichotomy of the human experience, isolating and enslaving us in its own way. I did not recognize the ways technology controlled my life until the summer after freshman year, in which I broke my phone and was confronted with the task of functioning almost completely without the help of electronics. This experience taught me: though the choice of living under technologies grasp is one I will often have to make, casting away my phone occasionally can have positive effects on the way†¦show more content†¦Lost in reminiscence, I hardly notice as my grasp loosens and my phone slips through my fingers, speechless, I stare. I realize, this is one of my few times atop two legs since 8 o clock this morning, I also realize, I have not eaten since 7 o’clock this morning. I am tired, hungry, and lightheaded. Only one day on the job, only eight hours, and I realize, on the walk home, I have adult-ed too hard. My deliria subsides to shame as my Galaxy Note 5 comets to the blacktop. I wonder if it s broken and I freeze in apprehension, towering over my darling, my Galaxy. Blinds open, shutters cinch, cars swerve to a halt. The whole world wonders if it’s broken, and none of us take a step in its direction. As I reach down, I notice the display reflecting off the ground below it. I breathe a sigh of relief. This phone helped get my internship in the first place, it helped me get through freshman year, it helped me get too freshman year. I cannot think of a single accomplishment I have been able to summit without this thing. Thank Muhammad and Moses it did not break. I tap on Spotify and without thinking tap twice more. After wiping my thumb against my pants, I tap a fourth and a fifth time and tunnel vision ensues. Grab. Sprint. Call 911, no, there s no time. Your baby is turning black and blue, she is suffocating, you need to get home. Do not look at her, it would hurt too much, focus on yourShow MoreRelatedTechnology : The Effects Of Technology And Society1283 Words   |  6 Pages The effects of technology with society has beneficial impacted the way we live. With technology is providing many advantages, but also it has some disadvantages it has on children and adults. There is little room for people that wish to live without technology, moreover than living the way they did in the old days. Technology has its advantages, it’s has changed the way people have communicated by email, social media, the way traveling has improved. Have you ever heard the saying ‘Children are bornRead MoreTechnology And Its Effect On Society871 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is technology? Is it the tool that propels humanity forward or is technology the cuffs that hold the everyday man from leaving his own comfort. Or is technology more than a tool, more than a mechanical device? Ray Bradbury s Works are known 4 expanding technology and using speculative fiction to reveal the way technology is consuming the everyday person. but what if Ray Bradbury was never talking about technology and its effect on society with society s effect on technology? It is assumedRead MoreTechnology And Its Effect On Society1386 Words   |  6 PagesTechnology is the collection of techniques, skills, methods and processes used in the production of goods or services or in the accomplishment of objectives, such as scientific investigation. Technology can be the knowledge of techniques, processes, etc. or it can be embedded in machines, computers , devices and factories, which can be operated by individuals without detailed knowledge of the workings of such things. Technology has produced many positive contributions to society and how it has grownRead MoreTechnology And Its Effect On Society Essay1239 Words   |  5 Pagesworld is increasing very rapidly, and new innovations are coming along each and everyday. Technology is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry (Oxford). There is no denying that the impact of technology in the world today is huge, now technology has made it to the palm of our hands with the iPhone and continuing to expand. My generation has grown up on technology so I can’t imagine how my life would be with out it, older people may say it has ruined theRead MoreTechnology And Its Effect On Society Essay1204 Words   |  5 Pagesthe world is increasing very rapidly, and new innovations are coming along each and everyday. Technology is the application o f scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. There is no denying that the impact of technology in the world today is huge, now technology has made it to the palm of our hands with the iPhone and continuing to expand. My generation has grown up on technology so I can’t imagine how my life would be with out it, older people may say it has ruined the livesRead MoreTechnology And Its Effect On Society1176 Words   |  5 PagesTechnology is the sum of the ways in which social groups provide themselves with the material objects of their civilization. (â€Å"Technology†) In addition, technology has become a basic necessity for people all around the world. Not only does technology have positive effects on how people function in the world, but it also has many negative effects. On a similar topic, technology has improved the way we live tremendously, but people have become extremely dependent on it, almost to the point to whereRead MoreTechnology And Its Effect On Society1473 Words   |  6 Pageswould surmise that technology has an overwhelmingly negative effect on society. Although there might be consequences that stem from technology, these negative effects only bring about more good than they bring about evil. This good transforms the world in ways people may never be able to comprehend. Technology will always be the epitome of human intelligence and it is this fact that should allow us to not only understand that technology is not dangerous to us but that technology should enable theRead MoreTechnology And Its Effect On Society1396 Words   |  6 PagesTechnology on its own cannot be beneficial or detrimental to the cognitive ability and the human relationship. Its effect on society depends on how and when technology is used. Technology continues to interact with our human experience in some way or the other. It is profoundly reshaping how we live today and giving rise to new strand of lifestyle and custom. With the rise of technologies, we expect to gain from its advances in the field of communication, social interaction, research and developmentRead MoreTechnology And Its Effect On Society1694 Words   |  7 PagesTechnological advances have certainly entered this era to facilitate people’s lives. There is no doubt that some new technology has been created to help operate or effectively manage time in a way that would be beneficial to humans. Technology significantly helps a number of people. A group that greatly benefits with the advances of technology is teenagers. Teens constantly use computers for schoolwork, networking, or knowing anything they want to know with a simple use of their fingertips. FurthermoreRead MoreTechnology And Its Effects On Society1372 Words   |  6 PagesTechnology Abuse Technology has rapidly increased over the past few years and has had a great impact on everyone in several ways. The impact of this applied science on people’s lifestyles has made several too dependent on technology. There needs to be a specific limit to technology that is reasonable but considerable for everyone. This new addiction is truly significant because this modern world of ours can have dangerous consequences that we are not aware of. In the past, many of the machines and

As You like It by William Shakespeare Essay Example For Students

As You like It by William Shakespeare Essay As You like It was written by William Shakespeare, and published by the Penguin Group in 1963. The play is 138 pages. As You Like It is a happy, romantic Shakespearean comedy. It is a pleasurable play filled with witty language and unique characters. Its love of nature, love of falling in love, and love of families makes it easily accessible to all that read or see it. Duke Senior is one of the protagonist of the play His ducal rights are taken away from him by his younger brother, Frederick. He leads a life of exile in the Forest of Arden with some of his lords. His ducal rights are restored to him towards the end of the play when his brother has a moral conversion. Duke Frederick is one of the antagonist of the play. He is a contrast in every respect to Duke Senior. Towards the end of the play he tries to amend for his past ways. Touchstone is a fool in the Dukes court. He accompanies Rosalind and Celia to the Forest of Arden. Oliver de Boys is the eldest son of Sir Rowland de Boys and one of the antagonists of the play. He denies his brother Orlando his rightful inheritance and the education that is due to him. Wicked and villainous by nature, he wants to have Orlando killed. However, Orlando saves him from a deadly snake and a fierce lioness, which changes Olivers attitude. Orlando de Boys is a protagonist of the play. To escape his brothers plot to kill him, he goes to the forest, courts Rosalind, and weds her. Rosalind is the daughter of Duke Senior and the heroine of the play. Banished by Duke Frederick, she goes to the forest under the disguise of Ganymede. She displays wit, intelligence, and alertness. At the end of the play, she orchestrates all of the marriages, including her own to Orlando. Celia, the daughter of Duke Frederick is Rosalinds companion. She is a fine and likable lady who is overshadowed by the more commanding Rosalind. Jaques is one of the lords attending to Duke Senior . He is a critic of the society in the forest and all of life. The play moves between two worlds: the world of Duke Fredericks court and that of the Forest of Arden. The court is characterized by hatred, deception, and envy. In contrast, the Forest of Arden is characterized by freedom, beauty, and naturalness. The court supposedly represents sophisticated behavior in a civilized society. By contrast, the forest is a place of natural behavior. There, Duke Senior and his co-mates lead a life which is exempt from public haunt. The opening scene of the play is set in the orchard of Oliver. As the play opens, Orlando is complaining to Adam, his old faithful servant, about the unfair treatment meted out to him by his oldest brother, Oliver. It is quickly established that there is deep conflict between the two brothers. It is also learned, through conversation, that there is a deep and similar problem between Duke Frederick and Duke Senior. The play is a merry one. Except for occasional clouds that threaten the sky temporarily, As You Like It is full of sunshine, love, laughter, and song. The predominant mood of the play is one of cheerfulness, light-hearted gaiety, and laughter. It is a pure and fun romantic comedy. The Forest of Arden especially contributes to this mood because of the freedom and happiness it possessed. In Act 1 Orlando tells Adam about his grievances with his elder brother, Oliver, who is cheating him out of his share of his fathers money. Oliver enters, Adam hides, and Orlando confronts him about the treatment he has received since their father died. They begin fighting and Adam comes forward to break up the squabble. Adam and Orlando leave, and Oliver summons Charles, the Dukes wrestler. They talk about the new Duke, who is the younger brother of the old one, who was sent into exile. His daughter Rosalind, however, is staying with the new Duke and his daughter. He then speaks to Charles about Orlando wrestling him tomorrow, and wants the boy to be harmed. In scene 2 of Act 1Celia and her cousin Rosalind enter and Celia asks Rosalind why she is not happy. Rosalind answers it is because of her fathers banishment into the Forest of Arden. Touchstone, enters and tells the girls about the wrestling match that is about to take place. He describes the gruesome nature of the wrestling to them, but the women decide to attend anyway. Monsieur Le Beau enters as well and takes them to the match. When they arrive, Le Beau asks them to speak with Orlando to try to talk him out of wrestling. They do, but he decides to do it anyway. The match begins and Orlando wins which earns him praise from Duke Frederick. The Duke asks him who his father is and when he replies Rowland De Boys, the Duke takes away his praise. De Boys, when alive, was a supporter of the exiled Duke Senior. Orlando, however, is proud of who he is and expresses this to the young women. Rosalind gives him a chain to wear around his neck. The women leave and Le Beau enters giving praise but warns Orlando that he should leave. Orlando consents but asks which of the women is the Dukes daughter. Orlando leaves and is happy that he has fallen in love with Rosalind. In the third scene Celia asks Rosalind what is on her mind, but at first Rosalind will not tell her. She then recants and admits she is in love with Orlando. Celia is happy for her, and they are discussing it when Duke Frederick answers and tells Rosalind she is banished. The only reason he gives is that she is her fathers daughter and therefore a traitor. Celia argues with him, entreating him to let Rosalind stay because they are extremely close, but he tells her that Rosalind is taking away praise from her. Celia does not care, and when the Duke leaves, she decides that they should go together to the Forest of Arden to live with the banished ex-duke. Celia says that she cannot live without Rosalind, so Rosalind agrees. They decide to dress up as a country brother and sister to make their travel safer. Act 2 begins with the banished Duke Senior and his comrades are sitting in the forest of Arden discussing how much they love their life there. They then hold a conversation about a man at court, Jaques. In the second scene Duke Frederick finds that Celia, Rosalind, and Touchstone are missing. One of Celias attendants tells him that she overheard the girls talking about Orlando, and that he is probably with them wherever they are. The Duke sends men to Orlandos house to find him and bring him back. 'Who do you hold responsible form Mecutio's death in Act 3 scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet and why? EssayOrlando, although his brother wants to kill him, decided he could not leave him there to die and begins to wrestle with the lion. He beats the mountain lion but is wounded on the arm. Oliver awakens, and seeing what his brother has done, he could never hurt him or think badly of him again. Orlando sent a bloody rag to give to Rosalind because he felt so bad about missing their meeting. Rosalind faints at the sight of it, and they decide to carry her back to the cottage. Oliver questions her behavior, since she is supposed to be a boy, but he goes with them to carry her. Act 5 when Touchstone and Audrey are together in the forest and Audrey is complaining about them not getting married. Another man named William who wants to marry her enters and he and Touchstone engage in a battle of wits. Touchstone overpowers the man, and he leaves. Corin enters telling the two that Aliena and Ganymede want to see them and they all go. In scene 2, Oliver and Aliena fall in love and plan to be married the following day. Orlando comes to Rosalind as Ganymede for help because he feels it is unfair that his brother should have is love and he cannot. Ganymede tells him that she is a magician and can produce the real Rosalind at the wedding for him to marry if he wants it. He is elated when Silvius and Phoebe enter. Phoebe is mad that Rosalind showed Silvius the letter that she wrote. The four make comments on what love is, and Rosalind comes up with a solution. She tells them all to come to the church tomorrow. Orlando will marry Rosalind (herself) and she, if she marries a woman, will marry Phoebe. Knowing this will not happen she has Phoebe promise to marry Silvius in her place if Phoebe in the end refuses to marry her. Phoebe promises, and Rosalind tells Silvius to come as well because she knows Phoebe will not be marrying her. They all leave to prepare for the next day. In the third scene, Touchstone and Audrey, who are preparing for their wedding the next day, listen as two pages sing a song about love. In Scene 4, Duke Senior and Orlando talk about how Ganymede is producing Rosalind for the wedding. Rosalind then enters as Ganymede and reminds the lovers of the promises they made. She also asks the Duke if his daughter comes if he will let her marry Orlando. He agrees. Ganymede leaves and Touchstone enters with Audrey. Touchstone talks to the Duke and the Duke surmises that he is a man who uses his job as a fool to cover up his strong wit. Rosalind, Celia, and Hymen, the God of Marriage, enter and everyone realizes who they really are. Hymen makes each couple swear to each other, and as they are doing so the Oliver and Orlandos other brother Jaques De Boys interrupts. He tells them that Duke Frederick, knowing that great men kept leaving court and going to the forest, decided that he should come battle Duke Senior. On his way he met a religious man, however, who talked him out of his plan and told him to give up his crown as Duke. Duke Senior is then again the real Duke. As his first act of power, the Duke restores Olivers land to him and his niece, Celia, and makes Orlando his heir. The other Jaques decides he will go to Duke Frederick and they cannot talk him out of it. Everyone except Rosalind exits. Finally in the Epilogue: Rosalind enters as the boy actor who played her, and encourages the men and women in the audience to fall in love. Two of the leading figures undergo major changes. Oliver and Duke Ferdinand make amends for their evil treatment of their brothers. The major theme of the play is the importance of true love. Romantic love characterized by true and deep emotions, is represented by Orlando, and Rosalind. Touchstones love for Audrey is largely based on lest and Silvias love for Phoebe is artificial. By developing varied types of love, Shakespeare clearly points out the beauty of true love. An example from the play is when Oliver comes to the forest of Arden, he falls in love with Celia at first glance; it is a shallow love in comparison to that of Orlandos love for Rosalind because true love is not only based on the physical appearance, but also on what the two people feel inside for each other. There are not any instances when Shakespeare is poking fun at the audience. I was satisfied with the way the play ended because the brothers conflicts were resolved and true love prevailed between Orlando and Rosalind. The moral implications that can be applied to present-day living conditions involves the conflict between the two brothers in the play. I always been told blood is thicker than water. So no matter what a brother or sister might do to you, you should be able to forgive them because at the end of any given day when push come to shove family is supposed to stick together. Four famous quotes are: I have as much of my father in me as you, albeit I confess your coming before me is earer to his reverence. You know my father hath no child but I, nor none is like to have; and truly, when he dies, thou shalt be his heir; for what he hath taken away from thy father perforce, I will render thee again in affection. Yet your mistrust can not make me a traitor. All the worlds a stage, And all the men and women merely players. Olivers soliloquy from act l scene1: Farewell, good Charles. Now will I stir this gamester. I hope I shall see an end of him; for my soul, yet I know not why, hates nothing more than he. Yet hes gentle, never schooled and yet learned, full of noble device, of all sorts enchantingly beloved; and indeed so much in the heart of the world, and especially of my own people, who best know him, that I am altogether misprized. But it shall not be so long; this wrestler shall be clear all. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither, which now Ill go about.

The Power Of Personal Image Essays - Body Shape, Human Appearance

The Power of Personal Image The Power of Personal Image A young woman stands in front of the mirror and is disgusted by the reflection that only she can see. Thunder thighs, flabby arms, and a pot belly obstruct her view of the beautiful, smart, and loving woman who stares back at her. This is exactly the type of person the advertisement agencies and the media prey upon, someone who is self-conscious and ashamed of her body, someone who is willing to go to any length or pay any price to have the "perfect" body. In her essay, "Narcissism as Liberation", Susan Douglas wrote about the power and influence that the advertisement industry has in America. The advertisement agencies and the media do not just prey upon self-hating persons, they help to create them. "When an image is presented..., the way people look at it is affected by a whole series of learnt assumptions. Assumptions concerning: Beauty, Truth, Status, Taste, etc. (Berger 53)." We learn from a very early age all about assumptions concerning body image. Television commercials and magazine advertisements teach us that we must look like model and surround ourselves with beautiful things in order to live a worth while life. We are constantly bombarded with images of"beauty" every time we turn on the television set or flip through the pages of magazines. Day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute, our minds are being filled with images of "beautiful people" endorsing products that they claim will make us beautiful as well. We believe what these advertisements claim, and we buy the products. After using the product, we begin to compare ourselves to the so called "beautiful people" in the advertisement and soon realize that we do not measure up. We learn from a very early age that it seems our bodies are inferior to the rest of the world's. The advertisement industry and the media have the power to influence our opinion on what we see as being beautiful. Advertisements dictate what we must look like in order to be accepted in a world so obsessed with body image. They tell us that it is no longer sexy to have a normal body with a little fat on your bones. The hour glass figure is out of style, while the stick figure is in style. In order to be considered sexy and beautiful in today's world women must have the tanned body of a half starved adolescent girl. The advertisement industry and the media created this bizarre body image, and millions of American women buy into buy. A hand cream advertisement ran in Good Housekeeping, a magazine that is mostly read for middle aged housewives. The advertisement shows the right hand of a young women, probably in her twenty's, with a freshly done manicure and no wrinkles or veins in sight. This Neutrogena New Hands cream promises to "visibly reduce the sings of aging on your hands." This little wonder "reduces the look of age spots" and gives your hands "a more youthful tone and texture." I can see it now, all the housewives flipping through the pages of Good Housekeeping trying to find new recipes, then they come to this advertisement and compare the youthful hand on the page in the magazine. We all want to have the "perfect" body, but we do not want to have to go to the gym and work out for hours to get it. We want it right away with no work involved. We see an advertisement in our favorite magazine for a new product called Dior Svelte Prefect. This new product is "quick, powerful, and effective in controlling cellulite." It promises visible results in only one week. The advertisement shows one side of a women's firm buttock and toned thigh. This new product seems to be the answer to everyone's prayers, it's a miracle in a bottle. Magazine advertisements are not the only things that help create inferiority complexes in women, the magazines themselves do as well. Cosmopolitan, a popular women's magazine, plays a major role in making women feel insecure about their bodies. Supermodel, Claudia Schiffer, graced the cover of Cosmopolitan's July 1997 issue. She was photographed wearing a beautiful, yellow, long dress by Calvin Klein. Her flawless skin, toned arms, perky breast, and svelte body is thrown in the faces of American women and mock them. Cosmopolitan magazine puts this super model, and others like her, on the cover to show it's readers what they should look like but never will. Cosmopolitan does not just put Claudia Schiffer on the cover, they also