I might borrow Brautigan’s idea of using the same character‘s name in my stories. I think it’s a good way to build up the character for use in future stories.
In “Margaret,” I like the way the author sounds so natural, but I think a normal person would tell Margret to leave him alone. I liked, “My Name,” and the same natural sound he had, but then it got weird the way he uses that same voice that claims not to care, but he does. Maybe he’s just expressing annoyance…..or, is he somehow fond of Margret, does he like her or something? It’s hard to tell, and the story just leaves you guessing. (So much confusion in two short little stories!). …Oh yeah, who is talking anyway? I just assumed it was a he. Were they supposed to be read together and is he talking about the same Margret? I couldn't help analyzing the two stories together.
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I have this great book called The Secret Universe of Names. The idea is that the sound of your name gives off a sensate resonance of the quality of your character. Sometimes I look up names to get a better idea of my character, or find names that match my character description.
ReplyDeleteI am going to look for that name book. It sounds interesting. I can not imagine my name having any resonance.
ReplyDelete-Sarah Cook
I think it is the ambiguity that drives the story but I'm not exactly sure what his attitude is towards Margaret but I think it is the ambiguity which gives it strength because there is a certain satisfaction that comes with the story and it coolness (it has a calm maybe melancholic tone don't you think?).
ReplyDeletei read this book ("in watermelon sugar") not too long ago, and i read it as a novella. although now i can see how some of the individual "chapters" could be seen as very short stories, they all combine together in the book with a plot line, climax, ending and blah blah. magaret is one of the main characters in this story, but reading these two things alone like this becomes a little more confusing and ambiguous.
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ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got something out of this story, because it absolutely confused me. I haven't the slightest idea who Margret is, why she's making noise, who's shes bothering or why she's bothering them. It's not bad for a short story if there were some kind of punchline. But I agree on someone telling Marge to leave them alone.
ReplyDeleteI think the narrator definitely has a crush on Margaret, or at the very least a quiet and creepy infatuation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the two stories are meshed together at times, and this can be confusing.. it was for me too. I was wondering if you had any other ideas as a way to build a rise in the action of the story.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that "In Watermelon Sugar" was an actually novel, but now that I do, I definately want to read it! But that's besides the point...I think that individually, these chapters can work. At least, I was satisfied with them. I can see how it would be frustrating, though, to not have any idea who Margaret is. I am extremely curious as to who she is, and what kind of relationship her and the narrator have, but, as I said in my post, I feel that they have some sort of connection. At the very least, I feel that the narrator has a crush on her, as mccoytm-g said. Also, I like the idea of reusing characters in stories. It keeps you updated on what the characters are up to...ha
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