posting two times in a row, how much do i suck.

the hemingway: like tae-yeoun, i'm pretty sure the operation is an abortion (although i really can't figure out the "let the air in" bit either). besides the "anybody but you" line, there's a lot of other clues - for one, the title, a white elephant being defined as "a rare, expensive possession that is a financial burden to maintain" or, in the christmas-time white elephant gift sense, an object that is no longer wanted by its owner. (there's also the literal sense which john picked up on - the white elephant is sacred in india, which i think further emphasizes the tension at work.) also, the setting of the train station (mentioned by tae-yeoun) - she's looking at the fertile side, with fields of grain and trees, when she starts with the "and we could have all this" bit, then she moves back to sit with the man and "look[s] across at the hills on the dry side of the valley" - sort of a fertility vs. barrenness thing going on there.

i like your thoughts about the train station, tae-yeoun. i think it's possible (actually, i think it's implied pretty heavily) that not only are they not sure what they're waiting for, but that they're waiting for different things. the station is "between two lines of rails" - just rereading it now, i notice that he moves the bags from one side of the platform to the other. have they switched directions? it's not really clear if he's switched from the dry side of the valley to the green or vice versa, just as how no decision is made at the end of the story. it seems like the others "all waiting reasonably" are seen through the man's eyes, and not the girl's - perhaps because, in his eyes, her emotions/actions are entirely without reason; he knows "it's perfectly simple," so why can't she understand?

frankly, tae-yeoun, the story irritated me too. yes, it's mysterious and intriguing and all that, but i have trouble finding much underneath that front. without the flimsy mystery of the unnamed operation, it's really not a very good story - imagine, if you had known from the beginning the topic of contention, how you would have felt about the white elephant metaphor and the dry/fertile valley images. minus the riddle of the abortion, it struck me as rather heavy handed. he wants her to have an abortion. she wants to keep the baby. so what? i didn't really feel compelled to keep reading except for the whole mysterious operation schtick, which strikes me as pretty cheap and manipulative. yep, i'm feeling used by a nobel prize winner (again - no more questions, mr. weinberg?) i don't really know what to think of - i really liked for whom the bell tolls, but i couldn't stand the sun also rises. hey adrian, ever been to his house or whatever (it's in oak park, right?)

by the way alex, thanks for the article on kafka - i really liked it. my question of the post - has anyone else read the trial? just finished it and i'd love to chat it over with a tasper. yeah, i know, that's a crappy question, but oh well. ooh! here's a better one: what did everyone do with their veterans day? let's hear about your various acts of monday-night debauchery...

damn, i really wanted to write about st. john's tonight, but i've got a crapload of homework and i've already blogged way too much. well, i will collect my overly-excited thoughts on the subject and post something later (it would be nice if i'd let other people get their blogging turns, wouldn't it?) anyway sorry for blabbing so long and so much. love peace and chicken grease (wow i haven't said that since 6th grade).

posted by Kelsey   [9:48 PM]

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