Blog Entry Four Searching For Love

In the short stories “The Lady with the Pet Dog”, by Anton Chekhov and “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter”, by D.H. Lawrence we are sent on two separate journeys of finding love. In Chekhov’s story we are introduced to Dmitritch Gurov. Gurov is a self-proclaimed ladies man. He is married, yet finds himself no longer in love with his wife. He seems proud of the fact that he has cheated countless on times on his wife. Although he no longer loves her he feels trapped because he cannot live without women, yet he feels an inner hatred for them. “It seemed to him that he had been so schooled by bitter experience that he might call them what he liked, and yet he could not get on for two days together without ‘the lower race’ “ (Chekhov).  Gurov uses women to fill the void he has within, and toys with their emotions. He meets a young lady by the name of Anna Sergeyevena, who at first he wants solely because she will meet his sexual and emotional needs, but upon spending time with her he realizes that his feelings for her are growing stronger. Sergeyevena is a married woman who also finds herself no longer in love with her husband. At first their interactions are innocent, but overtime their encounters are becoming more intimate and eventually find themselves having an affair. When Sergeyevena leaves, Gurov begins to realize that he is in love with her, and that she is all he thinks about. “When he shut his eyes he saw her as though she was; and he imagines himself finer than he had been in Yalta”. Gurov began with the intentions of using her and then doing away with her, but he had fallen in love. I believe the message being told is to never lose hope in trying to find love. Gurov had lost all hope in his marriage, but when he met Sergeyevena he was able to find love again.

In D.H. Lawrence short story “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter”, we are introduced to Mabel and Jack. Mabel is a young woman, stricken with grief after the death of her father, and Jack is a doctor. In the beginning of the story, I was under the impression that Mabel and Jack hated each other.  As the story progresses it becomes evident that Jack has romantic feelings Mabel, “He followed her minutely as she moved direct and intent. Like something transmitted rather than stirring in voluntary activity.” (Lawrence) Jack watches her and saves her when she jumps into the pond, in an attempt to kill herself. After spending time alone, they begin to reveal their true feelings for one another, “You love me?” she said, rather faltering. (Lawrence) “Yes.” The word cost him a painful effort. Not because it wasn’t true, but because it was too newly true, the saying seemed to tear open again his newly-torn heart.” Mabel and Jack have are both lonely and in pain, and have found love and comfort in one another.

The statement both authors are attempting  to make about love is, it is never too late to find love .In Chekhov’s story the characters have fallen out of love with their partners and have managed to find love with one another. In Lawrence’s short story the characters are alone, and find comfort and love in one another. Although the approach is different, the need is the same; all four character are in search of love.

Irony Blog Three

Irony is a technique that writers use to set up expectations in the readers mind. In the short story “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, he uses both verbal and dramatic irony several times throughout the story to build suspense, and to foreshadow future events in the story for the reader. An example of irony in Poe’s short story would be the character Fortunato’s name. Fortunato’s name is Italian and the translation of his name stands for good fortune and luck. However, it is evident throughout the story that Fortunato is anything but fortunate or lucky. In reality, Fortunato is going to his death. Another example in the story where Poe used irony is when Montresor pretends to be concerned about the cough that Fortunato has. As both Montresor and Fortunato make their way deeper and deeper into the vaults, Montresor says, “We will go back. Your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, and beloved; you are happy as I once was. You are a man to be missed.” (Poe) Fortunato then replies to Montresor that he should not worry about his cough, “The cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I will not die of a cough.” (Poe). Montresor then replies to Fortunato, “True-True.” (Poe). At this point in the story it becomes evident to the reader that Montresor is plotting the death of Fortunato.

In Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour" we can also find several examples of irony. Mrs. Mallard is an older lady who is told tragic news that her husband has been killed in a train accident. Upon hearing of the death of her husband Mrs. Mallard leaves to her room by herself, and everyone believes that she is completely distraught and mourning the death of her husband, when in reality she is overjoyed upon hearing of his death, “It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long.” (Chopin). It seems that her husband was an overbearing man who never let his wife accomplish the things she wanted to do in her life. Another example of irony in the story is the weather, outside it is bright, warm and beautiful which is completely opposite of the situation of her husbands death and the grief that people are meant to be experiencing when faced with such a tragic event in their life. Yet another example of irony in the story is the death of Mrs. Mallard. At the beginning of the story the reader is told of her present heart problems. At the end of the story as Mrs. Mallard is coming down the stairs she is shocked to see her husband walk in through the door, and upon seeing him she dies of heart disease.

In conclusion, both Poe and Chopin used irony effectively throughout their stories.