When I finished my first reading of "Lust," I felt a bit appalled and perhaps saddened by this girl. In the beginning, it seemed she had given in to teenage desires and was merely being swept into that feeling of lust. But, as the story progressed, I felt she showed a darker side in regards to what was occurring. It seemed she felt a sort of obligation, as a female, to please men/boys. "So, if you flirted, you had to be prepared to go through with it, " she states after saying being called a "cock-teaser" is one of the worst things. Perhaps it was because she grew up in boarding school without her mother around and a housemother telling her she had a duty to give men babies, but whatever the reason for her actions, they made me a little sad. Although I realize this story is fiction, the truth is that there are females out there that feel a need to deliver and to glimpse into such a prevalent problem in today's society was a little uncomfortable, to be honest.
I think an extremely important element in Minot's "Lust" was the tone. Although this story was told in first person, the character does not seem to express herself emotionally, but describes her experiences in a matter-of-fact kind of way. This seeming detachment sets a tone of disconnect from her own feelings, as though she is merely going about the motions she has come to accept as a part of everyday life.
I would like to know how you interpreted the line, "You haven't been able--to what? To open your heart. You open your legs but can't, or don't dare anymore, to open your heart" (79). Do you feel it's her fault for not letting her lovers in emotionally, or perhaps it is maybe a callous she has formed so she doesn't feel ultimately rejected?
No comments:
Post a Comment