How to Talk to Girls

Neil Gaiman’s “How to Talk to Girls at Parties” utilizes the first person narrative to navigate the story. The story is told through the point of view of one of the main characters, Enn. In a sense, the narrator is both omniscient and unreliable. Although Enn claims that this event happened “thirty years ago,” he uses vivid and specific details to describe his feelings and his experiences at the party. For example, when Enn sees Wain Wain, he describes, “Her hair was so fair it was white, and long, and straight, and she sat at the glass toppled table, her hands clasped together, staring at the garden outside, and the gathering dust.” (259) Although Enn claims, “I have forgotten much and I will forget more,” his precise descriptions prove otherwise. (268) In this sense, Enn is all knowing when it comes to being aware of his surroundings. He is even able cite exact conversations he had with Wain Wain, where she stated, “I grow weary of the journeying…It was a good thing they could not any of them see Hold Colt.” (260-261)

In this sense, Enn seems like a reliable narrator. Readers are confident in what he is saying and get a zoomed in view of what is going on at the party. However, as Enn shifts from reliable to unreliable, readers also encounter a first-hand distorted experience.

Enn becomes an unreliable narrator when he fails to observe the abnormalities and alien-like characteristics that the girls have. Although one of the girls had “two smaller fingertips,” and another had a gap between her teeth, he fails to express any feelings or observations. From the reader’s point of view, we can tell these girls are literally foreign, they are not from this planet, and they talk like robots: “The last tour, we went to sun, and we swam in fire pools with the whales.” (262) Although Enn is narrating the story, he fails to acknowledge these distinct characteristics. This type of narration portrays how although Enn is very competent, his narration becomes distorted because of his determination to focus on talking to girls. All he focuses on is what to do next with them: “I edged closer to her so I could feel my leg pressing against hers.” (266) His lack of focus on other aspects of his surroundings make him unreliable, especially when he claims “all the girls at the party were lovely,” (264) which is obviously not true.

In this sense, readers can’t rely on Enn when it comes to what actually happened at the party. This notion is especially clear when Vic claims, “She wasn’t a -” (268) Because Enn fails to notice the alienisms in the girls, readers can’t quite infer what exactly was wrong with Stella. However, based on the other girls at the party, she probably wasn’t normal either. This type of narration influences the story because it leaves readers zoomed out. In this way, readers lose confidence in the narrator and his reports, making them anxious and wondering about the realities of what actually took place at the foreign party.

The Story of Daedalus and Icarus

In the poem, “The Story of Daedalus and Icarus,” the speaker utilizes prolepsis, a figure of speech in which a future event is referred to in anticipation, to help guide the story to Icarus’ tragic ending. The first hint the speaker gives about Icarus’ departure is when he watches his dad make wings, declaring, “Icarus…stood by and watched him, / not knowing he was dealing with his downfall.” (14-15) During this time, Icarus distracts his father, “Fooling around, the way a boy will, always." (19) (19) The speaker gives the impression that Icarus’ “fooling around” may have a connection with his “downfall,” but this idea is not yet confirmed.

During Icarus’ flying lesson, Daedalus constantly warns him to strictly “fly a middle course:” (23) Despite his forewarning, Daedalus’ “cheeks were wet with tears, and his hand trembled,” (31) as he prepared his son to fly. The speaker emphasizes “tears” and “tremble” to signify Daedalus’ skepticism about the entire flight. His insecurities reveal another hint that something bad might happen to Icarus during the flight. His’ tragedy is even more apparent when Daedalus “kissed his son (Good-bye, if he had known it).” (32) The application of the parenthesis utilizes a form of secret only between the reader and the speaker. Although the reader knows there will be some sort of departure, Daedalus has yet to find out. The speaker even claims that the flight is a “fatal art.” Finally, the connection between flying and Icarus’ downfall is now apparent.

Acknowledging that boys will always “fool around,” it is inevitable that Icarus ignore his father’s warning to enjoy himself and to soar “higher, higher, drawn to the vast heaven.” Like his father predicted, Icarus’ “wings melted in the fierce heat,” making him die in the sea. Icarus’ careless actions, and the events that led up to the flight, anticipated his inevitable tragedy.

Love

In William Shakespeare’s poem, “Let me not to the marriage of true minds,” Shakespeare professes that love is everlasting. Throughout the poem, Shakespeare describes different scenarios in which love proves victorious or unceasing. He first demonstrates this by utilizing imagery, describing that “Love is not love which alters,” (2-3) or “bends with the remover to remove.” (4) Shakespeare evokes the sense of sight to exemplify that love is relentless and that it isn’t easily modified. He gives readers two instances in which one can imagine love as being permanent. In lines 6-7, Shakespeare perceives love to be “an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken.” Here, Shakespeare continues to highlight the sense of sight by personifying that love can even endure violent and chaotic windstorms. Although a dangerous experience, love is also very tough. He also claims that “Love’s not time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle’s compass come.” (9-10) Love and time are both personified as enemies that battle against each together. Shakespeare helps readers visualize that although “time” wants to “sickle” “Love,” he can’t because “Love” is not easily deceived. Love is eternal and can’t be fooled by time because “Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom.” (11-12) Throughout various instances, Shakespeare asserts that love is endless and conquering. He applies imagery to emphasize the various ways love is everlasting.

I believe the turn of the argument takes place in the second line. Although Shakespeare claims that he will not “admit impediments,” he ironically admits them, and continuous to describe his perspective on love throughout the rest of the poem.

However, the turn may also be the last two lines. Throughout the rest of the poem, Shakespeare never questions his opinion about love, always declaring what love “is” and what love “is not.” Ironically, he lightly hesitates, “If this be error,” (13) but then quickly reasserts himself, “and upon me proved, / I never writ, nor no man ever loved.” (13-14) Since Shakespeare is a famous poet and playwright, his argument of love being everlasting must be true.

By describing both sides of love, Shakespeare strengthens his argument by giving readers two perspectives of

how love is enduring.

May Swenson's "Bleeding"

In May Swenson’s “Bleeding,” the speaker utilizes third person narrative to express an unhealthy relationship between a “cut” and a “knife.” The “knife” consistently orders the cut to stop “bleeding,” claiming, “Stop bleeding you make me messy with blood,” (3) giving off an annoyed and angered tone. Meanwhile, the cut is vulnerable and addicted to being cut, admitting, “I know [said the cut] I bleed too easily I hate / that I can’t help it. (11-12) These sentences express uneasiness and portray an addiction that is dangerous but necessary. In this situation, the knife symbolizes the addition and the cut is the addict. Although there is no form of rhyme throughout the poem, the end of each line fairly end with the same words: “knife” and “cut,” which may possibly be considered end rhyme or repetition. The repetition embeds the words in the reader’s head. Aside from that, the only constant application of sound is the use caesura. These deviations cause random pauses throughout the poem, thus highlighting the cut’s and knife’s hesitance and weakness to confront each other about their situation. Although the knife and cut have trouble admitting their faults, they both take pleasure in the cutting and bleeding. The speaker states, “The knife did not say it couldn’t help it but it sank in further, (7-8) whereas the cut declares, “I feel I have to bleed to feel [better] I think.” (42) The knife and the cut repeatedly utter to “stop” (from bleeding and cutting), but the deviations within the sentence express that that is not what they really desire.