Task 1
a)The setting in the second half of the story is very surreal, especially when Friend tries to entice Connie into leaving with him. The situation for Connie is helpless, even in her own home. It seems to give a sense of insecurity, even in the most secure of places.
b)I actually feel quite indifferent about Connie. This could be because she seems to be like the stereotypical cheerleader/barbiegirl archetype within the high school society. I think that willingness to disobey her parents in order to enjoy herself is just begging for some kind of unfortunate end.
c)The theme is about the shortcomings of the aesthetic and materialistic desires that are so deeply entrenched within our society. Connie's unfortunate experience is symbolic of the possible consequences.
d)It has a very mysterious feel, which is climaxed very sharply at the end. I think the uncertainty throughout the later half of the story draws readers in, especially the unresolved ending.
e)I would guess that Connie is either raped or killed....
f)Ernest Friend represents the coveting jealousy that is inherent within a society where human worth is based on aesthetics and material possessions. He views Connie as an object that he can attempt to obtain by force.
Task 2
I think short stories need to be very concise, happening over a very short period of time. They need to have minimal background information, or at least very little explicit that describe character/setting without moving plot forward. I generally like stories that have a gradual buildup towards the climax, as opposed to those with a very sharp slope that reach the pinnacle within a few sentences. Although I enjoy creativity and very fictional fantasy settings, I feel that a short story doesn't provide enough time to do justice to imaginary world that the author has created. Thus on balance, a short story needs to be grounded in the real world. Characterization is also very important. I think that characters need to be very distinct, going almost to one extremity. This is because there isn't very much time to build up on their personalities, and so they need to make an immediate impression.
a)The setting in the second half of the story is very surreal, especially when Friend tries to entice Connie into leaving with him. The situation for Connie is helpless, even in her own home. It seems to give a sense of insecurity, even in the most secure of places.
b)I actually feel quite indifferent about Connie. This could be because she seems to be like the stereotypical cheerleader/barbiegirl archetype within the high school society. I think that willingness to disobey her parents in order to enjoy herself is just begging for some kind of unfortunate end.
c)The theme is about the shortcomings of the aesthetic and materialistic desires that are so deeply entrenched within our society. Connie's unfortunate experience is symbolic of the possible consequences.
d)It has a very mysterious feel, which is climaxed very sharply at the end. I think the uncertainty throughout the later half of the story draws readers in, especially the unresolved ending.
e)I would guess that Connie is either raped or killed....
f)Ernest Friend represents the coveting jealousy that is inherent within a society where human worth is based on aesthetics and material possessions. He views Connie as an object that he can attempt to obtain by force.
Task 2
I think short stories need to be very concise, happening over a very short period of time. They need to have minimal background information, or at least very little explicit that describe character/setting without moving plot forward. I generally like stories that have a gradual buildup towards the climax, as opposed to those with a very sharp slope that reach the pinnacle within a few sentences. Although I enjoy creativity and very fictional fantasy settings, I feel that a short story doesn't provide enough time to do justice to imaginary world that the author has created. Thus on balance, a short story needs to be grounded in the real world. Characterization is also very important. I think that characters need to be very distinct, going almost to one extremity. This is because there isn't very much time to build up on their personalities, and so they need to make an immediate impression.
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