Initial Personal Reaction:
Initially I was grossed out by the description of the hand. That is probably what got most of my attention,
the imagery used to describe the hand.
Getting passed the vivid description of the hand I found that there was more
going on than previously thought. I can’t
say that this story made any connection to a specific situation in my life,
sorry.
Literary Element/Thematic Analysis: The particular element I found interesting
was the symbolism found in the imagery of the hand. Colette paints a picture of a well manicured hand,
properly groomed, yet this is odd on such powerful and masculine hand. The grooming and nail polish and such are an
attempt to hide what lies beneath the surface.
Similarly, how the man is handsome and athletic to hide his inner
secrets. I feel Colette is also making a
statement about marriage and how it to can be camouflaged to appear normal.
Questions/Comments:
What do you think Colette is trying to achieve with this piece? What was your interpretation of the theme?
I think the theme is about acceptance. That night when she noticed her husband's hand she was disgusted, but the next morning she kissed it. I took that as her accepting her husband for who he truly is, because she loves him.
ReplyDelete"The grooming and nail polish and such are an attempt to hide what lies beneath the surface." such a good statement was one of those Duhh moments for me. :]
Deletei think that she was trying to show that getting married when you don't know the person that well is very dangerous. I actually think that he killed his first wife and that this new wife is just beginning to realize what she has gotten herself into.
I don't agree. I don't think he killed his first wife.
DeleteI feel like she was trying to say marriage is a big step that should not be rushed. Also she was saying something about how girls lose themselves in the roles of marriage.
ReplyDeleteI think she knew that she rushed things when she should have took the time and really analyzed the situation at hand. So when she kissed the hand it was just her way of gettin over a hurdle and excepting the consequences to her actions.
ReplyDeleteThe theme to me was that a wife had to be submissive to her husband and had to deal with it whether she was happy or unhappy. The husband had the upper hand. No wonder Colette uses the husband's hand and makes it a character that is described as evil.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the hand grossing you out. I was thinking to myself how ugly this thing must be to be compared to such images. Perhaps it was just good descriptive writing or an ugly looking hand, or both.
ReplyDelete