Popular Mechanics

"He looked at her and she wiped her eyes and stared at him before turning and going back to the living room. Bring that back, he said." - Raymond Carver

I don't understand why there are no quotation marks in this story! It's so annoying. Also, I feel like the baby may have gotten ripped in half at the end of the story. The ending is so open for interpretation. Did the woman get the baby? The man? No one? I think the man only wanted the baby to anger his ex-wife/girlfriend. He didn't even remember that baby was there until she picked up the picture. He realized how precious the baby was to the woman, so he decided to take that before leaving for good. He seemed so entitled. He simply stated that he wanted the baby; he expected his wish to be granted immediately. Personally, I think fighting over a baby is just about one of the most unsafe things a couple could do. They seem like one big happy family, don't they?! 

The Lottery

"It isn't fair," she said. A stone hit her on the side of the head. - Shirley Jackson

Is this real life?! I was waiting the entire story to figure out what the lottery would be for. I figured money, a new house, anything positive. Nope, I was wrong. I'm just a little bit in shock. I don't know what culture or time period this takes place in, but it seems to be from way back in the day. I understand that this town loves their traditions, but seriously? Mrs. Hutchinson is also very annoying, but definitely not annoying enough to stone to death! If there was supposed to be a funny or ironic part to the story I totally missed it. Then again, the chapter theme is point of view, so I'm assuming this story is just as somber and suspenseful as it sounds. 

This is partially because of the first line of my blog/partially because it's a guaranteed day maker!

You're Ugly, Too - Theme

"Later they would worry together, and he would sink a cheek to her belly and ask whether she was late, was she late, was she pregnant, they took to quarreling and drifted apart." - Lorrie Moore

I personally think Zoe is a sarcastically funny character. Although sometimes she does cross a line. I think she does this because of her constant comparison to her sister and a general lack of self esteem. To me, the theme of this story is: People's insecurities cause them to self-sabotage their relationships. There are multiple times in the story when Zoe is happy and seemingly confident around people, but then she says something offensive. She says "I'm just kidding" a lot; however, she's never really kidding. When Zoe isn't being unintentionally rude to people, she's cracking jokes. This I understand, because I think we all do it every once and a while. When things get awkward, uncomfortable, or just boring, we tend to say anything to lighten the mood. That's how Zoe starts out. Then, she becomes more and more offensive as the story goes on. I think she grows more self conscious as she grows older, which causes her to become hostile. It's a shame, because she was really funny for a majority of the story.

Zoe kind of reminds me of Kristen Wiig's character in Bridesmaids. She is in such a bad mood after being treated awfully from everyone in her life, so she takes it out on everyone else around her. If you've seen the movie, this picture and quote make total sense.

"Oh, I feel bad for your parents." 

"I feel bad for your face."

The Drunkard - Irony

"My brave little man!" she said with her eyes shining. "It was God did it you were there. You were his guardian angel." - Frank O'Connor

The ironic situations that happen in this story all surround the strange incident of a 12 year old boy being drunk. First, there's a total role reversal. The father is embarrassed for having to drag his drunk, 12 year old son home from the bar. People would not think it extremely abnormal if it were the other way around. Then, his mother praises him. She calls him a guardian angel?! That's not normal! She does so because she thinks her son drank in order to stop his father from drinking. His father, the real drunkard, was forced to stay sober and watch over his son at the bar that night. Although that was not the son's intention at all, his mother viewed it that way and praised him for it. The title itself is the final irony. Calling a curious boy who drank his dad's alcohol one time a drunkard is a bit drastic. His father on the other hand, is a drunkard. This 12 year old boy has been a little victimized by the title of the story. Granted, it's Ireland so pretty much anything goes.