Question #3 – Discussion Week 1

For me, the much broader statement being made by Chopin has to do with the binds that sometimes force us into love or a relationship without consideration of the personal freedom that is necessary to many people. With my sign being Aquarius, it is highly important for me to be able to have some semblance of aloofness within a relationship. I could empathize with Mrs. Mallard on many different levels. It seems that in the setting of her story, she was not afforded the luxury of a life separate from that of her husband’s. Because of this, she was left feeling very much imprisoned to his life. At the prospect of being unchained from these restrictive boundaries, she was overwhelmed with thoughts of future plans and the awakening of her soul to the world around her – this evidenced by her sensory perceptiveness coming alive.

Set aside all of the definitions that you may have for it, and just see it as it is for a moment. Monogamy, the act of accepting and keeping one mate at a time, or during a lifetime is widely accepted and recognized in tandem with the concept of marriage. Having experienced this myself, and from careful study of those close to me who are impacted by this sense of duty, it appears that a lifelong marriage is a commitment that only a few are programmed to do. What this speaks in volumes to me is that the bonds of marriage, or what most people think of marriage, are not always what they should or could be. To one man, a lifetime spent with someone he chooses to love may be a suitable prison, but to another, it may be the death of their free spirit. Romantic love is placed on a pedestal by many who hail it as the only reason for marriage and lasting commitment, while others simply view it as an accessory to an unwanted confinement. I know this to be true, as many friends have been afforded the event of arranged marriages. As is the case in the story by Chopin, heartbreak that should be there, is overridden with the sense free will, and the broken hear that ensues at the surprise of seeing her husband is really the overwhelming bondage seizing the only autonomy she had left – her soul.

Question 1 – Discussion Week 1

I’m absolutely thrilled at John Updike’s portrayal of romantic, no, juvenile, yet romantic love! In the heat of the moment, and in the rising swells of passion, a boy walks out on a job he most likely needs, to become the knight and defend his fair maiden’s honor. It seems likely that Updike read, and/or fanaticized about this notion of becoming the hero to a very young, beautiful, and affluent woman. As Sammy describes the three girls, there is a hint of boyish lust about every word chosen. The glint of faith in his tone is so purely unblemished, as though he’s yet to be tarnished by the bitter loss of love. A rude awakening awaits Sammy as he resigns himself to the fact of his rash decision, and a hard, cold truth slowly seeps into his core.

Romantic love, for most of us came at a fairly early age, and surprisingly seems to be a staunch standard by which love is measured from then on into the rest of our lives. Such a story brings me back to the first love stages of many relationships when all is new and discovery is unleashing its beautiful wings. Adolescent love is not to be taken lightly, but can be a wonderful tool for gauging just how incredibly powerful romantic love can be. I think far too often life leaves us moping about the parking lot of the A&P with our tails tucked only to realize that our latest love has become empty. Romantic love, at times, seems to be based on rash decisions, and risks taken. What is important to remember is that while these decisions may prove to one another that we are committed to following through with our feelings, it may place us in a position that will not allow us to pursue that passion as we once could. Although it is an experience in passion unrivaled, romantic love’s sustainability is often derailed.