RR4 - Option 2

   In "The Lady with the Pet Dog" by Anton Chekhov, love does play a prominent role. I believe the theme is somewhere along the lines of gaining morality through love experience, or essentially the consequences of love. The fact that Gurov pretty much is portrayed as treating women without compassion and takes them for granted initiates the possibility as morality being included in the theme. Through the experience of the somewhat sudden overwhelming love, Gurov starts to be more concerned about the consequences of his actions. This little change in character could be a sign of the change in morality through love experience. Also the love can be seen as more of a problem for the characters. The consequences of the love effect their lives in that the sudden love creates a barrier between current responsibilities  and the pursuit of greater happiness. Ultimately the love in this story may possibly seem more of cause than solution to problems.
   In "The Horse Dealer's Daughter" love is also a prominent role to the theme. I am not exactly sure on a exact theme but i know it does deal with love because Mabel essentially wants to feel love and be loved after going through her experiences. She experiences a sense of death and is changed by the experience immensely. In a way the deaths she had experienced killed a part of her and with death came new beginnings. In a way Mabel and Jack's love is kind of a solution to most of their problems. Also i think the change from the wet clothes can be a symbol expressing the new beginnings. Love is definitely prominent in both stories and i think what contrasts the stories is that; in one story love is a solution to problems and in the other, love is more of a cause of problems.

RR3 - Setting the Irony

The setting Poe uses in "The Cask of Amontillado" is very dark and sinister.  Most of the story is set in a catacomb which progressively gets smaller which creates uneasiness and ultimately creates a very dark setting. Throughout the story the catacombs are described in a manner that pretty much foreshadows that the story will probably not have a happy ending. The catacombs Montressor and Fortunado are walking into are described as damp which makes sure that the location is definitely not a comfortable setting. From the beginning we know Montressor is essentially out for revenge against Fortunado. He is out for revenge for "the thousand injuries"  Fortunado has done to him. It is unclear exactly for what but we know he had done something to greatly upset Montressor. Poe utilizes the use of irony pretty well, for example Fortunado starts coughing more and more and Montressor suggest they should go back because he would not want to be responsible for any illness; Fortunado then says " the cough is mere nothing, it will not kill me i shall not die of a cough". Therefore Montressor presents a drink and Fortunado says " I drink to the buried that repose around us" and cleverly Montressor responds " and I to your long life".  This simple gesture is actually the most ironic and dark humorous events in the whole story. Considering how the story ends this simple toast is what showcases and brings together the dark setting and irony to the story. Altogether the use of  setting and irony helps the reader decipher the overall darkness of the story.

RR2 - A Useful Point of View

Lorrie Moore's use of point of view choice in " How to Become a Writer "is very useful in creating a sense of depth to the story. The reason for that is  because the main character, Francie who is also the narrator can manipulate and hide things from the reader which provokes more critical thinking. Also in using the word "you" throughout the story we do not know exactly if the character is talking directly to the reader or possibly somebody else. By not knowing exactly who the character is writing to it brings ease to many different interpretations. I feel the choice of point of view makes the overall story easier to relate to and easier to read because it is written almost as if somebody if talking directly to the reader in a conversation. If the author were to use another point if view it would definitely create a different and more distant feeling to the story because the chosen point of view gives the reader a sense of a more personal perspective about "becoming a writer".For example throughout the story we learn about events in the characters life through her own words; if most of the events were told in a different perspective, the reader would probably not view the character as believable compared to the way it is written. The character is pretty comical throughout the story and nails many cliches about writers , and also seems like she is always misunderstood when it comes to her writing. I thought it was funny how she explained many of her stories briefly and they mostly ended up with somebody blowing up. She also explains that many teachers and students commented that her stories lacked a plot. I believe the same can be said about "How to Become a Writer" but I believe it was done with a purpose. I do not know the exact purpose but the authors use of essentially pointing it out within the story through the main character's point of view has to have some reason. Overall I think the choice of point of view was ultimately chosen because there is no better way to explain how to "become" a writer than to have it from a "writer's" point of view. It is one factor and perspective of becoming a writer since all writers are different and it would be hard to explain, pin-point, and define the process of becoming writer.On the contrary  maybe writers are not fabricated, but born.