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Katharine Brush's Birthday Party

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Marriage is one of the most revered institutions in most societies. Often a momentous event, most couples who choose to get married look forward to their wedding day and spending the rest of their lives together. However, the honeymoon phase of marriage may have the tendency to fade over time, and relationships that were once strong and loving may become strained. In the short story Birthday Party by Katharine Brush, a particular instance of such a weakened relationship is highlighted as the observer in the story witnesses a married man and woman celebrating a birthday in a restaurant. Through the use of vivid description and powerful word choice, Brush effectively comments on the concept of marriage and relationships and emphasizes their romantic impermanence and sometimes inevitable deterioration. The physical description of the couple and their …show more content…

At the beginning of the story, Brush describes the couple as “unmistakably married,” and the woman is described as being “fadingly pretty.” Although it is clear that the two are indeed in a relationship, the description of the woman reveals that she once was beautiful, but now in a much more lackluster way; a way that Brush implies may have been more vibrant in the past. Despite the fact that there is no doubt the couple is married, Brush draws a subtle parallel between the woman’s faded appearance and her relationship with her husband, insinuating that it is time-worn and only bound to grow weaker in the future. In addition to this description, Brush also vividly depicts the actions of the husband to further develop her commentary. Once the birthday cake surprise is brought out for him, he is “hotly embarrassed, and indignant at his wife for embarrassing him.” Through this repetitive indication of embarrassment and the evident

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