The Handmaid's Short Story 'Break'

Relationships are never easy, and as the famous expression goes, it takes two to tango. People often find that If one does not put their time and effort into making the relationship work, then it reveals something about their character. In the short story, “Bluffing”, by Gail Helgason, this is proven to be true. Helgason first drops subtle hints that the antagonist, Liam, is a bad boyfriend; this is confirmed to be true further on in the story. Through many crises and breakthroughs, his reactions reveal his true lousy character.

Having an intimate relationship with someone else is important for it provides one with an emotional outlet, and can result in some of the most enjoyable experiences in one’s lifetime. However, the process of maintaining one can be challenging. In her short story Write Me Sometime, Taien Ng-Chan explores the detrimental effect of deviating perspectives on the development of a relationship. Initially, Ng-Chan and her father have an intimate relationship with each other. As time progresses, however, the unaddressed deviations between Ng-Chan and her father’s perspectives ultimately cause the collapse of their relationship. Her changing perspectives stem from her changing family dynamics, personal transformation and lack of communication; these

The article “Man-Made Misery” by Thomas M. Colicino, discusses how some love stories aren’t meant to last. Thomas describes the day he first met a girl named Katherine during his sophomore year of High School. By senior year of High School the author writes how he decides to make a move on Katherine. Thomas confesses his true feelings to her however she ends up telling him she has a boyfriend and pretends he knew the whole time.

Many love stories end with happy endings, while others lead to tragedy. A forbidden love story is displayed in the play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand where a love triangle is created between the main characters. This is shown specifically shown in the balcony scene with the characters Roxane, Christian, and Cyrano. The balcony scene is a representation of how the characters hide their true feelings towards one another to protect the truth. Obstacles prevent those to show true feelings and affections to the ones who mean most.

In the story the author portrays the protagonist differently from the other characters because she talks about the physical appearance of other characters and when it comes to the narrator we have no idea what she looks like but she is developed partially through her relationship with other characters, although we the readers do come the find out that the narrator is around the age of 15-17 years old and we can assume that she has a bad relationship with her parents because first of all she talks about them maybe once or twice in the whole story and second of all we know that they sent her to boarding school so that alone proves that her relationship with them is lacking. As readers we also know that she has trouble opening up in the story she say “To open your heart. You open your legs but can’t, or don’t dare anyone, to open your heart” (237). This is a prime example of how author characterizes the protagonist as broken and emotionally damaged. And as the story progress the author becomes more honest with us the readers and herself, she starts the reveal the pain she is in and how lonely she feels. The narrator gives us an example of how she feels after sex by saying “After sex, you curl up like a shrimp, something deep inside you ruined, slammed in a place that sickness at

In today’s society, a serious, committed relationship is a major goal that many try to achieve. Many individuals go out of their way to find their perfect match, their other half. Once a person has found their significant other, they develop a set of expectations. People want to believe that the relationship will be perfect and long-lasting. However, it is inevitable that along the way many difficulties will be encountered. Often times, these issues are the result of miscommunications. In the story “Hills Like White Elephants”, the author uses the story line to demonstrate the problems in a relationship due to miscommunication, and how the lack of communication leads to strict gender roles.

It was dark, and that worried Anton. He tried not to come outside during this time of night, (because that was when they came out) but this was the only time his contact would agree to meet with him. Looking across the horizon, Anton could see the sun going down. “Huh,” he says. “I can’t remember the last time I actually saw a sunset.” He kept walking, and eventually reached the outskirts of the city. I can’t remember what this place was called, he thought as he walked. A worn-down building answered his question; tattered letters on the side of the wall displayed the words NYPD.

The way his legs hung down toward the water was the epitome of how he was feeling in that moment. A microsecond from falling, every part of his body pulsing with fear and adrenaline. Knowing he would die if he didn’t pull himself up onto the rock, he considered the risks he would have to make. His only foible was the weakness in his arms, notwithstanding a day of nonstop climbing.

He didn't even really know what he was running from. Maybe the well, in which decaying bodies of the soulless sat. Or perhaps he was just running from his problems— he couldn't be certain. All he did know for sure was that he ran and ran and ran. John’s feet were no longer part of his body, they had a mind of their own. An overwhelming amount of puissance possessed him, never in his twenty seven years of existence had he felt this type of adrenaline before. The type of adrenaline a heroine addict feels after the drug disperses through their veins.

This quotation is significant to the rest of the story because it sheds light on what really are the views of the civilians. At first the civilians just wanted liberty and justice for all the tyranny they had been put through, which is true but then they say if not then death will come. This perverts their wants into more than just liberty but now they wanted the death of the aristocracy, them being so impoverished is playing with their minds and they don’t realize what they are saying or doing. They will do anything for the cause even  if it is against their morals. This impacts the rest of the story because the common people want heads for revenge for all they have been put through.

Many authors choose to present love and it’s complications in similar ways, illustrating the fact that relationships often go through struggles due to the same problem; lack of communication. Whether it is platonic, familial and unrequited love, writers were able to demonstrate this through literature in the form of prose, poems and drama. The message the authors have successfully presented is that communication is key in every relationship, and if studied in depth, relationships which fail are often the ones which lack communication and the source of each problem in a storyline, is always due to misunderstandings. ‘Atonement’, ‘Othello’ and ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ are three of the main texts which present struggling relationships due to lack

Once Perceval hurried the small crowd from the room, he asked Ulrich to step into the hallway with him, and Carina, fussing with the bedclothes, overheard the whispered conversation.

With much effort, Bahauddin jumped up and grabbed the weathered wooden rungs attached to the shaft. The raging flame of the oil lantern was Bahauddin’s only source of light as he fingered his long, spindly hands across the rusted iron rungs. With much effort, Bahauddin raised himself up through the shaft, trying not to have his loose white garb with the seven keys slip off of his emaciated shoulders. Oh, why did priestly garb have to be so inefficient!

Every relationship is not the best relationship because sometimes it is like your trapped and isolated so that makes it harder to adjust and bond. In the story “ The Story Of An Hour” Mrs. Mallard was in an overbearing relationship to where she felt trapped. However, her luck would soon change when she gets terrible news about her husband’s death. Meanwhile, the freedom that she thinks she has at that moment will soon be no more because her husband will not be dead. Furthermore, she will soon lose it once the news is broken to her about Mr. Mallard’s status of health. However, just from that, she will begin losing her sanity and herself all at once. And in the end, will die of a joy that kills or sadness that kills. This relationship can be good or bad because it is not always what the spouse wants (Chopin 720) “The Story Of An Hour” relationships are not for everyone simply because it is a commitment until death and some people aren’t as committed.

“The course of true love never did run smooth,” comments Lysander of love’s complications in an exchange with Hermia (Shakespeare I.i.136). Although the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream certainly deals with the difficulty of romance, it is not considered a true love story like Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare, as he unfolds the story, intentionally distances the audience from the emotions of the characters so he can caricature the anguish and burdens endured by the lovers. Through his masterful use of figurative language, Shakespeare examines the theme of the capricious and irrational nature of love.