Analysis Of Call My Name By Aimee Bender

Have you ever wanted someone to tie you up to a chair? Have you ever tried to control your environment and the people in it? Controlling things can make you feel safe and empowering especially if you did not have a father growing up. Some individuals like controlling people by questioning them at random locations. Some also like to be controlling to the point of obscene acts from random men. What would motivate someone to do these things? In the story “Call My Name” by Aimee Bender, the character is controlling when it comes to material objects and the environment she is in. The woman in the story also likes to control people by auditioning them even though these individuals are unaware of said auditions. In some extremes, controlling to the point of following a stranger home on a subway in hopes of seducing them based on the clothing she wears is one variable that a person can use to stand out from the crowd she is in.

Some people like to attempt to control their environment by standing out. If someone wanted to influence what people looked at, they could wear a floor length dress on a subway. The woman character from the story states “Today I am wearing a maroon satin, a floor Length dress with a V back” (citation). She also goes on about how other items draw more attention to herself. At the end of the story, she even talks about how the men are pleased to awe in her appearance. She is clearly trying to control what men are looking at on the subway. If she was not trying to entice the eyes of the men, then she would have just worn plain, casual clothing on the subway. Using words to control the actions of someone else is another way in which a person can