’Is it done?’ he asks, the responsible married man finding his voice. I forgot to say he thinks he’s going to be manager some sunny day, maybe in 1990 when it’s called the Great Alexandrov and Petrooshki Tea Company or something.” (Updike, 2)
This passage puzzled me for several reasons. First, I haven’t quite figured out what he means by “is it done?” Is this simply a question about whether the girls are out of sight so Stoksie knows he can relax again, or something else? Is this about a man fighting with himself, one part the married and responsible man with a dream to be manager, and the other part still a boy? Second, Updike’s reference to Alexandrov and Petrooshki seems to be a Russian reference, which makes me wonder what is happening
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Also, his description of Lengel taking his place so quickly to check out sheep seems to paint a picture of interchangeable parts, a place where no one is important. Is this a reference to communism? Finally, the last sentence is likely the most important of the entire story, but I am not sure if he means life will be hard because he quit, or life will be hard because he knows he can no longer be a sheep.
The Lady with the Little Dog by Anton Chekhov
“How can I justify myself? I’m a bad, low woman, I despise myself and am not even thinking of any justification. It’s not only my husband I’ve deceived but, my own self! And not only now, I’ve been deceiving myself for a long time.” (Chekhov, 6)
To me, this was one of the most powerful passages of the entire short story. Why does Anna think she has deceived herself now, has her short-term happiness and the acknowledgement of her desires made her realize how unhappy she has been? Is she a low woman because by allowing herself to give in to her desires she has gone against her religion? Is her statement about being a low woman related at all to the action she has just taken, or is it the bigger lie, her marriage to a husband she doesn’t