"For the Year of the Insane" by Sexton

Another poem that caught my eye is, “For the Year of the Insane” by Anne Sexton. This poem is about a woman who appears to be praying to the Virgin Mary about the situation she is in. She holds tightly to her rosary and begins to beg for mercy. The character notes that she has not talked in a year and she is beginning to worry about her death. Also that she is being treated by a doctor and mentions how she seems to be locked in her own mind. She apparently has hope that the Virgin Mary will spare her of her torture but in the poem she says she is an unbeliever. One would think if she is an unbeliever than why would she prey. She does not believe that she is worth being saved and talks as if death has already taken her. She writes,

“In the mind there is a thin alley called death
and I move through it as
through water.
My body is useless.”

-Sexton

She feels that she does not belong where she is yet is scared to speak out. She does not ask for forgiveness or wish good things for others but only to be spared of this unpleasant situation she is in. In fear of everything she turns to religion to be set free even though she knows she does not deserve it. I honestly liked the fact she written it as a pray so we can have insight of what the unspeakable character is thinking and feeling.

"Happy Endings"

The short story “Happy Endings” is by Margaret Atwood. This story is very different from other stories. It allows the reader to choose their own ending of the story. The first part of the story begins,

 “John and Mary meet.

What happens next?

If you want a happy ending, try A.”

-          Atwood

The story continues with endings of the stories A through F. Story A appears to be the perfect happy ending. However, Atwood writes it very broad with no deep details to describe the events. In stories B through F, the different scenarios change drastically for the worse. For example, in story A, John and Mary get married, have children, grow old and die. It is very simple and lacks detail. In story B however, John and Mary get married but John doesn’t love her. Mary finds out John is cheating on her with Madge. Mary takes a lot of sleeping pills with a bottle of sherry and leaves a note for john in hope that he can reach her in time to drive her to the hospital. John never response and Mary dies. John marries Madge and the story continues as in A. Story B has more details and was specific. The plots in every story changes but the endings are always the same. Yet because of the details, the story seems to have worsened and the ‘Happy Ending’ was somewhat deceptive. Then again the title, “Happy Endings” is misleading. It contradicts the whole story which I think what Atwood was trying to accomplish. The stories are harsh and gloomy but it does show reality very well. These scenarios can happen in real life and it shows the reader Atwood’s perspective of what a ‘Happy Ending” really is.

Snow White

Another famous fairy tale we all heard of is “Little Snow-White”, written by the Grimm brothers, Jakob and Wilhelm. This story is very different from the Disney version. The short story begins with Snow White’s mother passing away. The king remarries and the stepmother plans to kill Snow White because she is jealous of her beauty. The queen sends the huntsman to cut out Snow White’s lungs and liver so she can feast on them but the huntsman show mercy and lets her go.  Snow White meets the seven dwarfs and hides with them. However, the queen learns that she is still alive and attempts to kill her three times. In this story three times the charm and Snow White appears dead. The king’s son sees Snow White in her glass coffin and requests the dwarfs to let him have her. As the prince is carrying the coffin he trips and the poisonous apple comes out of her mouth and she is back from the dead. She becomes queen and the stepmother is put into some hot iron slippers and dances until she is dead.

                Snow White is only seven in this story compared to the Disney version where she is an adult. The queen attempts to kill her three times. First, she put Snow White’s laces on to tight, and then gives her a poisonous comb, then finally gives her a poisonous apple that seems to do the trick. Not only has the queen dressed up as an old lady and fools Snow White three times but Snow White appears to be naïve. You would think after two death experiences that she would get the hint. I am very fond of this story because of the unknown events that people never here about. Such as, the first two killing attempts or the queen becoming a cannibal or when Snow White is having zombie-like characteristics by coming back from the dead so many times. Or even when the queen danced to her death in a pair of hot iron shoes. In my opinion this has to be the best ending to a fairy tale. It is the little unexpected events that makes a story memorable.

"Godfather Death"

“Godfather Death” by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm was written in 1812.  This is a fairy tale in which a poor man which is unable to feed his thirteenth son comes to a conclusion that his son must have a godfather to take care of him.  The poor man denies the good Lord and the Devil but accepts Death to become the godfather. Years later the son becomes a doctor and death decides to helps him become a successful doctor, showing his godson a special herb. However, Death warns the doctor not to take any of his “clients” away or he would pay a price. Long story short, the doctor breaks the rules twice after being warned the first time and death takes his own godsons’ life away.  

                This short story may lack the sense of reality but fairy tales usually do. I like this because of the ending. That Death actually sacrificed his own godson because he broke the rules. Death had no sympathy what so ever about him. However, I do not really think Death would be the kind of man that would be sympathetic towards anyone. But in my opinion, the doctor had it coming. He should have known better than to cheat death.  Many fairy tales have surprising endings that always seem to have a bitter fairness to the conclusion. Such as, the doctor cheated death yet in the end death got him. Or in the Grimms fairy tale of “Cinderella” where Cinderella lives happily ever after while her two stepsisters get turned into aspen trees. It’s important to have a surprising ending. It makes the reader appreciate them more.