Katharine Brush's Short Story 'Birthday Party'

Katharine Brush uses literary techniques in Birthday Party to convey the sense of helplessness an abused person feels in an abusive relationship.

The Birthday by Mike McCormick seemed to start out strange at first but as the reader keeps reading the story it gets more bizarre,and as a result it could change the reader's perspective on things, resulting in a whole new point of view of life in the future. It’s a short story about a kid who is having a birthday party, and his dad who just happens to drop to the ground and starts spewing smoke out of his nose and mouth, and an occasional spark would occur around him, at first one might think he was struck by lightning or electricity but that's not the case here. The kid's mom then quickly got everyone inside and decided to call Uncle Steve, at first the reader might think, maybe he is a doctor, maybe he knows how to fix this strange problem the dad was having. But all we knew was that he is just their uncle. When uncle steve arrived he asked the Nate if he wanted to go help fix his dad, as uncle steve was checking on Nate's dad he seemed to be using strange methods and tools like screwdrivers and pliers, while also tugging at his arms, wrenching at something underneath his armpit, and sticking his finger between his teeth feeling for something, but somehow that made him work again.

First, Brush starts off the story by describing the couple that were at the restaurant. “They were a couple in their late thirties, and they looked unmistakably married.” “The man had a round, self-satisfied face, with glasses on it; the woman was fadingly pretty in a big hat.” Brush has now provided us with an image of the main characters in this short story. Furthermore, he became “hotly embarrassed” when he realizes what is going on. Towards the end of the story the wife was “crying quietly, and heartbrokenly and hopelessly, all to herself, under the gay big brim of her best hat>” When her husband did not appreciate

Didion’s continuous derogative tone towards the Las Vegas wedding scene places her above the newlyweds of the absurd weddings. She differentiates herself and the implausible and bizarre captivating wedding scene that’s unlike any other. She describes the Las Vegas wedding an illegitimate ‘expectations’ for brides and grooms. The use of quotations surrounding the word ‘expectation’ sarcastically details her anecdotes. She even goes as far as to describe the Las Vegas wedding as a children’s game. After noticing “actual wedding parties”, Didion judges the weddings on the basis of her expectations and builds skepticism of the wedding industry. She criticized a young pregnant bride that outspokenly said, ‘“It was just as nice as I hoped and dreamed it would be’”. Sadly society has diverted away from tradition and has been blindsided by business and industries that take advantage of insensible and oblivious citizens.

Women are taught from a young age that marriage is the end all be all in happiness, in the short story “The Story of An Hour” by Kate Chopin and the drama “Poof!” by Lynn Nottage, we learn that it is not always the case. Mrs. Mallard from “The Story of an Hour” and Loureen from “Poof!” are different characteristically, story-wise, and time-wise, but share a similar plight. Two women tied down to men whom they no longer love and a life they no longer feel is theirs. Unlike widows in happy marriages Loureen and Mrs., Mallard discover newfound freedom in their respective husband’s deaths. Both stories explore stereotypical housewives who serve their husbands with un-stereotypical reactions to their husband’s deaths.

Television psychologists and pop culture self-help gurus tell us that marriage is hard work; marriage is compromise; marriage is a choice between being right, and being happy. All of these statements are true. What these experts don’t tell us, however, is that marriage is also about putting on blinders, or looking on the bright side, or one of a hundred other trite phrases to explain the art of self-deception. In marriage, there are times when we may find it necessary to look the other way from our spouse’s faults or indiscretions, in the interest of self-preservation. For if we examine these problems too closely, our darkest, most secret fears may come true. Therefore, it can seem easier to focus on the positive. In her poem “Surprise,” Jane Kenyon uses denial, selective perception, and fear of betrayal to illustrate the self-deception that can occur in marriage.

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 Yellow Wallpaper”, written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and “The Chrysanthemums”, by John Steinbeck, are two inspirational stories about the limitations and stereotypical roles of a woman in the early 1900’s. The reader can easily conclude that in both of the stories, the women feel like they are underappreciated by their husbands. In “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the woman keeps describing herself as “one’s self”, as she feels that she is not her own person. The viewers notice this woman has a husband, John, whom is her caretaker and believes he shows his love in a very dysfunctional way. In order for her to remain stable, she relies on writing, which John does not like and has in his head that she is sick. This

In Judy (Syfers) Brady’s article, “I Want a Wife”, she expresses her opinions in a satirical commentary that offers hypothetical criteria for an ideal wife, with an underlying message that deals with how people should be grateful for all of the deeds and chores that women do. Brady utilizes the strategy of

“Birthday Party” by Katherine Brush uses literary devices such as tone, point of view, diction, and sensory details to achieve her purpose.

The author of “The Dinner Party” uses his characters to express the message that both men and women have equal control, and that one must take control of situation and make the best of what is happening. The characters of the story are what show the reader the message. The visiting naturalist shows the message of taking control of the situation and making the best of what is happening. Mrs. Wynnes, the hostess, shows that women have just as much control as men.

Marriage is depicted as an adventurous lifestyle between two “soul mates” for an eternity, but during the 20th century women were viewed as house wives. Gail Godwin’s “A Sorrowful Woman” and Karen Van der Zee’s “A Secret Sorrowful” illustrate how men exceed boundaries to satisfy women. These two narratives demonstrate how children can play a huge part in a couple 's marriage from different perspectives. “A Sorrowful Woman” and “A Secret Sorrow” demonstrate how the husbands so dearly loved their family, although Godwin implies the marriage is slowly falling apart, Van der Zee reveals an infertile marriage that is prosperous and full of love.

In the short story "The Birthday Party", by Katherine Brush, Brush utilizes literary devices to portray the fact that people act heartlessly towards each other. Brush uses imagery in multiple occasions as well as inference. First of all, Brush utilizes imagery to help stimulate one the five senses. The sense that is stimulated is "sight". For instance, the author writes, "The man had a round, self-satisfied face, with glasses on it..."

Throughout the short story, The Birthday, the writer, Samantha Ashenhurst uses the writing tool: Get the name of the dog. To begin with, Samantha begins the story with a descriptive introduction, which gives the reader the ability to visualize the current circumstance’s atmosphere. For instance, the author mentions the specific kind of drink and pizza, the color of the blinds, the exact number of times she pukes, and takes medicine, etc. She describes the background’s setting in details as well. In my opinion, Samantha’s very specific, which portrays how honest she is. This also leads to building the writer’s own distinct voice. Thus, this effectively initiates a connection with the reader psychologically.

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