Friday, September 19, 2014
Mrs Kelly's Monster
The title alone of this reading grabs the readers attention, wanting us to know what is this monster? The way in which Jon Franklin sets up his story works well. He starts off telling us about Mrs Kelly and her husbands day, their daily routines and then brings us right into the problem and what is her monster. This allows the reader to have something to relate with the topic, showing that this could have happened to anyone, and just like that our daily routines can be altered. To add on, it also shows how strong Mrs Kelly was when Franklin mentions how she kept going and living with the pain even for another birth of her child and to take care of her husband. I like that Franklin used time tables to show us when things were happening because it was almost like I was there in the room with the doctor as he was doing the surgery, looking back and forth from the clock to the operating table. It made this intense situation even more intense. It was very effective.
Emotions are what drive this piece. We hang on as readers to see what happens to her because of the language that he uses and the tense situation. When someone's life is in danger, we want to see a miracle happen and for that person to be able to make it and beat the odds. The final line of the story, when he says "The monster won." is showing us that Mrs. Kelly did not make it through surgery, but Franklin reminds us of what Mrs. Kelly had said before the surgery, "I'm not afraid to die." The emotional ending leaves us wondering how Mr. Kelly is going to be able to live on his own without his wife.
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I found myself thinking the same thing as you at the end of "Mrs. Kelly's Monster": How Mrs. Kelley's family would survive this tragedy. I also wondered how the doctor would feel losing this patient in a complicated brain surgery. Also, I considered the morale of the entire operating room with this woman who will never wake up again. I think this is in agreement with the idea of the "time table" technique you were talking about. The author very effectively engages the reader to the point where the reader is part of this tense environment. I also think that the beginning of the story connects the patient and the doctor and how they both lives their day-to-day life. This element makes the characters all more relatable to the readers.
ReplyDeleteI think your right about the power of time in this piece. It reminds you just how much effort is put into the surgery and how much time the surgeon is spending. Like you said, you feel like you are in the room. I also think the authors use of emotion is what attracted me so much to this piece. The human element of compassion is definitely touched with by the author. As readers we can all put ourselves in this position of Mrs. Kelly and the family.
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