Relationships in Minimum of Two Essay Example for Free

Relationships in Minimum of Two EssayThe story Laps encapsulates the importance of introduceing retiring(a) afflictions and deprivationes. As a young adult, Queenie is rejected by her hometown community of Angelus, make into a loser, an outcast. From early on in the opening passage we are given an indication of past hurts, a grave and a cause and a well of bitterness. Through this use of strong imagery and metaphor, Winton establishes character and highlights Queenies intelligence of disconnection from her past.Additionally, the use of interior monologue much(prenominal) as all this time theyve been growing, and Ive gone to fat gives us an indication that although time has passed and people cook gestured on with their lives, Queenie has remained stationary in her past, unable to move on from her rejection and disadvantage. She is numb with the weight of the past, feeling as though all this was a story she had read somewhere it didnt be part of her life. Queenies isol ation is further reflected in the setting. Angelus is a physical representation of Queenies past, as she says I want to back things. ike this town being the past. Additionally, water is used as a reoccurring symbol the ocean, once a place of happy childhood memories, is now a place of exile and defeat. The metaphoric description of the steel surface of the harbour is an example of pathetic fallacy, reflecting Queenies hardness, her sense of rejection and defeat as an outsider. Further much, juxtaposition in setting is used to contrast the urban representing the present, new life of softness with her prior life in the countryside a symbol of hardness and her past loss and defeat.Queenie is aware that she has not moved on from her past, The hurt of seven years before had healed them together in a way they had not evaluateshe had been numb for longer than she could remember. She submits her husband, suggesting they return to Angelus for a weekend, saying places shouldnt frighten us anymore. a place cant eff you forever. We can see that Queenie has come to the realisation that in order the move forward she mustiness take a step back into her past.As Queenie and her young family approach Angelus, the town is described as a new galaxy, reflecting change and as well as Queenies sense of pretend and anticipation. As they enter the town, the family is dumbfounded by how much it has changed Angelus had learned to live off its dyingit was a town looking bright approach into the future. The notion of the town and community having moved on in time is a stark contrast to Queenies step back into her past. As they return to Angelus, Winton begins to give us snippets of information similar to flashbacks of her past.The revelation of Queenies loss and defeat to the reader is parallel to Queenies confrontation with her past. As the family move through the town, visiting places from their past, we see that Queenie slowly gains hope and comfort that she can move on wi th her life, as well as regaining her confidence, putting her past into a broader perspective. The idea of Angelus as just a place suggests that through visiting , Queenie is finally able to detach herself from her past. The story ends on a sense of hope as Queenie lunges into the water, not invincible but strong.She comes to the realisation that she knew she could swim it all out of her she can finally move on from her grief and loss. Through this story, Winton reveals that sometimes in order to move forward you have to take a step back you have to move on or your past will destroy you. Gravity is another story highlighting the importance of confronting the past. On the anniversary of his fathers death, Jerra is forced to confront his loss and fathers absence. From earlier stories in the Nilsam suite we learn that Jerra can be self-indulgent and immature, taking a long time to approve changed circumstances.This inability to confront the past reaches a climax in Gravity. Jerra is unable to move on the loss of this father has bounded him to the past, giving him a sense of emptiness, there was a hole in himsomething was lost. From the opening passage Jerras self-indulgence and bitterness is evident by his reluctance to return to the society he is supposed to be co-hosting. The use of flashbacks of Jerras father teaching him to ride a bike highlights the bond of the father-son relationship and the pain of Jerras loss And then the grip gone, no old man.Sudden grave feeling of independence. Turning, turning. Jerra is hit with the realisation that his father is gone, that he is alone it was riding win that street, as though he had been balancing a cycle for the first time. There was no exhilaration in it, only a terrible sense of gravity. The memory of learning to ride a bike is a metaphor of Jerras current struggle to deal with reality he must stay on the bike in order to move forward or be dragged down by gravity Jerra must move on or be held down by the past.The vibrant atmosphere of the party is a stark contrast to Jerras sense of loss. Everything is a blur, he felt up a little punch drunk, disoriented. As the party wore on, Jerra seeks refuge in the studio which his father built for him. As Jerra unlocks the studio door, he is unlocking his past. The studio is linked to the Tower of Babel, suggesting a safe haven, a place of sanctuary. Compared to the world outside the walls of the studio, everything within is clear Winton uses listing to describe the studio in great detail.The studio is a physical representation of the connection between father and son. By coming here, we are given an indication that Jerra is ready to confront his past and move on with his life. The studio is full of memories, and as Jerra is forced to confront them and reflect, we see a sudden change in the way he sees the world. Nilsam was a father. He was a husband. He was a son Jerra finally accepts his responsibilities and understands his place in life. As with Laps, the story ends on an optimistic note, the setting of filter symbolizing a new day and bright future. Today he would do many things Jerra is finally able to move forward and make the some of his life, after directly confronting his fathers loss. Jerra acknowledges his fathers death and his responsibility of his own role as a father, and comes to the realization that life ineluctably to be lived. On the other hand, Minimum of Two challenges the idea of confronting the past. The story highlights that taking the wrong approach to a problem, especially matters that involve others, can have disastrous consequences. Madigan is consumed with anger, frustration and bitterness over the rape of his wife Greta.The use of short, sharp syntax in the quote I was ashamed. That hatred came back and I was frightened of myself illustrates Madigans raw emotion of fear, anger and guilt at his inability to console his wife. Winton uses contrast to show Gretas deterioration Greta had ne ver been a weak person but Greta was no longer strong, there was nothing. Madigan is well aware that the couples relationship is disintegrating, likening it to starving to death. This simile shows his utter helplessness as he watches his wife suffer physically and mentally.His hunger for his wife and helplessness at her alienation drives Madigan into darker emotions, his anger building up into hatred and revenge, to the want to kill Fred Blakey. Unlike Laps and Gravity, the story has a sombre ending, with Madigan realising that something had slipped from his grasp. Consumed with anger, Madigan kills Fred Blakey, yet in that moment he knew he had lost his life. He was a defunct man. In the moments following his act of revenge, Madigan has the crystalline realisation that revenge means absolutely nothing.In this story, Winton suggests that sometimes when we try and confront our problems, we end up devising things worse. Winton explores both the positive and negative outcomes of co nfronting ones problems, highlighting the need to do so in order to move forward. This message is evident in Laps and Gravity, where the protagonists are forced to confront their past loss and defeat. In these two stories, Winton suggests that in order to move forward, a backwards step into the past is necessary.Although the process may bring back painful memories, Winton shows that there is hope for those who confront their problems. However, Winton also emphasises the need to deal with problems from the right approach, with calm rather than bitterness, the failure of doing so resulting in potentially disastrous consequences as seen in Minimum of Two. As a whole, the anthology of stories reveals to us that those who confront their problems do deal with them more successfully, and are able to move on with their lives.