Week 6

Library at Ancient Ephesus, Turkey 


Welcome back.  Hope all is well!

   The quiz question last week asked you to explore whether "Love in L.A.," by Gilberto Gilb, is a love story, as the title indicates. A few of the responses you gave:

"He did what any other man would do when presented with a very attractive woman."

"Maybe if Jake had been honest . . . ."

". . . more a story about a con artist."  "In an attempt to impress the woman who was from another state he claimed to be an actor who had been in a few movies, which earned him a smile, her phone number, and the request that he call her."

"He wanted her phone number because he felt attracted to her and probably wanted to ask her out on a date."

"Everything Jake is doing is a lie  in order to not get in trouble."

"Through the small details given about Jake (owner of an old car with plates taken from a junkyard, no insurance, no girlfriend), it can be assumed that Jake is also a struggling citizen, dreaming of a better life."

"It is a love story with a twist, tainted with deception . . . ."

" . . . the love the story references is [Jake's] new found love for L.A. itself, the city."

"His sense of freedom comes back to him once he sees Mariana pulling up behind and taking his license number."

"Not only does [Mariana] have to deal with her crashed car, but with a complete stranger trying to be a stud asking her out.  The story says, "He took her smile as a good sign and relaxed," which would make you think she is reciprocating the flirt, but to me it sounds more like she is just trying to be polite and not show how annoyed she really is."

"In relaxing when she smiles, imprinting her unique smell to memory and subtly straightening his rumpled appearance, Jake is communicating clear interest . . . ."

"[Jake] is just a whimsical, eccentric player."


     Your responses were all pretty much spot-on: Jake would do what he could to avoid the cost of the damage he caused to Mariana's nice car.  He's a poor, struggling fellow driving an old Buick (of which he's nonetheless proud), on his own and dreaming of somehow "making it"; and she a fresh beauty, watched over and cared for by Dad.  However truly lovely she seems to him, they make an unlikely match, particularly in light of circumstances. The third person limited narration let's us see into the mind of Jake, and Jake alone, and through dramatic and objective third to observe what each character says to the other and the small, telling actions, such as Mariana, after all is said and done, pulling up to get his plate number, just in case the phone number and insurance information he gave her were false.  She was taken by his charm, outwitted by the many precautions (illegal ones) he took to avoid "capture."

............................................

 Today we will review  "The Last Leaf," linked at last week's homework entry, and a makeup writing for those who missed the group work done in class week 4.  I will take up your short story work and then provide time for you to work on the response due next week, an illustration of a scene, character, moment in one of the stories you've read.

Homework Readings: "Popular Mechanics," by Raymond Carver (handout), and "Hills Like White Elephants,"  by Ernest Hemingway.

Response 4: Illustrate by whatever means you choose an image from one of the stories and briefly describe its role in the story, for example, a setting element wherein important action takes place and a theme is illustrated, or a character whose role is pivotal, as the story gives you to imagine him or her.





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