Re: That Tree

I don't know if he really takes her back or he actually wants to be with her. I think it's more about the idea. He says that he defends her to others that criticize her, but the entire story is pretty much how snobby she is... basically how she NEVER ever would have fit into his lifestyle. He was always dreaming about other things, and he never listened to her until she left.

She was the same way too. The reason that they got together in the first place was because she said she wanted something different than the boring life she had back home. This poet offered her a fantasy... however the fantasy ended up being a nightmare for her. To him, living a life of constant struggle gave him excitement, and it wore her out because she worked her butt off so he could live in his fantasy.

When she finally leaves, he doesn't have the tension anymore. He also doesn't have the financial support, which makes him go get a real job. When she leaves his life, his muse is gone. The muse of struggle and tension and turmoil that a bad relationship offers - not her necessarily.

In the end when he "takes her back," it is all on his terms. No marriage, no compromise, no washer/dryer... She must spend the rest of her life repenting for leaving him. There must be some co-dependency between these two, and I do not think that a second time around is going to make anything better. It sounds like they will just continue to be miserable.

I also think it is important to note how he states their break up. Even though she is the one who leaves, he says she kicked him out. Why is that? Especially when the story emphasizes that she hated Mexico, so it is implied she wouldn't stay.