I think I am starting to understand the whole ex-patriot thing. This story helped me understand how hard times were back during WWI.
The part that I was most interested in with this story was the romance aspect of it all. I thought this whirl wind romance with a soldier was nicely weaved in with everything else going on in Miranda's life. I thought this was one of the more romantic things that I have read in awhile (maybe I just need a boyfriend or something). For a man to hold a bucket while a woman throws up in it is possibly one of the sweetest things that I have read ["Do excuse me" (Porter 300)]. Then to still pat her and tell her he loves her, "He lay down beside her with his arm under her shoulder, and pressed his smooth face against hers, his mouth moved towards her mouth and stopped. 'Can you hear what I am saying?...What do you think I have been trying to tell you all this time?" It almost made me cry it was so sweet (I'm sorry, I'm a softy). Unfortunately, I wondered if it was real. In this scene I questioned whether Adam was really even there. This whole scene seemed so dreamlike to me, and Miranda was so sick that she was hallucinatory, that I questioned if it really happened or not. I also found it a little odd (and kind of scary) that she was taken away while he was (or she thought he was) down the street picking up more ice and coffee. It does make sense that he would be in this scene since he ends up dying of influenza. But was he really in this scene? Why didn't he barge his way into the hospital instead of just leaving a note? Did he die because he caught influenza from her? Why isn't she more upset when she finds out that he dies? Is she just resigned about the whole thing? I also thought it was interesting that there is a scene like this where the manly soldier rescues the woman in a story about a woman who is supporting herself and working during war times.
On another note (ha, no pun intended), the lyrics to Pale Horse and his Rider are at this website, I think this is the song that is referenced in the story, but I am not sure (why would the title be different?): http://www.metrolyrics.com/the-pale-horse-his-rider-lyrics-hank-williams.html
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Oh my God... I have this song on my iTunes! I totally did not connect this song in my head, I think I just skimmed over the lyrics in the story.
(Huge Hank Williams fan here.)
I was listening to the whole song, and the lyrics are very interesting if you're trying to connect it to the story. Also, Williams is an interesting choice since he's this bleeding heart old country singer. Not someone you would think of when thinking of a career woman living a fast paced life. Maybe connecting to the past Miranda?
I agree; out of all of the stories we have read between Porter and O’Connor, this is the only romantic one I can think of. The stories we have read up until now have been very dismal and we are left feeling sorry for most of the characters that are presented to us. Either someone dies, is rejected or has their artificial limb stolen. The relationships presented in these other stories are always very complicated as well; there are families who do not get along, families who do not understand each other and others who are just disrespectful. But the relationship in “Pale Horse, Pale Rider” is the most loving one I think I’ve seen and I really enjoyed it. I am a hopeless romantic and I cannot help liking this story more than any other one we have read so far.
Oh, I loved this post:) I agree, it was very romantic. I think her stoicism at the end is the really alarming element in the tragedy, though. The expected reaction in any other dramatic narrative would be an emotional outburst or some other indication of grief. On one hand, I think the fact that she has come to understand the existence of a beautiful afterlife consoles her because she knows she'll return to it and find him eventually (or at least, that he is now enjoying said afterlife). But I also think the broken, hollow nature of her stoicism suggests the fact that the damage everyone has sustained during the war will not ever be repaired simply because the war is over. It isn't enough that she and other are still alive, and she can't find it in her heart to experience any positive emotions just by virtue of survival. I think her situation parallels the notion that the victory day fanfare isn't enough: society won't be "okay" just because it has survived the war.
Okay, I am beginning to think that the lyrics to the song that I posted are not correct. I think someone brought up the quote from the bible from Revelations, "Behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death." This makes more sense to me, but then what song are they referring to in the story? Did Hank Williams just redo a church song? I don't know why I am letting this bug me so much, probably since the title indicates that this phrase is very important to the story.
The most interesting part of the song in my opinion is last line which reads something like"if you"If you're not saved you'll be lost in the night when the pale horse and rider come by." I wonder why Death saves Miranda's soul but not Adam's soul? Also, it made me question whether Miranda or Adam could fit the role of the pale rider who judges which soul to save and which to take...Just an interesting idea. I'm not sure if I could find the textual evidence to make an argument for either case...
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