Personal Response
Gorilla, My Love
People tend to have different perceptions after reading different stories. Reading “Gorilla, My Love” has been one of the adventures I have had in literature. Bambara has chosen the art of short stories to capture the attention of the readers, and my attention has been captured. The collection of stories about African American families living in urban areas is well chosen to reflect the lives of urban families. Also, the choice of speaking from a female first-person ensures that the story is from the heroine’s mouth. Bambara has accurately portrayed the speech patterns to bring out to life the characters in the stories. Therefore, “Gorilla, my love” is full of life and warmth and does not offer a chance for boredom while reading. “Gorilla, My Love” is built on characters that show love and affection to their families and wins the love of every reader who comes across the story. Bambara has considered a keen selection of themes to address most current issues in the family such as betrayal and the position of girl child in the family.
The selection of themes by Bambara is unique. First, Bambara chooses to talk about the family betrayal that is common in families. The story of Hazel shows the betrayal that her uncle does on her. While reading “Gorilla, My Love,” I have been able to relate the betrayal of Hazel’s uncle in real life. The response of Hazel is excellent as she does not hold a grudge as most people would do. Also, the theme of gender features in the larger part of “Gorilla, My Love.” Families have, for a long time, ignored the impact of the children. The position of children has mostly been ceremonial, with people giving attention to the adults, although children have opinions as well. For example, the incident at the movie place where Hazel and other children have gone to watch the movie, “Gorilla, My Love” shows that children are not allowed to make decisions in the presence of adults: “She [does] not smile. So we shut up and watch the simple ass picture” Bambara (449). The children in the movie center are forced to watch the movie about Jesus against their will. Also, “Gorilla, My Love” covers the theme of poverty that affects a large percentage of African American families.
I would recommend “Gorilla, My Love” to every reader with passion and desire of having an excellent read. The work of Bambara considers all the expectations of a reader. The unique selection of themes and a lively building of characters give “Gorilla, My Love” a touch of uniqueness and the ability to capture the attention of readers. Generally, “Gorilla, My Love” is a good read that every reader should be determined to have.
Labyrinth
My first encounter with the Labyrinth was not a promising one. I had a feeling that I was not about to have a good read. However, the feeling changing changed abruptly after starting the story. The first thing to put me off was the title. I sincerely did not have an idea of what was to be expected in the story. However, I have always been a curious reader, and my curiosity paid off in the case of “Labyrinth.” The “Labyrinth” begins with a Bolano looking at a picture and then writing a short piece. The creativity that Bolano shows in coming up with the story from the picture is unique. I had not read a similar story before, and I, therefore, found “Labyrinth” adventurous. The story is a real photo, and every reader would be willing to know the story behind the photo, although the photographer is not credited.
Bolano’s exemplary skill of creating fiction from reality is one of the characteristics portrayed in the “Labyrinth.” For example, Bolano discusses the individuals appearing in the photo as they appear. The lives that the individuals were leading during the time of the photo are also discussed. Additionally, Bolano explains the physical appearance of the individuals in a bid to lead the reader into identifying the individuals. Afterwards, Bolano moves on to create an imaginary situation of the future lives of the individuals presented in the picture, in a way that makes the reader puzzled in the connection between the individuals’ present and future lives: “Let’s suppose that the person who didn’t come was Jacques Henric” Bolano (4). However, Bolano does not completely abandon the picture at any point in the story. I must admit that I am always thrilled by the faithfulness that Bolano shows the picture.
I would recommend anyone looking for an excellent story based on reality to consider reading the “Labyrinth.” The beginning of the story may not be as captivating as expected, but the whole story is worthy of reading. Also, the reader will be involved in the story through the creation of imaginary images of the future lives of the individuals presented by the picture. Besides, Bolano presents a way of creating a captivating story from a simple picture. Generally, “Labyrinth” is worthy of any reader’s time and should be added into the list of to-read stories.
Works Cited
Bambara, Toni Cade. Gorilla, my love. Pocket, 1973.
Bolaño, Roberto, Labyrinth The New Yorker, 2012.