Plot & Theme of both
What is the Plot of Balances?
In life we are constantly trying to balance things, such as our mothers versus our fathers, truth versus lies, and love versus pain. In difficult relationships, come the difficult balance of the pain of love, and the pleasure of loneliness.
What does the statement "attention had shifted from the man and the woman, I saw him say something to her under his breathâ symbolise?
Symbolises that idea that people don't know what is going on beneath the covers of someones life?
What does the "our sweet black essence---or the funky honkies down the street" reveal?
That the author knows the other person in their relationship will not stay loyal to her and will betray her.
How is Balances Structred?
By starting out with insignificant comparisons, such as grades, and moving to more significant concepts, such as love.
What is the thesis of Balances?
In the short story The Birthday Party by Katherine Brush and poem Balances by Nikki Giovanni the devices of mood change, comparison, and symbolism are employed in order to portray the complexity and two sides of life, ultimately illustrating that people never fully know the full story of other people's lives and that life is in a constant situation of balancing.
On her husbands birthday, the wife decides to surprise him with a cake and live orchestra. Despite acting excited, when the people were no longer paying attention to the couple, the husband reprimanded his wife for "embarrassing him", leading the women to cry.
What can we assume about the husband through his behavior in the passage?
The husband has control in their relationship dynamic, and is likely arrogant.
What does the line "one is always
balancing" reveal about the main character?
How is The Birthday party structured?
By starting out with the couple seeming picture perfect and then shifting to showing the reality of the couples dynamic behind the scenes.
What is the thesis of The Birthday Party?
In the short story The Birthday Party, Katherine Brush presents a change in mood, comparison, and symbolism in order to portray the behind the scenes of a relationship, ultimately illustrating that people never fully know the full story of other peoples lives.
What is the theme of Balances?
The theme of balances is the faults of love and the loss of love.
Irony is displayed by the wife attempting to do something kind and thoughtful and it ending up a disaster and upsetting for both of the parties involved.
What does the line "3 grains of salt --- to one ounce truth" mean?
The author is consistently being lied to and tries to balance the lies and the truth.
What is the setting/time of Balances?
How does the theme of control explored in Balances?
The theme of control is explored by the concept of balance not being ensured. There will always be points at which life will not be able to be controlled, or the situation has no perfect outcome, which is shown by the relationship that had a range of emotions (including love) coming to an end.
What is the theme of The Birthday Party?
The theme of The Birthday Party is that despite someones life seeming perfect, it could all be illusory.
What are things the hat symbolises?
The wifes big heart that she wears on her sleeve, or a metaphor for a mask she uses to hide her disappointment with the relationship.
What is revealed about the main characters life throughout the poem?
She had family issues growing up and saw a lot of conflict between her parents which is mirrored in her new relationship.
How does the theme of control explored in The Birthday Party?
The theme of control is displayed in The Birthday Party by an outcome the wife not expecting coming true and the husbands anger at not having power in the situation. The wife lost control of the situation by her plan of a happy evening becoming a disaster and the husband immediately became angry when he had no control over the situation. This displays the dynamic of control for both the characters and their relationship.
How does the theme of control change the interpretation of Balances?
It changes the idea of the story from a difficult love, to a struggle to keep everything in her life under control. It shifts the perspective from one about a problematic love ending, to one about struggling to keep the love balanced within her life.
How is the theme of love displayed in The Birthday party?
The theme of love is displayed by showing that despite the pain the husband is causing, the wife still goes through the effort to try and please him and reach his unrealistic standards.
How is the theme of love displayed in Balances?
The theme of love is displayed by showing how the partner is causing the author pain, and yet the author tries to fight for the love, as well as having to come to the conclusion if painful love is better than peaceful loneliness.
How does the theme of control change the interpretation of The Birthday Party?
The theme shifts from a story of an unpredicted outcome, to the husbands issue of control. The husband seems picture perfect, but hidden behind the scenes, it was clear that the husband was upset with the fact that his image was ruined and his lack of control over the situations and not just an accidental bad situation.
What is the combined thesis?
Both of the stories show the complexity of life. They show the two sides of life where there is happiness, but there are also issues that cause grief and pain. In both the stories, the characters are just attempting to get through their lives and deal with their pain in their own ways.