The Relationship
A relationship is all about trust, but is it the case in this story? What will happen if there is no trust? Can it have consequences, for the person who has lack of trust? Lack of trust can say a lot about a person, ex. that the person is jealous or that the person maybe have been cheating with another woman/man and doesn’t want the spouse to do the same. Is it the same with Toni and Leo in this story?
The short story ‘’The Relationship’’ by a unknown author is most likely set somewhere in USA, maybe in New York because of the restaurant ‘’…. New Jimmy’s.’’1, but it is not for sure because it could also be a name of another restaurant. But one thing that is certain is that it is set in USA, because of the use of words like ‘’porch’’2 and ‘’sidewalk’’3.
The short story is about a couple, Toni and Leo who have been declared bankrupt. They need to sell their convertible before the court on Monday or else it had to be removed. Leo sends Toni out to sell the car because she was a seller and she used to sell children’s encyclopaedias but also because he thinks that Toni is able to get more money. He wanted her to start the bargaining at 900 dollars but she got 625 dollars for it. But there is something suspicious about the car sale, because Toni comes home the day after in the morning.
The style of the short story is minimalistic and it starts with ‘’in medias res’’. The story is mostly told through a dialogue (direct speech) between Toni and Leo. But there are also lots of detailed descriptions of Leo’s actions. It’s like the reader is getting a picture of what Leo does in a figurative way, for instance: ‘’He holds the receiver against his ear and rocks back and forth, eyes closed.’’4. The story is showing not telling. It is serving a purpose because from this we get our interpretation, and it forces the readers to be active readers. The sentences in this short story are very short which can be seen in the text where it says: ‘’Toni dresses...