January 16, 2009
Marking Territory
Posted by Andi Darling
The fourth chapter of "Olive Kitteridge" begins three hours after Olive and Henry's only child, Christopher is married. I think starting the story after the typical excitement of the wedding ceremony, when the energy is high, was an interesting choice by the author. The tone is already set with low energy, which is reflected further in finding Olive trying to recover from the afternoon by seeking refuge in her son's bedroom. Well, now it's her son's and daughter-in-law's bedroom. How does Olive really feel about her new daughter-in-law and what other clues does Strout show us about the Olive/Suzanne relationship?
I am once again struck in this chapter how important setting is. I felt intruded upon by Olive in this chapter. I think that Olive spending most of her time in this story in her son's bedroom speaks volumes about how conscious she is of boundaries in relationships.
I did reread this chapter several times since I'm blogging about it. Each time something new would strike me. This last time, it was Olive and the Magic Markers. Did Olive use them to mark her territory? And she did use Magic Markers, not just markers. I wonder what would happen to Suzanne if she actually wore the beige marked sweater? Would Olive wear a marked sweater?
There was some discussion among guests and Suzanne over the appropriateness of the dress Olive wore to the wedding. We know Olive is a big women, Strout states on page 94 that "Olive is a big person." She certainly is described in various ways to know that she is physically big, but after marking her daughter-in-laws clothes and stealing the loafer, how big of a person is Olive?
And then, let's talk about the title, "A Little Burst". What is the meaning of the title to the story and what does Olive achieve for herself by stirring them up?
Posted at 02:57 PM
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There are three key passages in “A Little Burst” which made me understand the big idea of the story.
“But the gesture, the smooth cupping of the little girl’s head, the way Suzanne’s hand in one quick motion caressed the fine hair and thin neck, had stayed with Olive. It was like watching some woman dice from a boat and swim easily up to the dock. A reminder how some people could do things others could not.” (pg. 64)
“Olive, on the edge of the bed, leans her face into her hands. She can almost not remember the first decade of Christopher’s life, although some things she does remember and doesn’t want to. She tried teaching him to play the piano and he wouldn’t play the notes right. It was how scared he was of her that made her go all wacky. But she loved him!” (pg. 71)
“Because Christopher doesn’t need to be living with a woman who thinks she knows everything. Nobody knows everything --- they shouldn’t think they do.” (pg. 74)
Olive is afraid that she doesn’t measure up to her new daughter-in-law. Suzanne has natural grace with children that Olive did not. Olive is afraid of what Christopher may have told Suzanne, exposing Suzanne to Olive’s faults as a mother. Olive wants to throw Suzanne off balance, make her a bit unsure of herself, like Olive is unsure of herself, and so she “gives herself a little burst,” sabotaging Suzanne’s things, and hopefully Suzanne’s confidence, while at the same time, giving her own confidence a boost because she can throw her daughter-in-law off, make her question herself.
Posted by
LauraJanuary 18, 2009 02:25 PM
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