tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137449286393731234.post7299762342113484248..comments2011-12-09T10:18:30.908-08:00Comments on Muhlenberg's Popped: “Exactly What to Say” (By: Chidelia Edochie) – Camera ObscuraPoppedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12400169845802125192noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137449286393731234.post-82209755097386618572011-12-09T10:11:54.314-08:002011-12-09T10:11:54.314-08:00I'd love to read this story. It sounds so cree...I'd love to read this story. It sounds so creepy, the fact that this girl is being followed by a man. I wonder what their final interaction was like--was he embarrassed? Why wasn't she disturbed but just intrigued? Why would a man be just following a girl, whether he knew her or not? <br /><br />Maybe it's just because I don't know the rest of the piece, but I find it alarming that the girl ends up being intrigued about a man who was doing something out of the ordinary and apparently, if not actually, predatory. It seems almost like the story is condoning this behavior...and if everyone's aloud to be creepy because it's intriguing, then how are we supposed to know who's really up to no good?<br /><br />--Sarah LawrencePoppedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12400169845802125192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137449286393731234.post-65125538810716363122011-10-07T11:06:13.830-07:002011-10-07T11:06:13.830-07:00I really want to read this story! It has the very ...I really want to read this story! It has the very real creepiness that you noted, but it also has a profound sadness as well. Weirdly enough, it reminds me of a ghost story I read many years ago. The use of shadows as characters is particularly effective; it's been a while since my Religion and Psychology class, but if I recall correctly, Freud wrote extensively on the correlation between the shadow and the suppressed unconscious (desires, hopes, urges, all suppressed within the shadow.)I hope this isn't taking it too far, but if the shadow is the woman's unconscious suppressed feelings and wishes, then the overlapping shadows could be the brief possibility of suppressed feelings/desires (i.e. meeting someone, etc.) being released. There may be an element of hope at the end (and once again, this is purely through the Freud theory,), Freud says that if one can acknowledge their shadow and incorporate it into their conscious self, then a person can become more balanced and happier person. Perhaps by seeing the character of her shadow and mourning the loneliness afterwards, the woman will be able to make a connection with someone and find that element of shadows intertwining once again.<br />A lot of food for thought in this story.<br />----Jen G.Poppedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12400169845802125192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137449286393731234.post-27162749413358577052011-10-06T15:54:37.800-07:002011-10-06T15:54:37.800-07:00Jen,
This piece sounds like great fun. It makes m...Jen,<br /><br />This piece sounds like great fun. It makes me think of the shadow man from the Princess and the Frog or Peter Pan, who has to sew his shadow back to his foot. While those shadows could be considered characters, I never thought of a shadow looking lonely before and it sounds like the author had some great descriptions of what that might look like. I imagine that would be difficult to write, but it sounds like it worked really well.<br /><br />-AverillPoppedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12400169845802125192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137449286393731234.post-17483282547374043162011-10-05T11:10:00.110-07:002011-10-05T11:10:00.110-07:00This piece sounds really cool and I would definite...This piece sounds really cool and I would definitely like to read it. The idea of a person following you home is creepy but the fact that the author makes the girl long for that part of her shadow to return turns that on its head. The author is clearly a great writer to be able to detail the girl's transition from discomfort to acceptance, and eventual longing of return, in such a short piece.<br />-JuliePoppedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12400169845802125192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8137449286393731234.post-19716050525689308962011-10-05T11:04:46.577-07:002011-10-05T11:04:46.577-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Poppedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12400169845802125192noreply@blogger.com