This short story is about an international student named Su Lin who commits suicide one night by lying down on a train track with a train on its way. Before she decided to end her life so violently she was studying music at a university, where her first recital went splendidly. A young man soon fell in love with her, and she reluctantly went out with him (she felt that she didn't have enough time for a relationship). Soon after this she became overwhelmed with her studies and became ill, we are lead to believe that it is a mental sickness. Soon after this she decides to commit suicide.
The author switches perspectives because he wants us, the readers, to understand that when it comes to a bunch of people going through the same traumatic event we are all connected. So in this story the mechanic, who was driving on the road and saw/heard the train screech to a stop, the boyfriend of Su Lin (who heard about the accident in a cafe), the engineer of the train who tried to stop in time, the woman who was doing laundry and cutting her rose bushes, and maybe others (I can't tell) were the characters from who we gathered the story from. These people do not know each other but they are all alike, with respect to being a witness to the accident, and therefore they are all now connected.
This is all I can think of to write about this story due to the fact that I didn't fully comprehend it at first and because I didn't enjoy it. All I can say is that I hope I wasn't the only one that was confused by this story.
Definitely not the only one, it confused me too! The shifting narration made it so hard to follow, and I didn't like it at first either.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you! The author should have made the story easier to follow. I was so confused while I was reading it. First there was a girl in jail, than a machinist, than there was someone in a grocery store or something. Than the girl had a boyfriend who was in a coffee shop and he heard that his girlfriend committed suicide by laying down in front of a train. Honestly, I had know idea she committed suicide, I didn't catch that at all while I was reading it. When we were going over this story in class and the teacher said she committed suicide, I was like...."WHAT!" I had no idea.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your interpretation of the story, I must say that I understand it a little more. Especially what you said about the people not knowing each other but they are alike, with respect to being a witness to the accident, and therefore they are all now connected.
I always find that the shorter stories always leave your brain in a knot! As you said, the author kept switching perspectives which is one of the reasons I think I was so confused! I get the idea he had connecting various victims to one tragedy, but it was so hard to keep up with. Especially since here is no picture, if this were a movie, I'd understand a lot more! I think if the writer provided more distinct transitions and a better picture I would have understood the story better.
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