"How to Talk to Your Mother (Notes)" was one of the most interesting stories in this book, in my opinion. One interesting thing about it was how the narrator chose certain events each year to share, and these events seem quite random. However, some of these events came up multiple times, and one that stuck out to me was the progression of heart surgeries being performed.
Although heart transplants are significant accomplishments for humankind, there were also many other things going on in the world at the same time. So why does Ginnie choose to mention the progress of heart transplants throughout her life? My first guess was that it had something to do with her father, who died of some kind of heart problem. Chronologically, all of the mentions of heart surgeries comes after the death of her father, so Ginnie could be mentioning these events in thinking of her father, maybe wondering if one of these procedures could have saved him. Looking back, Ginnie also didn't have a very great relationship with her father, though, so maybe these heart references to her regretting how she and her father maybe didn't have as much of a connection as she wanted.
The heart idea could also have deeper symbolism, though, that are more specific to Ginnie and her mother. There are three mentions of heart surgery in the story, and all happen in the same year as a significant point in Ginnie's life. The first one (looking at it chronologically) is in 1963, when Ginnie realizes that she doesn't like the man "you thought you'd spend the rest of your life with." She then comments, "People and places you think you love may be people and places you hate." Two lines later, she mentions that a temporary artificial heart is invented. I feel like these two events may have a connection, as the narrator seems to see her own heart as deceiving her, as she realizes that she hates something that she thought she loved. By then commenting on the idea of an artificial heart being invented, it seems more personal to her.
The second reference to heart surgery is in 1967, when Ginnie's mother moves in with her. This is a significant in Ginnie and her mother's lives, as the mother is sick and Ginnie must take care of her. This seems to be a rough time for Ginnie, as she says she feels "many different emptinesses." In the same year, it is mentioned that the first successful heart transplant is performed. Therefore, this could be some symbolism of Ginnie's heart changing towards her mother, as their relationship must change as Ginnie is taking care of her mother.
The final of these references (chronologically, though first in the narrative), was in 1982. Ginnie starts off this year with the words "Without her" and goes on to describe how she sometimes talks to the refrigerator without her mother there. I get the sense that this is when she is finally realizing that she isn't used to her mother being gone, or she is finally coming to terms with it. This lines up with her mentioning that the first polyurethane heart is surgically implanted. This seems to imply that Ginnie has to permanently adjust to the absence of her mother; she has to have another change of heart towards her mother, hence the reference to a permanent heart implant.
This is a lot of me speculating from just five or so sentences in the story, but the recurring idea of a heart must have some significance. What do you all think? Were there any heart references that I missed? Am I reading way to far into this?
loved this post. This was a really great way of looking at this. I think for sure the heart transplant can be seen as a literal and emotional change of heart. I like the idea that Ginnie is changing her feelings as her heart literally " heals". The fact that this story is just so tied to love supports the idea that the heart transplant, emotional change aspect, may be directed at her mother. I like your idea that it;s almost as if Ginnie is getting the heart transplants in order to change the way she feels.
ReplyDeleteThis post is one the most creative ways I've seen in looking at the stories this semester, and something I completely disregarded while reading the story. Sometimes in English courses, I feel like we've analyzed a story to the degree that the points we are making are simply creating something out of nothing, and far beyond what the author intended. This on the other hand seems like an extremely plausible and probably likely way of expressing Ginnie's progression of reaction towards her father's situation.
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