A 'Type' of Love Story

October 31^st, 2012

Analysis - Russell Bank’s [A Type of Love Story]

Mr. Menard / American Literature

11b4 111150 Ho InHee

    

    

     In dramas and movies, we see lovers breaking up, holding each other’s hand, dropping tears, saying “we weren’t meant to be together. “ The reality isn’t so different. Though not as tearful as in dramas, many couples undergo breakup. Ron and Sarah, two protagonists of Russell Bank’s Sarah Cole: A Type of Love Story, weren’t exceptions. The most handsome guy, Ron, was subtlely attracted by Sarah Cole, a very insignificant-looking yet self-assured woman. Ron falls in love (or think he does) with Sarah. They live together, dreaming of blissful life together. But opposed to what they’d initially hoped, they ended tragic, Sarah dead.

     When being in a relationship with someone, everyone wants something from her. It may be comfort one is looking for, dignity, a sense of belonging, or even more materialistic needs. When this is not gratified, the relationship is easy to be broken. Ron and Sarah in Sarah Cole: A Type of Love Story also wanted something from each other.

Ron wanted to sustain an ‘unequal’ relationship with Sarah. Though he was divorced because his former wife wanted to ‘pursue her career which he had been interrupting’, he was very self-aware that he ‘was extremely handsome’. He was also aware that Sarah was very homely. Ron never wanted to go public with Sarah. He was fine making love with Sarah in his own house, but wasn’t for going to a Saturday night party together. For Ron, Sarah was like a secret lover who loved him. So when Ron heard from Glenda that Sarah had left with her ex-husband, this ‘unequal’ relationship wasn’t to be sustained anymore. The ‘ugly bitch’ like Sarah couldn’t leave an extremely handsome guy, and when Sarah returned, Ron threw her out.

But what Sarah wanted wasn’t Ron as a secret lover. For her, who was also very well aware how she appeared to others, ‘recognition’ was something she wanted from relationship with Ron. She was unchallengeably the most homely woman. ‘Wearing heavy, tan cowboy boots and a dark brown, suede cowboy hat, lumpy jeans and a yellow tee shirt that clings to her arms, breasts, and round belly like the skin of a sausage,’ Sarah was recognized by others as one very unappealing woman. Having nothing to lose, she approached Ron, the most handsome guy, and by a good chance fell in love. But as Ron would never go public with her, this ‘recognition’ from others was never achieved. She was still the homeliest woman named ‘Sarah’, and at last, when she was called ‘ugly bitch’ by Ron, she gave up her life.

     Not many relations are long-lasting. ‘Lovers’ aren’t alone to easily break up. Even friends ‘break up’ too. As long as people want something from people in relationship, the relationship cannot last long. So-called ‘lovebirds’ are they who are happy enough being together. Their relationship is satisfactory without any honeyed words or presents. Ron and Sarah’s relationship was in the first place ‘unsatisfactory’. Ron merely wanted unpublic relationship with Sarah, having secret intercourses, whereas Sarah wanted public relationship, being together at anywhere public. Their relationship was to be tragic.

    

    

Hyejoon: I really liked your analogy of the two similar stories. You compared well how the tragedy plays out in both short stories. Towards the end, you casted a lot of questions. I hope you elaborate them and find the answers when you post it on blog. :)

Yeji: I actually couldn’t grasp the connection between second and third paragraph. Maybe you can explain more specifically what their ‘scars’ were, how each other (who is a very different person) cure their scars at least partly, then talk that despite this partial cure their scars still remain. I’ not organized about these ideas by myself, so I cannot give you detailed example of my suggestion… But it could be better if you add such connections between 2 and 3. Anyway, good job :D