An analyzing short story THE STANDARD OF LIVING by Dorothy Parker
§ Asma Afifah (10320079)
Annabel
and Midge are best
friend; they
meet in the office. They have similarity in job as stenographers, but Annabel two years longer in the
stenographer department than Midge. They are two girls who have big imagination.
The girls are acting as if they were rich people. It was supported by eating imitation "rich people"
food. The author describes in detail like when they eat sugar, starches, oils and butter-fats in the
afternoon. They are also stylish and arrogant as in: when they across to Fifth Avenue with their
Skirts then there is young man grouped and Annabel and Midge held their heads
higher and set their feet with exquisite precision, as if they stepped over the
necks of peasants. They also have same game, “what would you do if you had a million
dollars?” . The game could be played anywhere. Both of two girls stimulate to play the game by shop
window. Annabel asked this question to Sylvia (a girl working in the same office). Sylvia
answered that she liked to hire a person to shoot Mrs. Cary Cooper. And Midge asked Annabel the same question Annabel
answered that she would like to buy a silver-fox coat. Midge did not agree with
her answer and told her that her answer is a
common one, the author describe in
“it was as if she has struck Midge across the mouth. When Midge recover her
breath, she cried that she couldn’t imagine how Annabel could do such a
thing-silver-fox coast were so common! Annabel defended her taste with the
retort that they were not common, either”. There, the two
girls have
different idea in their dream and for a while they did not speak with each
other. Two days later, the two
girls agreed to buy a string of pearls. They think that it was kind of a good think, and it
would make sense too because they could wear pearls with anything. They
walked along Fifth Avenue and entered a shop to buy this string of pearls together. Then, they knew that it
costs two hundred fifty dollars. Then they
moved away
and began to dream again. They wanted more money to buy more valuable thing.. Midge asked Annabel that supposes there is a rich people dies and likes to leave her ten million dollars, “what would be the first thing
you would do.” From that reasons, I say that the two girls not be satisfied in
their life.
This short story uses close plot because the story provides the entire element of plot, it were
containing of expository, rising action, climax and resolution. Expository happened when Annabel found a new game called “what would you do if you had
a million dollars”. Rising action happened when both of the girls had
different ideas to
spend the money, they did not speak and play the game for two days. And climax happened when the two girl agree to spend the money to string
of pearls and they knew that the prize of string of pearls was two hundred and fifty dollars. Resolution
happened after the girls knowing the prize of string of pearls then moved away and began to dream again. The author used foreshadowing;
it is supported when the Annabel found new game, and then she invited Midge to
play too. The author also used suspense, I could
see from the way how she told about resolution. The two girls changed their
mind. Suppose that, there is a rich person dies and leaves you ten million
dollars. Now, what would you be the first thing you’d do? For that
statement, the reader can predict what will happen after the question.
In this short story, there is external
conflict. That is between the two girls and their society or
environment. It is showed when Annabel and Midge walked across to Fifth
Avenue with their skirts swirled by the hot wind. Then there is a young men
lethargically about newsstands awarded them murmurs, exclamations, even—the
ultimate tribute—whistles. Means that the society did not receive what they
wear, what they wear are not appropriate with the society. While in the
development of the story, the author used chronological order, she made
straight forward plot without invite the reader go to flash back.
The geography place
is not mentioned in this short story. But I have inference that this story
happened in American. In 1941 (when
the story was written)—up to now, American People
are shallow, greedy, selfish, and generally immoral creatures. What some people
do not accept is that a person's quality of life is not dependent on their
standard of living.. While in the story also like that. The society did
not receive the attitude those two girls. Setting of time
and place happened in the Saturday afternoon
(tearoom), when the girls ate in the office. And in the morning (office) when the Annabel came to Midge
and said she had change her mind. Then in the evening, they use their leisure
time to play the game.
The major characters in this story are Annabel and Midge because
the entire of the story about these women. There also minor
characters; Sylvia and Clerk. The author also characterized the characterization with discursive method or telling. Annabel and Midge
are over stylish, arrogant, and big
imagination. That is told when drawing their hair and
nail, having
lunch together in the afternoon (they eat
bread as similar as rich people), and when they across
a group of men, the girl thought as if they stepped over the necks of peasants,
then when the girls hoped there was a rich man left their money – one million dollars
– after knowing the prize; a string of pearls. They changed the dream to have
ten million dollars from people. Midge is more
sensitive than Annabel. It is supported when Midge was angry to Annabel
because they had different idea. Sylvia was a bad
temperature and cruel girl, it supported when she answer Annabel
question Sylvia answered that she liked to hire
a person to shoot Mrs. Cary Cooper. Clerk
is polite people, looked from the way how he
welcome the girls in the store.
The author uses third person
point of view, because most of the story use “the girls” (they). By
using omniscient point of view the author
does not participate on the story but she told as same as they knew the
condition of the story.
