I think Eloise sobbed at the end of the story because she was upset about the loss of the life she could have had if Walt didn't die. She feels guilty because she never really loved Lew, her husband, and resents Ramona, her daughter with Lew. When Mary-Jane asks Eloise why she even married Lew, she just says, "I don't know. He told me he loved Jane Austen" (32). But she talk forever about how wonderful Walt is. She is also upset with herself because she feels embarrassed of Ramona. She doesn't want Mary-Jane to see her daughter with her glasses and her imaginary friend. She is upset because she is unhappy with the way she treats people and wonders where she went wrong.
I think that's a really good point. Eloise is really worried at the end of the story that she has completely thrown her life away. She is trying to hide from her problems by drinking too much, but her problems still find her. I think she tries to start making amends at the end when she realizes "Ramona was awake. She was crying and had been crying. Eloise kissed her wetly on the mouth and wiped the hair out of her eyes and then left the room" (37). Eloise feels bad that she made her daughter cry and that she's been taking her anger out on Ramona. Of course, she's completely wasted and probably won't remember it in the morning, but even in her inebriated state she's trying to make amends with herself and her daughter.
I agree with Lydia. In her inebriated state Eloise is touched by Ramona in a way she in't when she is sober. However, I think that the only time Eloise can move beyond the bitter conversation and petty humor that characterizes her earlier in the story is when an outside influence like alcohol lets her guard down. The fact is, Eloise refuses to speak about anything personal, anything that would implicate her to be the one at fault while she's sober. In the beginning, I got the feeling that she was a "tough-as-nails" character, with the sort of personality that got lightened by putting other people down, such as her comment about the man, Frank Henke: "Unattractive. God! He looked like an unwashed Bela Lugosi" (30). Later on, her insecurities and inner tribulations come out and display a totally different person, one that would break down enough to actually cry in front of people.
I believe that all of the points made so far are accurate. Eloise does not seem to enjoy being married to Lew at all and appears to wish that Walt was still alive. I also think that Eloise seems to be a character who does not really care about others feelings too much, shown by the sentence Lina quoted from page 30. This is also shown when Mary Jane says to Eloise, "Dr. Whiting's dead... Isn't that terrible?(33) and Eloise responds with a no. Even if someone who you did not know dies, usually you would feel bad out of sympathy. I think she cries at the end of the story because she snapped at her daughter for just being a child with an imaginary friend. She feels bad about it and I think that it brings back memories about making fun of people in school which brings back that memory.
I think you point out how alcohol changes Eloise. The woman isn't very healthy: "She walked, less steadily, back into the living room. At the window seat, she poured what was left of the in the bottle of Scotch into her glass" (35). I think she's an alcoholic which tells me that she is deeply unhappy. Reasons Why Eloise is/could be Unhappy:
1. She doesn't love her husband. Where is he? Even when Eloise is putting Ramona in bed, he doesn't appear.
2. Ramona and Eloise seem distant. " 'Ramona,' Eloise shouted, with her eyes shut, 'go out in the kitchen and let Grace take your galoshes off' " (24). It's odd that she shuts her eyes as she says this, as if she doesn't want to think about her daughter. She asks Grace to take off Ramona's galoshes instead of doing it herself.
3. She misses being young and having options. Back then she could choose her husband and find a job. Now she's stuck at home or at least feels like she stuck at home. Eloise asks, " 'I was a nice girl,' she pleaded, 'wasn't I?' " (38).
I agree with all the points that have already been given. Mainly I think she cries at the end of the story because of the regret for the possible life she could have had, if not for Walt's death. She feels total regret about marrying Lew and we see this when she talks about why she married him with Mary Jane. However I feel that this amount of regret is heightened as a result of the alcohol in her system. Regardless one of the major lines in the book that stuck out to me at the most is the final words, "I was a nice girl wasn't I?" (38). And i think that this line hints that she did not deserve what has happened to her and life and that she feels that good things happen to those who don't deserve it. But, thats just the way i see it; feel free to reply with your thoughts on this quote.
I think all the comments so far have really good points. I believe that Eloise cried at the end of the story for a number of reasons. For one, Eloise was unhappy about every aspect of her life. She didn't like her mother-in-law, she didn't love her husband, and she was embarrassed and ashamed of her daughter. It is my belief that Eloise bottled many of these feelings up, and what happened between Eloise and her daughter (,concerning Mickey Mickeranno,) became the straw that broke the camel's back.
Also, I think that the incident with Eloise and Ramona made Eloise reflect on what she's become, and how she could be affecting her daughter in a negative way. For example, Eloise asked Mary Jane, "'You remember...I had that brown-and-yellow dress I bought in Boise, and Miriam Ball told me nobody wore those kind of dresses in New York, and I cried all night?'...'I was a nice girl' she pleaded, 'wasn't I?'" (56) Eloise was originally a nice girl, but other people ruined that piece of goodness, akin to how Eloise is ruining Ramona's character by being so bad a mother. I think Eloise starts to cry due to the realization that she is no better than Miriam Ball.
I also agree with the points above.I think that when Eloise said "I was a nice girl wasn't I?"(38) Because once, she was nice; but, in the story she comes off as mean. She doesn't let her maids husband sleep over and calls her lazy. She also isn't a good mother drinking and smoking around daughter . She also is mean to her daughter and really isn't a good care taker. She leaves most of the work to her maid. This reminds me of a movie a watched called the Help. About white women who drink all day and have maids take care of there kids. I think that she realizes she not nice and that's why she's crying.
While I can definitely understand Sal's interpretation of Eloise's desperate query "i was a nice girl, wasn't I " (56), I read it in a more similar fashion to Liane. I think that Eloise is crying over the loss of the "nice girl" she used to be. I think she realizes how cruel she has been acting and is saddened by what has become of her. It seems that Walt's death also marked the loss of this "nice girl" Eloise remembers herself being. I also do not believe that the alcohol heightened Eloise's internal suffering but rather allowed her to express her inner angst in a way she is usually unable to due to her "tough as nails" persona. Ramona's tears seemed to touch whatever piece of the old Eloise remain.
Everyone has made great points. I think that the reason Eloise gets so annoyed by Ramona's imaginary friends (first Jimmy, then Mickey) is because she (Eloise) never moved on when Walt was killed, and she wishes she could have him back. She really liked him, and may have even loved him, which is much more than she ever felt for Lew. This makes her harsh and annoyed with her daughter about her imaginary friends because Ramona's innocence allows her to make up and believe in any friend she wants. And, even after Jimmy gets hit by a car, she just makes up a new friend to believe in. Eloise almost seems jealous of Ramona's ability to move on and love somebody new. One of the lines that made me think of this was ,"Poor Uncle Wiggily" (55) when Eloise is crying in Ramona's room. This whole concept is why I think she cried at the end.
Everyone else has awesome points to Eloise's sadness by the end of the story. I think a lot of factors contributed to her breakdown by the end. All of the drinking she was pushing for with Mary Jane acted as a coverup for her real feelings. It isn't until she gets a little drunk that she opens up and tells her friend about Walt's death and finally asks her if she was a "nice girl". I also think that her talk with Mary Jane is bringing up her past life, and how much happier she was back then. The memories also contribute to her sadness. Another reason is Ramona and how she isn't the ideal mother. Like Luisa said, Eloise wants the maid to do all the motherly work and she doesn't want to almost accept the responsibility that comes with a child. Also, I agree with Julianne that Eloise is jealous that Ramona is able to move on from the "death" of her friend quickly. Eloise can't get over Walt, and seeing that Ramona is happy with the replacement for Jimmy makes her think about her "replacement" for Walt and how she isn't happy with it (Lew). I think the major reason Eloise sobs is because of her loss for her true love, and how she is incapable of feeling love anymore. She certainly doesn't love Lew and I think she doesn't have enough happiness left in her to love Ramona either. Eloise feels guilty for bringing Ramona into her depressed home and life, and saying that Ramona looks like her husband instead of her shows Eloise doesn't have those connections with Ramona like a mother should. Crying, "Poor Uncle Wiggly" while she is upset and holding Ramona's glasses shows that Walt will forever be on her mind, and that she isn't happy with not being a good mom.
I think Eloise sobbed at the end of the story because she was upset about the loss of the life she could have had if Walt didn't die. She feels guilty because she never really loved Lew, her husband, and resents Ramona, her daughter with Lew. When Mary-Jane asks Eloise why she even married Lew, she just says, "I don't know. He told me he loved Jane Austen" (32). But she talk forever about how wonderful Walt is. She is also upset with herself because she feels embarrassed of Ramona. She doesn't want Mary-Jane to see her daughter with her glasses and her imaginary friend. She is upset because she is unhappy with the way she treats people and wonders where she went wrong.
ReplyDeleteI think that's a really good point. Eloise is really worried at the end of the story that she has completely thrown her life away. She is trying to hide from her problems by drinking too much, but her problems still find her. I think she tries to start making amends at the end when she realizes "Ramona was awake. She was crying and had been crying. Eloise kissed her wetly on the mouth and wiped the hair out of her eyes and then left the room" (37). Eloise feels bad that she made her daughter cry and that she's been taking her anger out on Ramona. Of course, she's completely wasted and probably won't remember it in the morning, but even in her inebriated state she's trying to make amends with herself and her daughter.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lydia. In her inebriated state Eloise is touched by Ramona in a way she in't when she is sober. However, I think that the only time Eloise can move beyond the bitter conversation and petty humor that characterizes her earlier in the story is when an outside influence like alcohol lets her guard down. The fact is, Eloise refuses to speak about anything personal, anything that would implicate her to be the one at fault while she's sober. In the beginning, I got the feeling that she was a "tough-as-nails" character, with the sort of personality that got lightened by putting other people down, such as her comment about the man, Frank Henke: "Unattractive. God! He looked like an unwashed Bela Lugosi" (30). Later on, her insecurities and inner tribulations come out and display a totally different person, one that would break down enough to actually cry in front of people.
ReplyDeleteI believe that all of the points made so far are accurate. Eloise does not seem to enjoy being married to Lew at all and appears to wish that Walt was still alive. I also think that Eloise seems to be a character who does not really care about others feelings too much, shown by the sentence Lina quoted from page 30. This is also shown when Mary Jane says to Eloise, "Dr. Whiting's dead... Isn't that terrible?(33) and Eloise responds with a no. Even if someone who you did not know dies, usually you would feel bad out of sympathy. I think she cries at the end of the story because she snapped at her daughter for just being a child with an imaginary friend. She feels bad about it and I think that it brings back memories about making fun of people in school which brings back that memory.
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DeleteI think you point out how alcohol changes Eloise. The woman isn't very healthy: "She walked, less steadily, back into the living room. At the window seat, she poured what was left of the in the bottle of Scotch into her glass" (35). I think she's an alcoholic which tells me that she is deeply unhappy.
DeleteReasons Why Eloise is/could be Unhappy:
1. She doesn't love her husband. Where is he? Even when Eloise is putting Ramona in bed, he doesn't appear.
2. Ramona and Eloise seem distant. " 'Ramona,' Eloise shouted, with her eyes shut, 'go out in the kitchen and let Grace take your galoshes off' " (24). It's odd that she shuts her eyes as she says this, as if she doesn't want to think about her daughter. She asks Grace to take off Ramona's galoshes instead of doing it herself.
3. She misses being young and having options. Back then she could choose her husband and find a job. Now she's stuck at home or at least feels like she stuck at home.
Eloise asks, " 'I was a nice girl,' she pleaded, 'wasn't I?' " (38).
I agree with all the points that have already been given. Mainly I think she cries at the end of the story because of the regret for the possible life she could have had, if not for Walt's death. She feels total regret about marrying Lew and we see this when she talks about why she married him with Mary Jane. However I feel that this amount of regret is heightened as a result of the alcohol in her system. Regardless one of the major lines in the book that stuck out to me at the most is the final words, "I was a nice girl wasn't I?" (38). And i think that this line hints that she did not deserve what has happened to her and life and that she feels that good things happen to those who don't deserve it. But, thats just the way i see it; feel free to reply with your thoughts on this quote.
ReplyDeleteI think all the comments so far have really good points. I believe that Eloise cried at the end of the story for a number of reasons. For one, Eloise was unhappy about every aspect of her life. She didn't like her mother-in-law, she didn't love her husband, and she was embarrassed and ashamed of her daughter. It is my belief that Eloise bottled many of these feelings up, and what happened between Eloise and her daughter (,concerning Mickey Mickeranno,) became the straw that broke the camel's back.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think that the incident with Eloise and Ramona made Eloise reflect on what she's become, and how she could be affecting her daughter in a negative way. For example, Eloise asked Mary Jane, "'You remember...I had that brown-and-yellow dress I bought in Boise, and Miriam Ball told me nobody wore those kind of dresses in New York, and I cried all night?'...'I was a nice girl' she pleaded, 'wasn't I?'" (56) Eloise was originally a nice girl, but other people ruined that piece of goodness, akin to how Eloise is ruining Ramona's character by being so bad a mother. I think Eloise starts to cry due to the realization that she is no better than Miriam Ball.
I also agree with the points above.I think that when Eloise said "I was a nice girl wasn't I?"(38) Because once, she was nice; but, in the story she comes off as mean. She doesn't let her maids husband sleep over and calls her lazy. She also isn't a good mother drinking and smoking around daughter . She also is mean to her daughter and really isn't a good care taker. She leaves most of the work to her maid. This reminds me of a movie a watched called the Help. About white women who drink all day and have maids take care of there kids. I think that she realizes she not nice and that's why she's crying.
ReplyDelete-greg
While I can definitely understand Sal's interpretation of Eloise's desperate query "i was a nice girl, wasn't I " (56), I read it in a more similar fashion to Liane. I think that Eloise is crying over the loss of the "nice girl" she used to be. I think she realizes how cruel she has been acting and is saddened by what has become of her. It seems that Walt's death also marked the loss of this "nice girl" Eloise remembers herself being.
ReplyDeleteI also do not believe that the alcohol heightened Eloise's internal suffering but rather allowed her to express her inner angst in a way she is usually unable to due to her "tough as nails" persona. Ramona's tears seemed to touch whatever piece of the old Eloise remain.
Everyone has made great points. I think that the reason Eloise gets so annoyed by Ramona's imaginary friends (first Jimmy, then Mickey) is because she (Eloise) never moved on when Walt was killed, and she wishes she could have him back. She really liked him, and may have even loved him, which is much more than she ever felt for Lew. This makes her harsh and annoyed with her daughter about her imaginary friends because Ramona's innocence allows her to make up and believe in any friend she wants. And, even after Jimmy gets hit by a car, she just makes up a new friend to believe in. Eloise almost seems jealous of Ramona's ability to move on and love somebody new. One of the lines that made me think of this was ,"Poor Uncle Wiggily" (55) when Eloise is crying in Ramona's room. This whole concept is why I think she cried at the end.
ReplyDeleteEveryone else has awesome points to Eloise's sadness by the end of the story. I think a lot of factors contributed to her breakdown by the end. All of the drinking she was pushing for with Mary Jane acted as a coverup for her real feelings. It isn't until she gets a little drunk that she opens up and tells her friend about Walt's death and finally asks her if she was a "nice girl". I also think that her talk with Mary Jane is bringing up her past life, and how much happier she was back then. The memories also contribute to her sadness. Another reason is Ramona and how she isn't the ideal mother. Like Luisa said, Eloise wants the maid to do all the motherly work and she doesn't want to almost accept the responsibility that comes with a child. Also, I agree with Julianne that Eloise is jealous that Ramona is able to move on from the "death" of her friend quickly. Eloise can't get over Walt, and seeing that Ramona is happy with the replacement for Jimmy makes her think about her "replacement" for Walt and how she isn't happy with it (Lew). I think the major reason Eloise sobs is because of her loss for her true love, and how she is incapable of feeling love anymore. She certainly doesn't love Lew and I think she doesn't have enough happiness left in her to love Ramona either. Eloise feels guilty for bringing Ramona into her depressed home and life, and saying that Ramona looks like her husband instead of her shows Eloise doesn't have those connections with Ramona like a mother should. Crying, "Poor Uncle Wiggly" while she is upset and holding Ramona's glasses shows that Walt will forever be on her mind, and that she isn't happy with not being a good mom.
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