Response for “ The gifts of the Magi” by O’Henry’s short story.

It’s amazing and unpredictable story. I’m so surprise when read word by word the story. It’s so touching my heart. Della is the main character of the story. She is wife of Jim. She want to give a present to her husband in Christmas’ night but she don’t have much money for it. Whereas, she want to buy a Chain for her husband watch. She cut and sell her hair to get money. If I in her position, I will be sad and confuse about my problem. I want to buy a gift for my husband but i don’t have money. I’m so eager to make my husband happy. I will be very sad if I don’t get money for it. I will try to think hardly, I will not cut my hair and sell it because my husband love my hair certainly. I don’t want make him dissapointed. I’m looking for the other job like to be waitress or washing plate in Restaurant, to be an Employee in Department store. I will do everything for my husband because I love him. No one can count my love for him. I will work hardly, because I want to make my husband happy in special day. When, i got the job. I will save money for buy something that use for my husband, something that he want to buy but it not happen yet.

In the story, Della describe as a good wife who love with her husband because She think hardly to looking for money to buy a present for her husband. She want to make her husband happy. Della is patient woman who never sad about her bad economic to his husband. She receive him without requirement. She always care of him, she always beautiful in her husband eyes. She is a religious woman who always remember her God and pray to his. She is a soft girl, she will be very sad if she can’t give a present to her husband in Christmas’ night. She is sacrifice woman because she wiling cut her hair and sell it for give a present to her husband. The story become turning point when Della Opened her gift from her husband. It’s one set of the combs. She understand why her husband so shocked when look her short hair. Della think, her husband angry because of it. In the fact, not. Her husband assure her, he will love her no matter how she looks. And Her husband sold her watch to buy the combs. That it doesn't really matter that Jim and Della's presents turned out to be useless. They are the wisest givers of all. The story happen in a Apartment and in a hair shop down the street from the apartment while Winter season near Christmas’ night. I like the setting, the author so smart bundle the setting of place and time completely. It’s grow the good short story. It’s Love and Generosity story. From the story we can get message that Della and Jim gie each other the best of all possible gift. It doesn.t matter that Jim no longer has the gold watch to display on the elegant chain that Della gave him. Nor does it matter that Della no longer has long luxurious hair to comb with the gift Jim gave her. What matters is that they have is each other. The world will be beautifully if each other give another.

The extra ordinary problem for Della is when she cut her hair and selling her hair. It’s decisive action. By selling her hair, Della gets the money to buy Jim a great present. Della did it decisively, She thinks Jim will be pleased by Della’s action and appreciate her gift. It possible matter, when we love someone, We will do everything for our love. In my opinion, Della want to show her big love that can’t count by anything to her husband. A Happiness when we can do something that make our husband happy. I feel satisfied although I must wiling something that special for me.

The decisive action that did by Della, sometime not with long thinking. Della not think if her husband will be angry with her doing with the hair he loved so much. Della so brief consider to cut her hair and sell it without remember it. If I in her position, I will be carefull when do something, I dont want make my present to be his sadness. I don’t want make him dissapointed. I will get the other job that can deliver money to buy a present in special day.

The short story was very unpredictable in the end, I feel surprise and happy when read it. The author so smart grouping words to be a beautiful sentence that make the reader and listener fly and inspire it.

Diah Maya Andina, 2011

Response for “ The Father-to-be ” short story by Saul Bellow.

Its funny and little bit annoyed story. I had been read it just now, word by word curiously. Its so unpredictable and much of the action and experience of character which we must interpret it. Rogind is the main character of the story. He engaged with Joan, a beautiful, and well-educated woman. He consider to breaking off his relationship with Joan, because Joan is typical woman with consumptive, and luxurious character. But while Rogind met with his fiancé, Joan is very smart to persuade him, until he ignore his mad. If I in his position, I will be confuse with my feeling and action. I want to breaking off our relationship because I don’t like with her habitual but I loves her too much, until I can’t do it and try to forgot it. I think, every body has fault and sometime they can change their bad habitual become better. Nobody perfect. Of course, I will understanding her, but not for to ignore her fault. Slow but sure, I will give advice to her. I convince, she will change her fault to be better. In my opinion, My fiancé will change her habitual, and try to understand with condition each other. Because, it can make our relationship to be strongly. Our love will more and more, day by day.

In the story, Rogind describe as a good man who love with his fiancé because he always want to fulfill Joan’s necessary. He want to make Joan always happy. He also try to understanding with bad habitual of Joan. Sometime, Rogind has thought for ponder his relationship with Joan but a few minute, he will change his decision because he has many concideration. He loved her too much to show his suffering. He is a good man who responsibility with his family. He save his money for pay the college fee of his brother, and for her mother’s life because there is inflation at the time. He is a man who can change his mind fastly because influenced with environment. At the time, he patient to face his condition, but a few minute later, he will be mad and has a decisive decision suddenly. Rogind also has soft heart and generosity, who easy to give sorry for each other and easy was persuaded by his fiancé. He so easy forget all fault of her fiancé. He is sacrifice man who willing give his money, his time, his energy for Joan, his fiancé. The story become turning point when Rogind pay attention to one of passengers in the subway. The man who sit next to him. He wore the coat which was a fairly expensive blue check, blue suede shoes, a faultless hat, a cumber some felt animal of a hat encircled by a high, fat ribbon like all kinds of dandies of respectability. All of physical feature of the man, strongly suggested one person to Rogind. She is Joan. Rogind thinks the man looked like Joan’s father and so does she. Rogind get a conclude that forty years hence, a son of Joan might be like that. Joan’s son is Rogind’s son too, absolutely. Rogind upset, very badly. Because compare it. He thinks so strongly and had plan to breaking off his relationship with Joan but, when he met joan, he change his mind, because Joan look so beautiful, spoiled, and smart to persuade him. So, rogind change the mind and forgot it so fastly. The story happen in some place in New York. The subway, the Delicatessen, and Joan’s home. The moment happen while winter season. Many imagination in my head while realize the story. I love the setting, the author so smart arrange the setting place and time completely. All of it, has meaning that can make us easy to understanding the story.

The extraordinary problem of Rogind is when he consider to breaking off his relationship with Joan. It’s a decision with full of anger, he thought like that because compared Joan with The dandies man in the subway. Rogind feel not able to survive on his relationship. He afraid, Joan will be might like that in the future. He thought, if he survive, it will make exploiting love heartlessly, making them engage in the social process, labor, struggle for money, etc. He thinks strongly, he said to his self, he was fool and a damned instrument. He thinks, the solution is breaking off his relationship. It can get out of the way. But actually, he can’t do it because he do speechless when met Joan. He forgot her fault fastly. It possible matter, when we love someone, we will be worry about them. We don’t want get a wrong couple that can make us regret in the future. In my opinion, Rogind as a man want the wife-to-be of him will understand each other, loving without requirement, can manage the household greatly, but unfortunately Rogind can’t tell his dislike to her fiancé honestly. I Think, he afraid to hurt joan’s heart. He thinks, breaking off his relationship directly is better.

The action that did by Rogind, sometime do in a rush and without long thinking because physical looked, and pay attention to the other people in environment. He ponder all of source from his environment to consider something. Unfortunately, he didn’t discuss about his dislike to his fiancé decisively. He always just want to breaking off his relationship, he thinks, its best solution. I disagree with Rogind. Actually, we should tell about our fiancé’s fault and give suggestion and advice for them. Slow but sure, they will change their bad habitual little by little. Life is a process. If I in his position, I will look Joan in some side. I don’t care about everybody who like Joan. Every body has different characterization. If she do fault, better to me for give advice for her. Every body has a change and life is process. I should be patient, if I want to make the strong relationship.

When I read the story, I remember about my niece’s experience. She is going steady with a man, at the university. She love and care with him, so do him. When their relationship has been 5 months, My niece feel upset, bored, hate but love too. Unfortunately, her man so stingy and not royale . But he so royal with his friends. My niece feel, she not able to survive in their relationship. she saved her anger in her heart painfully. Every she met the man, she always to say about her anger but The man so smart to flirt and persuade her, with beautiful words. So, my niece can’t tell about his fault, she change her mind at the time. Afterwards, when she look his fault again, she lost feeling and want to breaking off the relationship. I’m so sad look my niece, she hadn’t to tell the man briefly. Its problem of our social life. This condition happen in many people, sometime there is someone who materialistic which not understanding about his/her couple. They just want live in luxurious, money and money. Unfortunately, They think love is not important without love.

Its love and sacrifice story. in conflict between his feeling of being used and his desire for love; he recognizes Joan's faults but chooses to ignore them. When someone in the seeker of identity. Rogind is a research chemist by profession, one who seeks answer in the elemental substances of nature, but in the story, he is a researcher into the human heart by ponder, seeking to find sympathy and understanding as a man in a tough, explore the world. His adventures on his way to Joan's apartment form steps in his contemplation of his own place in that world. The journey Rogin makes is one of discovery about himself. From the story, we can get the message, Rogind is so patient, He recognize Joan’s fault but ignore them. It means rogind accept her without requirement. The world will beautifully if we can understanding with each other.

The story is so interesting, the author make me curious what he mean. In this bellow’s work, much of action and the meaning of the plot depends on a character’s to interpret, to seek, to plumb/ponder all of the well experience. Its more difficult for me, but I satisfied when get what the author mean in the story. It is conflict between Rogind’s feeling of being used and his desire for love but he recognizes Joan's faults but chooses to ignore them. We can get the value from this, every body has a change but we should understanding too with each other, don’t be selfish person. From Saul Bellow’s biography, many bellow’s work, much of action, the dialogue take many places, and when you looking for meaning of the plot, we should interpret it, ponder all experience of character. But its so long story, so difficult for a new reader because need a more time to read it.

Diah Maya Andina, 2011