Aufgabe II

Aufgabenstellung

Sum up the next.

(30%)

Examine how the neighbors’ attitude towards the widow is presented in the excerpt.
Refer to both narrative perspective and stylistic means.

(30%)

On its website The Paris Review, a U.S. magazine on literature and culture, has invited readers to contribute to their blog on "Living Together – Communities Today" and to discuss the statement by author Dean Ornish: "The need for connection and community is primal, as fundamental as the need for air, water, and food."

Write the blog entry, also referring to the text at hand and materials studied in class, such as the movie Gran Torino.

(40%)

Text: Excerpt from Yohanca Delgado, "The Little Widow from the Capital" (2021)

The widow arrived at LaGuardia on a Sunday, but the rumors about the woman who

had rented a big apartment, sight unseen, had taken an earlier flight. We had already

reviewed, on many occasions and in hushed tones, in the quiet that comes after long

hours of visiting, what little we knew about the widow and her dead husband.

About her life in the old country, we asked the obvious questions: Were there

children? Cheryl heard from a friend who still lived in the Dominican Republic that

they had only been married a year when he died. Had her husband been rich? No,

our sources in the old country said, poor as a church mouse, with a big family to

support out in el campo. Had the husband been handsome? Yes, in a rakish sort of

way. And with what we knew we created him in our minds: medium height with a

mop of curly hair and an easy laugh, walking down Saona Beach in a white linen

guayabera, dropping suddenly to one knee. We ourselves felt a flutter in our hearts.

On the day the widow finally arrived in New York, the rain came in fast, heavy drops

that sounded like tiny birds slamming into our windows. She emerged from the taxi

with a single battered suitcase and, little-girl small, stared up at our building as the

rain pelted her face. Behind us our men and children called out for their dinners, but

we ignored them. We would wonder later if she had seen our faces pressed up

against the windows, on all six floors, peering out over flowerpots full of barren dirt.

We watched her until she made her way out of the rain and into the lobby. Those of

us lucky enough to live on the fourth floor squinted through our peepholes or cracked

open our doors as the super carried her suitcase to the three-bedroom apartment

she was renting. How could she afford it?

The little widow walked behind the super, her gait slow and steady on the black-and-

white tiles of the hallway. He was rambling about garbage pickup and the rent. She

was younger than we expected her to be, thirty, maybe. The amber outfit was all

wrong for the chilly autumn weather. She was from Santo Domingo, but she looked

like a campesina visiting the city for the first time, everything hand-sewn and

outdated by decades. She wore an old-fashioned skirt suit, tailored and nipped at her

round waist, and a pair of low-heeled black leather pumps. Seeing them made us

glance down at our own scuffed sneakers and leggings. On her head, she wore a

pillbox hat, in matching yellow wool sculpted butter-smooth. She dressed her short,

plump body as though she adored it.

Instantly, we took a dislike.

We ourselves had been raised on a diet of telenovelas and American magazines, and

we knew what beauty was. We gathered after dinner to laugh at her peculiar clothes.

We murmured with fake sympathy about her loneliness, and joked that she might

turn our husbands’ heads. When we ran into her, though, we smiled and asked her

how she was finding New York.

We began to invent stories about the little widow’s life: torrid affairs that had driven

her husband to die of heartbreak, a refusal to give him children, a penchant for

hoarding money – we repeated the tales until we half believed them. The drama of

the little widow’s previous life became richer and denser, like a thicket of fast-

growing ivy. Who did she think she was, anyway? Living alone in that big apartment?

The little widow seemed to understand what we expected of her: she muttered only

quiet thank-yous when we held the door open as she struggled with her groceries, or

when we helped her up after she slipped on a patch of ice in front of the building and

landed flat on her back. As briskly as she could, she composed herself and

disappeared, her head bowed low into the collar of her quaint amber coat.

When we heard that the little widow could sew, we started bringing her dresses and

pants to hem, mostly because we wanted to know how she lived. The little widow’s

three-bedroom apartment was laid out like the others, but as she worked, our eyes

darted hungrily between her and the contents of her sewing room.

Her hair was curly, dyed reddish brown, and cut short around a pointed chin. When

we got to see her up close, we noted that though she did have deep creases at the

corners of her eyes, she did not have a widow’s peak. Her eyes were a dark hazel,

and her pupils so small they looked like pinpricks.

The little widow had wallpapered her sewing room with a cheap burlap. When one

of us slipped a fingernail underneath a panel and discovered that the rough cloth was

glued on, we crossed ourselves and said a quick prayer for the little widow’s security

deposit.

On that burlap the little widow had embroidered massive, swaying palm trees, so

finely detailed that we could almost feel a salty breeze warm our faces as we stood

on her tailor’s pedestal. Running our fingertips across the embroidered walls we

could feel the braille of her labor; the grains of sand were individually stitched, as if

the little widow knew each one. The ocean seemed to ripple and surge as the little

widow worked around us in meditative silence, kneeling near our ankles with a pin

between her lips. She was so gentle and fluid in her movements, her soft skin creasing

like a plump baby’s around the pincushion she wore on her wrist.

We liked her in those moments, but even so, we didn’t invite her to our birthday

parties or gatherings at Christmas, though we knew she was alone in that large

apartment, watching the passing of the seasons, just as we did, through black-barred

windows.

(997 words)

Yohanca Delgado. “The Little Widow from the Capital.” The Paris Review 236 (2021): 137-139.

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Note:
Our solutions are listed in bullet points. In the examination, full marks can only be achieved by writing a continuous text.

in a New York apartment building, there is excitement over the impending arrival of a new neighbor
$\rightarrow$ this neighbor happens to be a widow from the Dominican Republic
$\rightarrow$ the female residents of the building are very curious and eager to learn more about the new neighbor

upon her arrival, the women are caught off guard by her youthful appearance and her unique fashion choices
$\rightarrow$ attempt to display friendliness, but an unspoken distance remains between them
$\rightarrow$ reflect the restrained behavior of the widow

the jealous women begin to fabricate stories about the widowed woman's past
$\rightarrow$ they discover her skills in clothing alterations and her beautifully crafted decorations, they are immediately fascinated by her talents
$\rightarrow$ the women choose to exclude her from their special gatherings, even though they are aware of her loneliness and lack of company

The neighbours show a deep contradiction towards the widowed woman, are fascinated at the same time and keep a cautious distance. This ambivalence is expressed through various narrative and stylistic means.

the use of the first-person plural pronoun "we" throughout the text gives voice to the collective thoughts and opinions of the neighbors as a group
this narrative perspective creates a sense of unity and collective judgment, emphasizing the shared perspective of the community
$\rightarrow$ "We had already reviewed […] what little we knew about the widow and her dead husband " (l. 2-4)
it highlights the distance between the group of women and their new neighbor and their limited knowledge about her

Main Body
Narrative perspective

help the reader to understand the unfounded speculation circulating within the community
$\rightarrow$ "the rumors about the woman who had rented a big apartment […] had taken an earlier flight" (l. 1f.)
illustrate how the neighbors' views of the widowed woman are based on unfounded speculations and rumors and emphasizes the speculative nature of their judgments

Personification

the frequent use of questions convey the neighbors' intense curiosity about the widowed woman thus revealing their desire to uncover details about her life
$\rightarrow$ "Were there children?" (l. 5f.)
$\rightarrow$ "Had her husband been rich?" (l. 7)

Questions

"We ourselves had been raised on a diet of telenovelas and American magazines, and we knew what beauty was" (l. 34f.)
"our eyes darted hungrily between her and the contents of her sewing room”
(l. 51f.)

Metaphors

"we knew she was alone in that large apartment, watching the passing of the seasons, just as we did, through black-barred windows" (l. 70-72)
$\rightarrow$ makes the reader aware that the female neighbors and the woman are in the same situation

the stylistic means of describing the widow's appearance in contrast to the community's modern clothing choices creates a great visual contrast

Comparison and contrast

it conveys how entangled the women become in their own speculations and comparing their assumptions to the dense growth of ivy
$\rightarrow$ "The drama of the little widow’s previous life became richer and denser, like a thicket of fast-growing ivy " (l. 41-43)

Simile

Lessons from Literature and Film

Title

The question of whether human beings are inherently social creatures is an age-old debate. While some argue that we are wired to connect with others, forming communities and forging relationships, others posit that we are fundamentally individualistic, craving solitude and self-sufficiency. In this brief exploration, we will consider both sides of this intriguing argument.

Introdcution

community plays a fundamental role in shaping one's identity
$\rightarrow$ the women build a collective identity by contrasting their lifestyles with that of the widow
$\rightarrow$ the collective identity helps them define who they are and fosters a sense of belonging
$\rightarrow$ in "Gran Torino" Walt's gradual adaptation to changing surroundings exemplifies how community can influence an individual's identity. Additionally, the gang's sense of belonging underscores the power of community, even when it leads to destructive outcomes.
guidance within communities
$\rightarrow$ the text portrays a close-knit group of like-minded women who provide guidance and support to their members. This community offers orientation and mentorship, which can be invaluable in navigating the challenges of life.
$\rightarrow$ "Gran Torino" demonstrates the positive influence of community members providing guidance and mentorship. Walt becomes a mentor to Thao, offering valuable life lessons.

challanges in relationships
$\rightarrow$ the women in the text find solace in their friendship with the widow, helping them support each other through the difficulties of adjusting to a new country.
$\rightarrow$ "Gran Torino" illustrates how relationships play a pivotal role in coping with life's challenges. Walt's bonds with his neighbors help them collectively resist gang intimidation

interdependence for well-being
$\rightarrow$ the women depend on the widow's services for their own well-being, resulting in a mutually beneficial relationship
$\rightarrow$ in "Gran Torino" the Hmong community relies on Walt's protection to secure their neighborhood against gang violence. This collaborative effort highlights how communities working together can ensure the safety and well-being of their members

Main body
Arguments for

independence and self-reliance
$\rightarrow$ the widow in the text demonstrates her ability to start a new life in New York independently, suggesting that self-reliance is a viable path.
$\rightarrow$ Walt in "Gran Torino" exemplifies a life lived on his own terms, relying on his self-sufficiency. This suggests that strong social bonds are not essential for everyone.

freedom to reject the community
$\rightarrow$ ability to reject or distance oneself from a community is regarded as a form of personal freedom.
$\rightarrow$ in "Gran Torino" Walt consciously rejects both his family and the church community, asserting his independence

negative influence of groups
$\rightarrow$ communities can sometimes provide a negative influence, endangering an individual's well-being
$\rightarrow$ the women exclude the widow, which has a detrimental effect on her social integration and well-being
$\rightarrow$ "Gran Torino" portrays a gang that seeks to exert a negative influence on Thao, potentially leading him into a life of crime

Arguments against

in summary, Dean Ornish's statement serves as a reminder of the primal human need for connection and community
we gain a deeper understanding of how modern society is adapting to these primal needs
the Paris Review's blog on "Living Together – Communities Today" allows us to explore the multifaceted nature of communities, bridging the gap between physical and virtual worlds

Conclusion

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