Yet Another Woman
The story that we read for today, "Sexy", very strongly resembles Lorrie Moore's short story, "How to be An Other Woman." The main characters in both, Miranda and Charlene respectively, follow very similar plot arcs. They're both young, whether out of college recently enough for a Phi Beta Kappa key to still have a lot of significance to them, or whether they're specifically mentioned to b 22, and meet a mysterious man that they decide to go out with, finding out early on that the man is married. They continue to go out with the man to various nice places, until they end up back at their apartment to sleep with him. The man starts out extremely romantic and close to them, and both main characters start to take on the persona of being a mistress. Eventually, Miranda and Charlene, for varying reasons, start to drift apart from the men that they were with, ending the affairs as quickly as they started.
They follow a very similar plot arc, but are they the same story? A lot of "Sexy" has to do with culture as well as the affair, which is a difference. However, they are, in essence, the same story. They both seem to fall into a cliche, one that Charlene specifically mentions wondering if she's falling into at one point. They're the same story with a different coat of paint. The characters do essentially he same things almost in the same order.
This makes me wonder about the validity of the title "How to be An Other Woman." When I first read that story, I read it as a very specific account of one specific affair, written as a set of instructions to work with the title. However, with these two stories being so similar, I wonder if that story really could be a set of instructions. The plots stay the same, the details of exactly what happens being insignificant. I could almost see Miranda reading "How to be An Other Woman" before she becomes an other woman and following those exact instructions for what happens. I wonder if perhaps there are other works of short fiction about affairs that would follow the same approach, making "How to be An Other Woman" a formula, or at least a story that points out the formula? I hadn't thought as much about "How to be An Other Woman" when I actually read the story, but looking at "Sexy" has made me see that story from so long ago in a different way.
They follow a very similar plot arc, but are they the same story? A lot of "Sexy" has to do with culture as well as the affair, which is a difference. However, they are, in essence, the same story. They both seem to fall into a cliche, one that Charlene specifically mentions wondering if she's falling into at one point. They're the same story with a different coat of paint. The characters do essentially he same things almost in the same order.
This makes me wonder about the validity of the title "How to be An Other Woman." When I first read that story, I read it as a very specific account of one specific affair, written as a set of instructions to work with the title. However, with these two stories being so similar, I wonder if that story really could be a set of instructions. The plots stay the same, the details of exactly what happens being insignificant. I could almost see Miranda reading "How to be An Other Woman" before she becomes an other woman and following those exact instructions for what happens. I wonder if perhaps there are other works of short fiction about affairs that would follow the same approach, making "How to be An Other Woman" a formula, or at least a story that points out the formula? I hadn't thought as much about "How to be An Other Woman" when I actually read the story, but looking at "Sexy" has made me see that story from so long ago in a different way.
I definitely see the similarities between both stories, and I like that you point out how "Sexy" also has the added aspect of culture. I think that "Sexy" is so similar to "How to be An Other Woman" because Moore essentially is writing a specific yet general depiction of how to be the other woman –it's specific to Charlene's situation but also the "how to" format makes it semi-general and allows readers to possibly relate their own situations (or similar situations in other stories!)
ReplyDeleteThe moment I started reading "Sexy," I joked to myself that this was another Lorrie Moore story. These stories reminded me so much of each other but I think I enjoyed this one more. "Sexy" is also almost kind of instructional in the way that we learn about the very specific details Miranda does as the other woman; she buys food he likes and she buys clothes and lingerie especially for him.
ReplyDelete"Sexy" really does resemble "How to Be another Woman" in many ways. I like how you describe it as the same story with a different coat of paint. It's super fitting! If "Sexy" was written in second-person, I think the story would be very similar if you ignore the added cultural parts (or if you do the opposite and write "How to Be an Other Woman" in third-person).
ReplyDeleteI agree that there are many similarities between the two stories. It definitely seems like these kinds of stories follow a similar set of "steps" that the woman must go through in her relationship. "How to Be An Other Woman" lays out the basic steps, but then Miranda has to learn what to do about Dev's culture.
ReplyDelete"How to Be An Other Woman" is a formula that is kind of meta. It refers to itself in the story as well as all stories about similar acts of adultery. In essence the two are the same story. There are dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands of stories whose story ark may be lengthened or shortened but will still have same ark. Interesting to see that the formula works though and is accurate.
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