The Narrator's War Against the Community

Die, My Love

This conflict flow follows the narrator's aggressive skirmishes with nurses, cashiers, neighbours and crowds as she tries to survive the village.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Snarl at the Nurse The Snarl at the Nurse from "Die, My Love". The Snarl at the Nurse Context The narrator takes out the rubbish at seven in the morning and sees the plump home-care nurse arriving for the sick neighbour.

The Snarl at the Nurse from "Die, My Love". The Snarl at the Nurse Context The narrator takes out the rubbish at seven in the morning and sees the plump home-care nurse arriving for the sick neighbour.

The Snarl at the Nurse Context The narrator takes out the rubbish at seven in the morning and sees the plump home-care nurse arriving for the sick neighbour. She gives her a look of disgust and snarls back. Turn She raises her voice and takes a few steps toward the nurse, prepared for a fistfight. The nurse shrinks back, thinking the narrator is a refugee from a war-torn country. Aftermath The narrator enjoys the nurse's fear. The scene is a small victory in her war against the civility of the village.

The Scenes in Public The Scenes in Public from "Die, My Love". The Scenes in Public Context The narrator acts haughty with supermarket cashiers, pizza delivery men and manicurists.

The Scenes in Public from "Die, My Love". The Scenes in Public Context The narrator acts haughty with supermarket cashiers, pizza delivery men and manicurists.

The Scenes in Public Context The narrator acts haughty with supermarket cashiers, pizza delivery men and manicurists. She likes to humiliate them in public and show them how cowardly they are. Turn No one tries to fight her or calls the authorities. She thinks they are right, that she is the one looking for trouble. Aftermath Her public aggression is a performance of her own collapse. She picks fights because fighting is the only way she feels awake.

The Doll in the Car The Doll in the Car from "Die, My Love". The Doll in the Car Context The narrator leaves a plastic doll on the back seat of the car and waits for alarmed neighbours and state employees to come…

The Doll in the Car from "Die, My Love". The Doll in the Car Context The narrator leaves a plastic doll on the back seat of the car and waits for alarmed neighbours and state employees to come…

The Doll in the Car Context The narrator leaves a plastic doll on the back seat of the car and waits for alarmed neighbours and state employees to come running. The fire engine arrives with its siren sounding. Turn She loves watching them react like good citizens and heroes, ready to smash the window and save the little one. She says if she wants to leave her baby in the car, she will. Aftermath The stunt turns her into a public enemy of maternal norms. The community's moral outrage is exactly what she wants to provoke.

The Road with a Suitcase The Road with a Suitcase from "Die, My Love". The Road with a Suitcase Context The narrator stands in the middle of the road with a straw hat and a suitcase, while bikes, lorries and lame dogs dodge her.

The Road with a Suitcase from "Die, My Love". The Road with a Suitcase Context The narrator stands in the middle of the road with a straw hat and a suitcase, while bikes, lorries and lame dogs dodge her.

The Road with a Suitcase Context The narrator stands in the middle of the road with a straw hat and a suitcase, while bikes, lorries and lame dogs dodge her. Neighbours beep and swear, afraid of police and lawyers. Turn She waits for a call that never comes. Her son's toy car, vroom vroom, could suddenly run her over, and everything is one big distortion. Aftermath The road becomes a stage of refusal. The community sees her as an obstacle, but she is testing whether anyone will stop and notice her.

The Beach Crowd The Beach Crowd from "Die, My Love". The Beach Crowd Context On the beach, the narrator punches her husband after seeing his unexplained erection.

The Beach Crowd from "Die, My Love". The Beach Crowd Context On the beach, the narrator punches her husband after seeing his unexplained erection.

The Beach Crowd Context On the beach, the narrator punches her husband after seeing his unexplained erection. The cloud of children freezes, then begins to bawl, and mothers rush over to cover their eyes and ears. Turn The lifeguard intervenes, and the crowd begins a stream of obscenities. The husband throws the narrator to the lions and carries the son away. Aftermath The beach crowd gives the narrator the verdict the village has been saving: she is crazy, violent, unfit. The public nature of the scene leaves her completely exposed.

a morning when the husband is away

during the same period of the husband's absence

a summer day when the husband is away

after a weekend fight, in the morning

during the family trip to the sea