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March 19, 2006

slip up?

O'Connor, ''A Stroke of Good Fortune'' -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)

"two born dead, one died the first year and one run under like a dried yellow apple."

O'Connor provides ample reason for Ruby to be upset about being pregnant. She would surely fear having a child and becoming "deader", as her mother did with each of Ruby's siblings. As with her other stories, O'Connor's title could have several meanings. Is it Bill Hill's stroke of good fortune since he may have stopped his contraceptive technique on purpose? Ruby says clearly, "He would never slip up". So is he happy because he sees Ruby changing and knows his plan worked?
Or perhaps this is a stroke of good fortune for Ruby. Her trek up the steep stairs seems to symbolize her life thus far. She has made it out of Pitman and has avoided becoming a baby-making machine like her mother and sisters so far. She looks back "down into the dark hold" at the end of the story and is mocked by the echoes of her own voice saying "Good Fortune, Baby" which may be O'Connor's way of telling us that Ruby has not escaped her inevitable future at all.

Posted by JenniferDiFulvio at March 19, 2006 06:36 PM

Comments

I agree that she should be upset about having children because of her past experience. Alright, I know this is just a story, but her fear still cannot be justified. A human being realizes that children do not deaden a human being. I mean obviously, what Ruby's mother went through would be devastating. Yet, I am sure she moved on and put attention onto her living children.

Not too mention, every has a fate. Ruby's mother might have just been sickly. I know it mentions in the story that her mother grayed early. I have an uncle that started going gray and losing his hair in his early twenty's. My point is, is that she is making excuses for something. She has a larger fear. I do not quite know what it is, however. It seems that it is the doctors themselves.

Orrrr...could she have a fear of finding out that she isnt perfect?? Whether is be physically or emotionally. It seems she has a difficult time with finding fault in herself and her husbad. She did not want to believe that he "slipped up." How could she not put 2 and 2 together with how "happy" he has been with her putting some weight on! come on! She is very stupud in my opinion. I guess this is the whole point in Flannery O'Connor's stories though isnt it??

I think that the good fortune is for Ruby. I just don't think she knows it yet ;-)

Posted by: OnileeSmith at March 20, 2006 07:33 PM

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