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Cynthia Rylant was hooked on excellent writing when she was studying at university, and since that time, she became obsessed with the creation of beautiful stories. The list of favorite topics comprises love, friendship, grief, and mystery. Author from time to time tends to reference to her own life experience. Here many stories, where she shares her childhood memories. The story entitled “Checkouts” is a story based on the concept of love. It is written in a very personal-oriented way, meaning that target reader can relate himself to the story and single out the similarities between the lives of central heroes on his own life.
The love in the Checkouts by Cynthia Rylant finally leads to irony.
The story begins with the scene in the supermarket. Both antagonist and protagonist some from a middle layer of society. The main heroine was forced to move to another unfamiliar city due to life circumstances. She is much stressed and feels a great tension.
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To let her hair down and get the things off her chest, she decides to go shopping at the local supermarket. The author understood the crucial role of setting the scene and it visible that the plot was well elaborated. Cynthia uses a very down-to-earth beginning of the story so that every reader could try on the image of main characters on oneself. The beginning of the story is a pace, where the main character is going to meet each other. Such location allows the romantic mood and preparing the reader for the further development of the story, where the boy and girl will not be together.
When the author introduces the main characters, she uses indirect characterization to let the target audience decide on a personality of both protagonist and antagonist.
For example, she describes, how the girl loved grocery shops. Apart from that, the writer applies the technique of cauterization through the worlds, thoughts, and impressions of other characters. The main heroine seems attractive because boy liked her appearance. The dropped the jar of mayonnaise; then she smiled at him. It demonstrates that she loved clumsiness. The boy is depicted as a clumsy and shy. She fell in love with the boy.
Their schedules did not coincide, so there was no opportunity to see each other. Two characters are very similar, shy and unable to take the initiative. As they understood there was no chance to meet each other, they started dating a new people. Both the girls and the by hate themselves for their ignorance. They had an opportunity to meet again at the theatre with the separate dates. They demonstrate an interest in each other and smile, accepting the fact that they will never be together.
Cynthia Rylant depicts her characters as very dynamic. By the usage, if reach language she manages to render the thoughts and feeling of the main characters. The central technique applied by a writer is irony. The whole story is enhanced with the ironical statements, descriptions and hidden details. The first and the most visible mark of irony is the fact that two people fall in love not knowing each other. The time in the schedules does not coincide – the visible mark of irony again. A boy decides to change the job for the better one in the bookstore, although the girl he likes works in the supermarket. In addition, the most prominent sign of irony is the overall conclusion that two people, being in love with each other do not even dare to speak to each other.
The text is enhanced with the variety of symbols. The most visible is a jar of mayonnaise dropping out of hands of a boy in the supermarket. The mark of awkwardness and clumsiness as well as the reflection of his feelings to this girl. This accident shows, how they fell in love with each other, however, did not manage to start their relations.
The main theme of Checkouts short story may sound: “If you are not ready to take the initiative to get what you want, you will not have a chance to get it.” There were many moments, when two people, who were interested in being acquainted with each other, had a chance to take the initiative. The first chance was their first meeting when the boy demonstrated his awkwardness. It was a visible sign of interest. The girl smiled at him, in a hidden way expressing her positive attitude to him. The boy needed to be braver and at least talk to her, asking her name. The second chance was when the boy had to change the job. He could have left in the supermarket, however, chose the position, where the salary was higher. He knew that there was a tiny chance to meet the girl again and get acquainted with her. However, he again demonstrated the weakness. The last chance was when young people met in the theatre with the separate dates. They still had felt towards each other, however, were not brave enough to express them. They lacked self-confidence and ability to control their lives entirely. For that reason, young people lost the chance to feel the deep and emotional love.
There is a broad sense of the external plot of the story. Cynthia Ryles wanted to reflect the situation, which people usually face in real life. It concerns not only the love and relations-connected aspect of life. We tend to lose opportunities and great chances just because we do not have enough courage to take the responsibility and to take the initiative. As a result, many possibilities are lost. The moral of the story teaches us to be braver, pushier and more initiative. If we want to get something, we need to come and take it, at whatever costs.
Having an intention to make the story more colorful, the writer applies many techniques, particularly irony and symbols. It enables to enhance the central idea of the text as well as provides the reader with a room for imagination. In such simplistic form, the author manages to render the target reader the high sense. Love is simple subject for the story. However, she manages to formulate the idea exclusively, so that the audience gets excited.
Missed Chances in 'Checkouts' by Cynthia Rylant. (2016, Jul 03). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/theme-of-checkouts-essay
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