Pam Garner
SSRJ #3 – The Cranes by Peter Meinke
The stories for this week were all very good. It was hard to pick one to write about. I had to go back and read them again because I enjoyed them. Each reading caused me to ponder them in ways that I had not considered in the first reading. I chose to write about “The Cranes” because it was the only one that I thought would not take up too many pages of writing.
This story really impressed me. As I read it I could sense the tenderness of the husband as he patted his wife’s back when she coughed and tenderly kissed her. He reminded me of how my own husband would behave. It seemed obvious to me that the wife is dying. The cranes represent the couple and all of the other birds represent all the people around them. I want to believe that the husband is only providing the wife with a distraction from her illness but there seems to be a nagging hint that perhaps they are committing suicide together. I got this impression when I read the last sentence in the story where the cranes fly away toward the sun. The story uses symbolism with the cranes representing the couple. Do you believe that the husband is just ministering to his wife trying to entertain and amuse her or do you believe that they are committing suicide?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
WELCOME!!! I'm glad you are here and posting! I seem to find myself commenting on all the journals who decided to write about "The Cranes" mainly because I was blown away. All of the small subtle hints of a partnered suicide and I did not for the life of me see it at first. After several reads I understand now (finally!). I even brought my book into work to have a fellow employee read the short story of "The Cranes" and after she was done reading she was going over some of the symbolism that did represent the love between this couple, and when she got to the last part she started to cry! .... This story has a strong message and after several readings, I've grown to love it!
ReplyDeleteI believe they were committing suicide together in order to be together, or to not be without the other, as it seems the wife was sick. I think it's a sweet story, but at the same time very sad.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with everyone else and say, yes they were committing suicide. It took me forever to figure it out, and it wasn't until after someone else had mentioned it in their journal. The hints are hard to find unless your looking for them, but once you know they're there, I couldn't help but see it right away.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that they were committing suicide even though it took me quite a while to figure it out. I am still however, not quite sure how they committed suicide. Several people have mentioned poison. Others have mentioned the possibility of a gun. Or perhaps it was both. Obviously they did not shoot each other since the wife was already falling asleep. Perhaps one of them used a gun and the other poison, which would explain the curtain over the window of the car.
ReplyDeletethe shower curtain isnt over the window, I think it's draped on the seat. if it were covering the window they wouldnt be able to watch the cranes. I too have wondered about how they committed double suicide - though clearly a gun was involved because she asks him if he remembered the earplugs.
ReplyDeletePick and carry crane A very awesome blog post. We are really grateful for your blog post. You will find a lot of approaches after visiting your post.
ReplyDelete