engelsk stil

Jeg ville være taknemlig, hvis der var nogle kloge engelskfolk der gad og kigge min stil igennem(er til i morgen) for grammatiske fejl el hvad der nu måtte være.

På forhånd tak


Solo

“(…)the goal is to reach that stripped down state where your cells know everything there is to know, where your feeling go so deep they become one simple force, where sorrow and joy become the same thing”(lines 7-10)

How far can we push the limits, and does it have an end? A lot of people risk their lives practicing dangerous sports and testing themselves. Pushing the limits has almost become an obsession, and we feel aroused by the fascination. People have died trying to climb Mount Everest, but it does not stop others from trying to do the same. The idea of being the best and setting an example is fascinating. We want to try it all, and step by step we push ourselves further. The short story “Solo” shows that there are limits, because you can die from pushing yourself too far.
The story is based on flash backs, which give the reader insight to see how the narrator feels about her friend, before and after her death. It also gives the opportunity to see how they interact with each other.

The two main characters, whom we meet in the story, the narrator and her friend Elizabeth, both experience the death of someone close to them in their lives. Elizabeth has suffered the loss of her mother, and dies herself probably by getting captured by an avalanche.

Already in the beginning we get the sense that the narrator misses her friend. More importantly the line “How I missed Elizabeth”(line 11)stands by itself signifies its importance. The author uses this as an element to enhance their relationship. At that point the reader is introduced to the conflict, yet we do not know that Elizabeth has died, and it makes the reader wanting to know more. The following paragraphs include negative descriptions of Elizabeth, and there is a constant battle between them.

The two friends share the same interest: practising physically demanding interests, such as skiing in the mountains, even if it means skiing in front of an avalanche. To travel only two people on such a physically demanding trip, demands a friendship that can last. Their egos are tested, and quarrels are almost inevitable. As the text says, they are perfect partners because their intuition is the same, but naturally Elizabeth is emotionally affected by her mother’s death, and their relationship change. It is hard for people to cope with the loss of someone, and some people try to ignore their feelings, and consequently the hole becomes larger. Repressing feelings makes it even worse instead of dealing with them.

The narrator has noticed impatience in Elizabeth.. This sudden impatience is probably the result of repressed feelings due to the death of her mother. She has to do it all at once, and the narrator cannot follow her speed, and they grow apart: “if she would just slow down she could discover what it was she needed so badly” (lines 48-49). She has probably realized that life can suddenly end, and she does not want to miss out on it. People who are mentally unbalanced often experience difficulties in their love life. She tries to seek comfort in men, and probably asks for feelings they cannot return because she “(…) wanted each of them body and soul” (line 42). To redeem her mourn, she attends spiritual events. Even though her partners are in a “low category”, the narrator might envy her because she has a love life, even though it might not be the best one. We do not hear of the narrator’s love life, which might indicate that she currently is not involved with anyone.

According to the narrator, the two girls have switched personalities: The narrator used to be the wild one, but has now become the cautious of the two – what Elizabeth used to be.
A lot of people are dependable of one and other, but not Elizabeth: “I was in her way, had come between her and the mountain. And that, I knew, was the one sacrilege she wouldn’t tolerate.” (lines 69-70) Nothing may come in her way. She is in touch with nature, and this is probably also her way of dealing with her sorrows. By using the phrase sacrilege, the narrator describes Elizabeth’s state of mind as they are standing on the mountain because the mountain is like a holy object to Elisabeth. Elizabeth is in some kind of intoxication by being close to her goal, the mountain or death.
On the contrary, the narrator does not want to risk their lives, and tries to prevent her friend from going solo. Ironically the narrator is fascinated by Elizabeth’s courage. She has the courage to go solo, and lives on the edge between life and death. She pushes the limits too far, and dies consequently. This fascination almost develops into jealousy: “(…) I was even more jealous that she went solo, that she’d stretched to a place I could not stretch to.”(lines 159-161)

As Elizabeth tells the narrator that there are two ways of living life: either you can stay cautious, and miss out on things, or you can get every bit out of life, even if means risking life itself. This passage is very important in the text, and describes contrasts. I think that a combination of these is the best way of living life. It is necessary to take risks and chances in life, but risking life is not worth it because life is precious, and cannot be replaced. The narrator is provoked by this because she is confronted with the truth – she has become too cautious. Indirectly Elizabeth says that the narrator has forgotten to live. The world would consist of selfish human beings and lack of socialization if we all were like Elizabeth – following our own track.
Elizabeth plays with death and talks about it as if she were careless. She builds up a wall, and the narrator cannot get though to her. It is all about living in the present to Elizabeth, and even if she were to die, she could not care less. She would even risk her life for a date and hot sex, which I think says it all, even though this it is meant in irony. The date could turn out to be a flop. She is controlled by her id, following her lust, and the narrator is the super-ego trying to pull her back. Elizabeth is not able to sense the consequences of her actions, and she cannot follow her own pace.

In the end of the story the narrator realizes how much Elizabeth means to her: “I sensed Elizabeth nearby. Did you see me?”(line 222) Spite all the negative thoughts she had about Elizabeth, she really loved her in her heart of hearts. When we lose someone, we (more or less) only remember the good things. She is reminded of Elizabeth because of the wind, which is a symbol of Elizabeth, because she was in touch with nature. Standing on the top of the mountain, is the turning point for her. All along, Elizabeth has been her role model even though she was hasty. She wants to make Elizabeth proud of her, and addresses her like a child wanting attention from the parents. She has crossed the limits by going down the mountain, and passed the “personality” test. She is on her way of becoming as life-challenging as Elizabeth was, and realizes that Elizabeth “was part of my wilderness.”(line 98), and that she had been jealous of her. Previously, she had been living in constant denial.

The title “Solo” tells us how hard it can be to be alone. To be alone signifies independence, and especially teenagers feel the need to prove to their parents that they are independent, and can take care of themselves. It is more an act as a result of lack of attention, than actual independence. Furthermore, it can be the voyage of self-discovery for many people.