Low Visibility
Low Visibility
Many women experience violence in their relationships. Their fear keeps them from escaping, but fortunately, some women find a way out. Margaret Murphy's short story “Low Visibility” gives us a realistic insight of how people can remold other people negatively, and yet even though they have reached the very bottom, hope can still bring them back their spirits and rights. “Low Visibility” portrays women being mistreated by their husbands, and how the women can be capable of escaping. The story is told by a 3rd person narrator, who is omniscient, and tells the story very objective. It takes place in the real world, where a riot breaks loose in the town where the main-characters live. There is a particular atmosphere of control turning into chaos both inside the home of the main-characters, and outside.
The language of the text is very visualizing, especially when it comes to what happens on the streets, and when it comes to the pain John, Laura's husband, causes Laura, our main-character. The author has also used symbols, such as the tiger eye Laura possesses, the fire, and the riot itself. These all show us the emotions Laura experience. Laura used to be an energetic, happy girl. She used to have a spirit, and was lively and exited. She had a good sense of humor, and could always set a room to laughter (p. 2, l. 19). But after marrying John she became joyless, and she gradually started expecting to be hurt. John made her insubstantial, and caused her to be an afraid, trembly woman. John would beat her up. He wanted her for her energy and spirit, and for her to share it with him. But in the end, he sucked it all out of her, and she became invisible. She had possessed something he was lacking, and he expected it to seep into him. He did not think of her, and how she felt. To Laura, his criticism became like a dripping tap he never fixed (p. 2, l. 27).
In their marriage, there was only Laura's fear and John's greed.
At a point where Laura asks
Many women experience violence in their relationships. Their fear keeps them from escaping, but fortunately, some women find a way out. Margaret Murphy's short story “Low Visibility” gives us a realistic insight of how people can remold other people negatively, and yet even though they have reached the very bottom, hope can still bring them back their spirits and rights. “Low Visibility” portrays women being mistreated by their husbands, and how the women can be capable of escaping. The story is told by a 3rd person narrator, who is omniscient, and tells the story very objective. It takes place in the real world, where a riot breaks loose in the town where the main-characters live. There is a particular atmosphere of control turning into chaos both inside the home of the main-characters, and outside.
The language of the text is very visualizing, especially when it comes to what happens on the streets, and when it comes to the pain John, Laura's husband, causes Laura, our main-character. The author has also used symbols, such as the tiger eye Laura possesses, the fire, and the riot itself. These all show us the emotions Laura experience. Laura used to be an energetic, happy girl. She used to have a spirit, and was lively and exited. She had a good sense of humor, and could always set a room to laughter (p. 2, l. 19). But after marrying John she became joyless, and she gradually started expecting to be hurt. John made her insubstantial, and caused her to be an afraid, trembly woman. John would beat her up. He wanted her for her energy and spirit, and for her to share it with him. But in the end, he sucked it all out of her, and she became invisible. She had possessed something he was lacking, and he expected it to seep into him. He did not think of her, and how she felt. To Laura, his criticism became like a dripping tap he never fixed (p. 2, l. 27).
In their marriage, there was only Laura's fear and John's greed.
At a point where Laura asks