Essay
Sorry for Disturbing You

A:

We are several billions of people on Earth. We are born to this planet with abilities of an enormous scale. Our vocabulary enables us to express our feelings as well as our body language disclose them. As a result, we are very lucky human beings! We are like gregarious animals: Even though we are all different, we cannot live alone. We know for a fact that we are currently seven billion people on Earth, so why are many of them living in loneliness?
Studies have shown that one of the primary sources to human happiness is the close and confident relation we can have to our fellow men. Therefore, the ability to communicate is crucial for how we will evolve in the future. Such issues are being handled in Richard Knight’s short story “Sorry for Disturbing You”, from 2008.

In the short story, Michael Phelps is described as an old man, who one evening is knocking on Ian’s front door. He wants to borrow the phone so he can call a taxi. Phelps is intoxicated by alcohol and claims that he used to know the previous owners of Ian’s house, Edie and George Higham. Ian invites him in and tries to help him. To find what connection the drunken man has to this couple; he calls them, but without success. They will not help him at all: “Look, if he’s bothering you I suggest you call the police. I’m sorry he’s disturbing your evening but… I really must go. Sorry.”
George Higham seems frustrated and dismissive towards Ian. This reaction is due to the fact that Edie Higman is the daughter of Michael Phelps. The reason why they do not stay in touch anymore is caused by Michael’s drinking problem. In addition, his family has rejected him. Furthermore Michael mentions that he should have been there for his daughter’s wedding: “It’s the alcohol you see. I should have walked her down the aisle you know.”

Several times it is seen that Michael Phelps has a need for excusing himself: “Sorry. Thank you. You’re very kind.” (…) “Sorry to disrupt your evening.” The difficult circumstances surrounding his relationship towards Edie makes him miserable. He wishes for her acknowledgement and forgiveness. Because of that, Michael is drowning his sorrows.

A strange situation appears when the taxi driver arrives to pick up Michael. Suddenly the driver exhibits a repellent behavior towards Michael and refuses to bring him along. Obviously, he already has a nodding acquaintance with Michael Phelps in relation to his drinking problem: “I’m sorry mate. I’ve had him before. You’ll have to try someone else.” It is told that the taxi driver is dubious about his passenger rather than concerned. His attitude testifies that the driver has picked Michael up before, at the same place. In other words, it is not the first time Michael is drunk.

After much trouble, Ian succeeds to obtain another taxi for Michael. Subsequently, he is starting to reflect the courses of the evening. He has compassion for Michael and fear that he one day will end up like him – lonely and abandoned. He realizes that he has to start appreciating his own family relationships more than he already does. For instance, Ian wish to re-establish the balance between him and his wife, Karen:
“Back home Corry was in the bath. He could hear them chatting in the bathroom. He switched the television off, made two cups of tea and a glass of warm milk, and took the first careful steps up the stairs.”

In the text “Male Loneliness” by Kerby Anderson, it is told that men are more isolated and competitive than women. This description fits Ian and Michael’s personalities. Both are having problems communicating, which have led them to a feeling of loneliness. For example, Ian is having problems in his marriage: “Karen was staying at her mother’s for a while. They had things to sort out.” Ian and Karen clearly cannot communicate very well with each other.
Michael’s lack of communication arises when he tries to explain why he is drinking: “I should have walked her down” (…) “Who?” – The answer was another whisper that Ian couldn’t understand.
Ian and Michael could improve their personal relationships by learning to express their emotions and display empathy towards their wife and daughter, respectively.
The oil painting, “Man in Chair” by Lucian Freud, provides an authentic expression on how Michael Phelps might look. He is an old, tired man who sits in a chair without any people around him. At his left side, a bunch of crumpled papers are left in a mess. This could be a symbol of Michael’s lack of communication and social behavior.

In conclusion, a lot of people end up as Michael Phelps because of their shortage of communication and bad understanding for other people’s feelings. Although we as human beings make mistakes, we must also have the ability to forgive and move on.

B:
Dialogue takes up a large part of the short story, “Sorry for Disturbing You”. It expresses the function of the composition in the story. For example: “The man on the doorstep had looked directly into Ian’s eyes. He seemed lost, hanging on the doorframe for support. Drunk, Ian thought.”
A third person narrator tells the story with a point of view inside Ian’s head. There is no other description of Michael Phelps, than the version we get from Ian.
Every time a dialogue appears, an elaborating description of Ian’s thoughts follows: “Did you lose contact with Edie and George?” Ian wasn’t hopeful of a reply and was surprised to get one.
Moreover, the function of the dialogue clarifies the action in the story and the following description comments in which way the action is understood.
The dialogue between the main characters is in general an important component in novels and short stories. It helps to credible people in the same way as it introduces the reader into the characters’ thoughts. Similarly, dialogues can be a help to lead the action in a certain direction. On the other hand, dialogues also make it difficult for the reader to understand the story’s context, which in some cases increases the tension in the story. “Sorry for Disturbing You” is a good example of this!