James Nolasco
English 100
Mr. Lewis
10/08/13

More than Love

In “Sarah Cole: A Type Of Love Story”, appearance and class are two main indicators of success and social superiority as well as the qualifiers for acceptance in the standard image. In this story, Russell Banks creates an example of inequality between two individuals from opposite ends of their social and economic class. Of these two characters, Ron is more successful and Sarah is the less fortunate. Accordingly, Ron is a step ahead in the relationship from the beginning and Sarah follows close behind. However, this interpretation, obvious as it may seem, is nowhere written in the text. Banks instead makes it visible to the reader by playing with our perception. It is his method of shifting the story’s point of view that creates our awareness of the exclusion in Ron and Sarah’s relationship. Ron ignores humiliation and reputation for a moment only to discover that love can be found despite appearance and social class. Ron is not physically attracted to Sarah; on the contrary, he is fascinated by her appearance. He’s not trying to connect with her emotionally but only to lengthen this instance of experiencing something so odd. Similarly, both he and Sarah are interested in the weirdness of their relationship. Since Sarah probably never has had the chance to date someone out of her league and Ron is being pulled in by her grotesque appearance. Ron is well aware of how being with Sarah is affecting his reputation when he describes, “They were lawyers, and I knew them slightly. They were grinning at me. I grinned back and got into my car”(Banks 6) . Although he doesn’t let others opinions affect him, Ron’s obsession with Sarah is fueled by their opinion. This is why he recounts in first person his interest of “the moment” during his conversations with Sarah: an