The Curse
The Curse

- Time, point of view, symbolism and figurative language by Nicki

Time
Looking at the “time” in any kind of literature, is to be viewed at, in two different ways. First there’s the level of events, which describes what happens in the story, as it actually happens. It’s a chronological timeline if you want to say so. Then there’s the level of thoughts, making room for flashbacks, flash forwards in a timeline.
In “The Curse” the level of events and level of thoughts follow each other most of the way. So if I put up a timeline, they would be very alike.
The timeline for the level of events starts out with our main character Mitchell, is in the bar a late night in august, when a group of young men, probably affected by drugs, enters the bar. After the “last call” a girl enters the bar, asking for some change for the cigarette automat. The men begin to rape this girl, and when Mitchell tries to call the police, he’s being shoved. The next thing that happens is, that the police arrives and start to treat the girl and interrogate Mitchell about what had happened. When the police are gone, Mitchell is in the bar alone with Bob (who’s the manager of the bar). Mitchell gets home, and sits by himself until his wife joins him while he start to tell what had happened. The next day he tells his children about the incident and goes to work, where he talks with Reggie, a customer.
To the level of thoughts, Mitchell starts in the bar after the police have left. He relives the nights scenario before we reach the present and continues the story chronological, until he relives the raping once again when he’s talking to Reggie.
Point of view
André Dubus is using a 3rd person narrator in his short story “The Curse”. Although it’s a 3rd person narrator, we get the story told from his point of view at all times. When we read this story through his eyes, we get a view into his feelings of regret and despair, due to his experience. This is a critical point because, if we were to read the same story from the girls’ point of view, we would see a coward and a weakling of a man, just watching this poor girl being raped. But instead, we see this man, walking around feeling horrible. This makes us sympathize with both him and her. Making the point clear that, the safe decision isn’t always easy to live with, but that doesn’t make it less right.
Figurative language and symbolism
In this story there are few, but very strong symbols, which I think indicate a focused figurative language.
First time we meet the figurative language is in the description about the bikers. “Wary as animals.” Which might tell that they we hunting, that they were predators. This isn’t a bad suggesting, because of the description about the girl after the rape. She had to cover her “wound”, as if she were a prey.
I think the real symbolism begins at: “…and her screaming and groaning and finally weeping and weeping and weeping, until she was the siren crying then fading into the night.”. I think this refers to Mitchells weakened mentality, since the sound of the girls weeping became one with the siren from the ambulance. The following line: “… he felt her pain and terror and grief, then her curse upon him.” His mental state was affected by this scenario, and making him a victim as well. Not physically, but mentally. “The curse moved into his back and spread down and up his spine, into his stomach and legs and arms and shoulders until he quivered with it.”
This so called “curse” is made into something physical and alive. This simply supports my theory about his mental victimization. The next part is crucial for this story, and ends my theory.
“He wished he were alone so he could kneel to receive it.” He knew that he wouldn’t be able to live with himself after this, and wanted to switch into a religious position, the kneeling, to receive the “curse” or guilt I’d rather call it.

- Nicki