The Office So, there are actually selfish gifts - Mr. Malley makes the gift giving, something wonderful, to a power game, to something pervert. I feel like this kind of gift giving and mansplaining can be seen often in real life. After the teapot, the plant (the nameless narrator hates both gifts, Mr. Malley insists her to keep them) and as a highlight the wastebasket that mirrors what a waste, what a trash those gifts are for the gift receiver. Also, which may be the most important part of the story, it emphasizes how he (kinda like the narrator itself - the story is especially about herself trying to believe in herself as writer) doesn't take her seriously; the wastebasket stands for him thinking that she produces a lot of unnecessary stuff- that ends in the wastebasket. The Time of Death movie magazines: someday Patricia maybe wants to sing in a movie. From the beginning of the story, before and after Bennys death, she reads movie magazines; maybe as an escape. It seems like, also before Bennys death, that there is something wrong in the family. Leona doesn't want to drink her tea, the house is dirty; it seems like Patricia is the one who needs and has the urge to take care of it. scissor: Irene and George are playing their cut-out-game; something, that is a whole, like the family should be, will be separated, "destroyed" into a lot of peaces. Also the scissors-men, that we don't know a lot about (his real name is Bram - which doesn't reveal much), is the one thing that triggers Patricia and finally reveals her suppressed feelings. It is just known that all the children were excited about him and went inside to get knives or scissors. This seems as a reader a bit weird, that children can just take knives and scissors, because, of course, this is dangerous for children. Benny could have also been hurt using the scissor on his own (accidents happen). The snow in the end of the story, that doesn't melt and stay; like the grief stays. Day of the Butterfly Sunday Afternoon: While a Sunday afternoon might be a time to relax and to be free to do whatever one wants, for others like Alva it means work: the more joy the guests have, the more they eat and drink, and the more dishes and work there are for the housemaid Alva. Additionally, Sunday afternoon (not “the” one specific afternoon) is a recurring event; it is a weekday, it comes every week — and there is no hint that this will ever change. The story also gives the impression that this is not the first or only time such an afternoon has taken place. The story begins with a list of guests for whom Alva has to work and create a pleasant afternoon. At the beginning, it is also described that Mrs. Gannett and her two sisters each own a house on their father’s island. But since this house is not the result of Mrs. Gannett’s success or hard work (we do not know anything about that), and because the father had the houses built for them, this shows fairness within the family — everyone owns one house on the island. In comparison, the dynamic between the guests and Alva is completely unfair. They do not wait for her answers; normally she does not answer at all and simply receives orders. They speak in a patronizing and humiliating manner — fittingly, the story ends with the word humiliation. Important objects besides the dishes: Radishes: Miss Gannett criticizes the way Alva cuts the radishes. “Jean,” perhaps the former housemaid (this is not explained further), used to make them look like roses, Mrs. Gannett says. This mirrors Mrs. Gannett’s vanity and her demand for perfectionism: none of the many things Alva does for her ever seems perfect enough; she constantly criticizes or rearranges Alva’s work. She also never says “thank you” in the story; she simply uses Alva and looks down on her. The book King Lear: Alva is allowed to pick a book and chooses King Lear. A book can be seen as a form of escape; in the brief moment she believes she has nothing to do (or thinks she can take a short break — though it seems to last only seconds before Mrs. Gannett reappears and asks for something else), she decides to look for books that might offer her another world. That she chooses exactly this book is meaningful: like Cordelia, she is unable to rise above her situation. It is also interesting that Cordelia is banished because she “fails” the love test. Mrs. Gannett likewise seems displeased with Alva’s behavior — especially the fact that she often does not say much; but the truth is that Alva remains silent because she is not free and does not feel able to speak openly. The Peace of Utrecht: The title “The Peace of Utrecht” refers to the treaty made in the city of Utrecht that ended the War of the Spanish Succession. Just as this war was inherited, the pain and struggle their mother endured is inherited by her children. Utrecht was affected by the war but had no voice of its own — just as Helen and Maddy could never decide their own destiny, and just as Maddy cannot escape Jubilee. Helen finds a loose-leaf notebook in her childhood home that says: “The Peace of Utrecht, 1713, brought an end to the War of the Spanish Succession.” She feels as if she has taken up her old life again; the whole trip, and this notebook in particular, triggers memories in her. She describes the town as looking as if it had survived a minor bombardment — this and other examples in the text evoke war imagery. Helen describes her and Maddy’s relationship at the beginning as a “desert” (lifeless, like war). There exists a temporary “we,” but it is an unwanted one: it feels like an alliance. Their childhood with their sick mother felt like a war, and it haunts them the way a war would. Helen struggles with guilt, cannot stop thinking about the past, and tries to avoid the topic; until the end, she does not talk to Maddy about her feelings, their mother, or her guilt. Other important objects besides the loose-leaf notebook: The banana cake: It is described as something their mother made on her good days. The cake represents the good moments they had with her and the ambivalence of their feelings: they want to escape the pain, but at the same time they cannot — and perhaps do not want to — forget the good times they shared. The greeting cards that the mother tries to sort for a very long time: She suffered deeply from her illness, even though Helen’s and Maddy’s pain is the focus of the story. She wants to hold on to her old, healthy self. She organizes the cards while she cannot organize her life, even as her own life and her children’s lives are falling apart. Dance of the Happy Shades: The last short story of Munro’s collection, refers to an opera by Gluck. In the opera, Orpheus descends into Hades and mesmerizes the spirits with his music so that he reaches the Elysian Fields, where harmony prevails and the “happy shades” reside. Like Orpheus charms the spirits, Dolores does the same with her audience at Miss Marsalles’ June party: for a moment, she freezes their prejudices. Both Dolores and Orpheus are different from the people around them; they are, in a way, Orpheus-like figures among characters who tend to be judgmental and critical. In contrast to this, Miss Marsalles is generous and kind. She believes in the good in everyone and simply wants the best for each person — even though her guests do not appreciate her effort at all. The “dance” does not only relate to the importance of music in the story; it also evokes the idea of harmony and constant movement. This mirrors Miss Marsalles’ desire for harmony and togetherness, something that continues regardless of circumstances. In a broader sense, each story of Munro’s collection can be seen as a descent into the Elysian Fields: everything else seems frozen for a moment, and the reader escapes into the world of the short story. Piano: It represents how music and art can change and mesmerize people, and how Miss Marsalles believes in her students and loves teaching. Is it the piano and the player, the artist, who has an impact on the guests. Boxed games: They show the effort Miss Marsalles puts into giving her guests a gift, no matter how difficult her circumstances or how limited her financial means may be. She still wants to give something and make people happy. The fact that the game’s rules are so complicated that it allowed everybody to win — even if this may not have been intentional — emphasizes that she does not want anyone to feel bad. I would even say that, in Miss Marsalles’ world, there are no “losers.” The presents wrapped in white paper and silver ribbons: White represents purity, which can be related to Miss Marsalles, who — compared to her guests — appears pure and kind-hearted. The wrapping and the silver ribbons show that she puts real effort into the gifts and wants them to look nice. Quotes: “People who believe in miracles do not make much fuss when they actually encounter one.” (231) “To her no gift is unexpected, no celebration will come as a surprise.” (231)