Mine

As you may have noticed, I named this blog entry 'Mine'.  This is with good reason.  You see, it is the proper name for the short (short) story we read regarding style titled Popular Mechanics.  Raymond Carver, the author, first called his work 'Mine', only to change it to 'Little Things', and then once more to the aforementioned 'Popular Mechanics'.  There's not much in this world I can stand less than an indecisive writer.  Anyways, I like 'Mine' best.

When I first read this story, I was disturbed (this is turning out to be the norm in this class).  I also immediately thought of the Bible story that is largely alluded to at the end of 'Popular Mechanics' (question #7 tells me it's in I Kings 3).  Essentially, two women come in front of Solomon both claiming that a baby is theirs.  After a long argument, Solomon makes the simple suggestion that the baby be split in half and each half given to a supposed mother.  The true mother, putting the life of her child in front of her selfish wants, crys foul on this idea and instead insists on the other woman taking the baby, thus proving to Solomon that she is the baby's mother.  It's all real cutesy and stuff, unfortunately for the baby in our story, though, I'm fairly certain that he (or she?) may have actually gotten ripped in half.

"In this manner, the issue was decided." -- ¶ 36

Whoops :\