“An Ounce of Cure” by Alice Munro - 4012 Words

â€Å"An Ounce of Cure† by Alice Munro I. Summary #1 The story â€Å"An Ounce of Cure† by Alice Munro is a story portraying the life of a teenage girl. The story unfolds events that will eventually present the decisions a typical teenager will make and the consequences to their actions. The story presents the main character of the story as a typical teenage girl who falls in love, and eventually gets her heart broken and devastated. As a result, her devastation leads her to making a horrible decision and has to face the consequences of her actions. Summary #2 The short story An Ounce of Cure is about a young woman who lives in a small town in the 60†²s where apparently the only thing to do to pass the time is gossip. The story starts off pretty†¦show more content†¦Her mother notices that something is wrong with her daughter. She asks if everything was going all right at school and her daughter She says â€Å"Martin and I had broken up and all†. Her mother tells her the break up is for the best. The narrator has to babysit for the Berrymans one Saturday. While there, looks for a can of soda in the kitchen. She spots a half ounce of alcohol that she described as a â€Å"half ounce of gold†. To her, the alcohol is like finding hidden treasure . It symbolizes breaking away from the norm, and easing her heartbreak. She then becomes drunk. Even though her actions based upon human curiosity, however the result of it was reckless. The Berrymans find her drunk and she fired on the spot and has a reputation now of an â€Å"irresponsible baby sitter† who is also suicidal and drunk. Kay, who is a mutual friend, hands her a cup of coffee, which symbolizes being awake, a new beginning, and a fresh start in the morning. She then realizes that what she has done in the past few days has been a mistake. Many teenagers today tend to exaggerate their tragedies; making a mountain out of a molehill. She felt it was childish to even think about taking her own life over a silly boy. The theme of this story is self acceptance. Even though we have problems in the present, we must move on with our lives, and make good choices for the future. Another conflict in this story is â€Å"Man vs. Society.† The setting of the town is very conservative and judgmental. The narrator isShow MoreRelatedAlice Munros an Ounce of Cure1548 Words   |  7 Pagesliterature in the realization of the narrative theory of identity. One of the superior examples of this relationship between literature and narrative theory of identity is Alice Munro’s â€Å"An Ounce of Cure† and the author has been celebrated as making observations on the episodic nature of life through her stories. â€Å"An Ounce of Cure† presents an important episodic nature of life through the mid-teenage problems and crises in the life of the main character and the major theme of the story reminds theRead MoreComparing AP and An Ounce of Cure Essay601 Words   |  3 PagesComparing AP and An Ounce of Cure If a reader is given two short stories, two stories that are seemingly different on the surface, to read and compare and contrast, a surprising amount of similarities and differences can be found. Unless they deal with the same subject matter, most short stories arent really related, until some analysis is done. The stories AP, by John Updike, and An Ounce of Cure, by Alice Munro, are very similar but very different. One of the mot important similaritiesRead More The Writing of Alice Munro Essay1313 Words   |  6 PagesAlice Munro Writing can often be considered a reflection. Sometimes authors resonate on certain experiences or aspects of their life, and express them through the art of writing. Alice Munro, a renowned short-story author, creatively displays this technique. It is important to first understand that Munro is a writer of fiction, yet her writing has chronologically progressed through situations and experiences in her own life. Being a Canadian native, Munro is often compared to greatRead MoreComing Of Age : A Comparative Analysis Of `` Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?870 Words   |  4 PagesComing of Age in Fiction: A comparative Analysis of â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You been?† and â€Å"An Ounce of Cure†. â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You been?† by Joyce Carol Oates and â€Å"An Ounce of Cure† by Alice Munro share the common theme of â€Å"Coming of Age†, which depicts a maturation of the character/s going from a child to an adult. In both short stories, the female protagonist has a defining experience that changes the way they view the world or themselves. While both of these storiesRead MoreAn Ounce of Cure 1975 Words   |  4 Pagesidentity. The old saying â€Å"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure† is the possible basis of the author’s title – â€Å"An Ounce of Cure â€Å". The title foretells coming events by implying that something emotionally devastating happens. Everyone knows how hard it is to break away from his or her circle of peers. After all, nobody wants to be thought of as different or be neglected. Each teenager copes with this time in his or her life in different ways. Alice Munro writes a tongue in cheekRead MoreEssay on Finding Yourself1334 Words   |  6 Pagesthese things, and sometimes it won’t. Self-identity is the result of trial and error in terms of resistance to the cultural norms of one’s society, and the lessons learned through such resistance, as demonstrated in Munro’s An Ounce of Cure and Boyle’s Greasy Lake. An Ounce of Cure tells the story of a teenage girl, whom remains unnamed throughout the entire story, who was brought up in a small town where drinking was frowned upon, thinking that she was never good enough for her family. She had her heartRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel An Ounce Of Cure 911 Words   |  4 PagesMunro, Alice. An Ounce of Cure. New York: Publisher Not Identified, 1986. Print. â€Å"An Ounce of Cure† depicts the challenges of being a young girl, narrated by an unnamed female perspective, taken place in the 1960’s. The main character’s primary conflicts revolve around the battle of inner emotions and desires to be anything but average. The protagonist, which is the young girl in this story, faces challenges while trying to deal with the ending of an overly intensified relationship. It wasn’t untilRead MoreThe Fat Girl By Andre Dubus2040 Words   |  9 PagesSymbolism also plays a role in short stories by giving an event, object, or words being said a deeper meaning than the surface that brings importance to the story. â€Å"The Fat Girl† by Andre Dubus, â€Å"The Red Convertible† by Louise Erdrich, and â€Å"An Ounce of Cure† by Alice Munro are stories that contain most of the components of analyzing short stories. The short story â€Å"The Fat Girl† by Andre Dubus teaches readers about a real life struggle that is commonly faced by others. The main character of the story is LouiseRead MoreAn Ounce of Cure - Essay916 Words   |  4 PagesThere comes a time in every person’s life when they reach the point where they are no longer a child, but an adult. â€Å"coming of age† is not something that usually happens in one exact moment but a gradual experience. In Alice Munro’s â€Å"An Ounce of Cure†, the narrator recalls her past as a teenager. During these years, she experiences heart-wrenching situations that no one her age should ever have to experience. Though, this leads to her â€Å"crossing the bridge of innocence†. Although â€Å"coming of age† is