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#1 Afternoon in Linen (Shirley Jackson, 1943)

 Rating: 8.5/10

    The story started off strong with reference to another story, 'Alice through the looking glass.' It foreshadowed next storyline that something would be out of order and overturned. As expected, typical hierarchy was dishonored between Harriet and her grandmother. While two old women conversed with each other attempting to prove that their kid was the superior, Harriet adamantly refuses to be exploited as a doll in their competition. At the end, Harriet ensures that her grandmother's pride is killed by taking her poetry out of Mrs. Lennon's unresisting hand.

    I saw the ethical ambivalence in Harriet's behaviors as the only thing she did was to protect herself. However, it was simultaneously immoral to humiliate and disrespect her grandmother. I could relate to her from deep down my heart as I would also make cruel reactions against someone who tries to exploit me, using values I gained from countless hours of effort. The story showed me the bitterish aspect of modern society, where individuals are forced to compete against their fellows due to its preference of superior values. I rated the story 8 as it induced me to relate to Harriet's feelings just by describing a casual situation.

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