Volcano: Emotion and Martha S Life
Heather Dagley
English 116-22
Professor L. Davis
22 April 2013 Discussion Paper Three
In the short story “Volcano” (2012), Lawrence Osborne argues the volcano parallels the life of the main character Martha. Osborne uses detail, emotion, and symbolism to support his claim.
Throughout the story Osborne is descriptive when telling about Martha’s life and her surroundings. Martha see’s the color red many times like in her hotel room and in nature. The color red has many different meanings, like love, hate or anger. Because she just went through a divorce she feels anger and now that it has been six months she longs for more love in her life. Staying on the volcano she see’s the red glow of the lava a lot and also being on Hawaii there is red neon everywhere. Having all this red around her resembles the feelings she is having. The first night is filled with sadness and anger because she wept all night and in the morning she is subconsciously looking for love because she mentions that there are no attractive people in Pearl Harbor. Osborne describes her this way so the reader can picture the emotional roller coaster Martha is on. She see’s the color red everywhere because it describes the different feelings she is experiencing.
Volcanoes have stored up energy ready to explode, just like how Martha has all these emotions ready to let loose. Martha is middle-aged, and has been going along trying to sustain a calm and happy life. With the divorce, getting older, and wanting someone to love her, she lets free of all her emotions like a exploding volcano. This is relatable to a majority of women; their lives feel like a ticking clock and that they want to have the love they think they deserve. Emotions can take over ones logical thinking because the human soul will always desire want and love from others. With Martha’s explosion of emotions she reacted to longing for the love of another human by sleeping with the first man that gave her attention.
English 116-22
Professor L. Davis
22 April 2013 Discussion Paper Three
In the short story “Volcano” (2012), Lawrence Osborne argues the volcano parallels the life of the main character Martha. Osborne uses detail, emotion, and symbolism to support his claim.
Throughout the story Osborne is descriptive when telling about Martha’s life and her surroundings. Martha see’s the color red many times like in her hotel room and in nature. The color red has many different meanings, like love, hate or anger. Because she just went through a divorce she feels anger and now that it has been six months she longs for more love in her life. Staying on the volcano she see’s the red glow of the lava a lot and also being on Hawaii there is red neon everywhere. Having all this red around her resembles the feelings she is having. The first night is filled with sadness and anger because she wept all night and in the morning she is subconsciously looking for love because she mentions that there are no attractive people in Pearl Harbor. Osborne describes her this way so the reader can picture the emotional roller coaster Martha is on. She see’s the color red everywhere because it describes the different feelings she is experiencing.
Volcanoes have stored up energy ready to explode, just like how Martha has all these emotions ready to let loose. Martha is middle-aged, and has been going along trying to sustain a calm and happy life. With the divorce, getting older, and wanting someone to love her, she lets free of all her emotions like a exploding volcano. This is relatable to a majority of women; their lives feel like a ticking clock and that they want to have the love they think they deserve. Emotions can take over ones logical thinking because the human soul will always desire want and love from others. With Martha’s explosion of emotions she reacted to longing for the love of another human by sleeping with the first man that gave her attention.