Mayfly by Kevin Canty - Essay Example

“Mayfly” by Kevin Canty Mayfly is a story written by Kevin Canty, and was published in the New Yorker. The story revolves around four characters divided into two couples namely, James and Molly, and Sam and Jenny. The setting of the story is based on James and Molly coming to visit Sam and Jenny who from the background details appear to have been friends with them for a long time (Canty). James’ character appears to be a hard driven man in his mid thirties who is not quite sure about the direction which his life is taking and seems to be unsure whether he is satisfied or not. Molly is James’ girlfriend and takes the role of a delicate soul with a penchant for al things living seen by the way she is affected by the butterflies on the highway (Canty). She is a writer who is enthusiastic about taking care of herself seen by her sobriety and vegan diet but she also loves to express herself seen by the type of work that she does (writing) as well as her liking of tattoos. Sam is James’ old friend from college and comes out as a semi-irresponsible father and husband who nonetheless, appears to be doing fine financialy depicted by the description of his house and lifestyle (Canty). He also comes off as having an adulterous aspect about him although this is not confirmed and is taken from a number of clues that come out in the story. Jenny is a mother of three and Sam’s wife. She comes out as a tired figure in need of support from her husband that does not appear to be forthcoming. There is a sense of resentment around her in terms of her marriage to Sam, and it seems that she has resigned herself to the hand that fate has dealt her though she is not pleased with it. The story is told from James’ point of view, and this has an influence on the shaping of the story’s focus. By seeing things from James’ point of view, the reader is able to experience the various moods and emotions that he goes through via the thoughts that run through his head and this help’s focus the view of the rest of the group from an external perspective. The doubts that James has over his relationship with Molly and the activities between his girlfriend and Sam when they go on their trip is derived from the perspective that James has on the status of his relationship. The appearance of Jenny is told from James’ eyes as well including the experiences she has been through. This helps the story to focus on the main character who is James even when the topic is about somebody else. Reading the story from James’ point of view also allows the reader to get inside the main character’s head and depicts the way he thinks and looks at issues from his objective. For example, James lack of guilt after his midnight rendezvous with Jenny may not have been depicted had the story been told from another perspective. (Canty) The significance of the Monarchs in the opening scenes can be said to be used in the provision of the setting for the reader, a means with which to describe the scene as it were. The sheer number of insects and their death on the windscreen of James car provides a somewhat gloomy setting which can also be said to have been used to project the mood of the two characters (James and Molly) in the opening scenes (Canty). The butterflies can also be said to have been used to demonstrate Molly’s care for living creatures as she insists on stopping when she realizes what is happening to them. The fact that she cares about something as small as a butterfly that she could be moved to tears goes a long way in portraying her character (Canty). The monarchs and butterflies in their travels towards the north can also be used to depict both James (the monarch) and Molly (the butterfly) in their journey together in life with the car’s windshield portraying the potential hazards they might come across while trying to keep their relationship alive. The mayflies can be seen to represent the cycle of life and the inevitable eventuality of our actions that are bound to be repeated when one is placed in recurring situations. Their movements or appearance do not differ from one another and are just another feature of the environment they have been placed in. The fly fishing experience that James has while Molly is out in Denver allows the reader to have a glimpse of his past as well as displays his thoughts about Molly and their relationship when the author mentions that her absence meant that James could do whatever he wants (Canty). The glimpse into James past also reveals the emotions that he has stirring inside of him such as the fact that he misses his father and the times that they shared together. His character also comes out from his enjoyment of the combination of the heat and cold on his skin from the sun and the water (Canty). It can be said that he prefers to enjoy the best of both worlds, and this can explain his hesitation over a full blown commitment to Molly despite the fact that he loves her and at times thinks about spending his life with her. The setting of the story can be said to be in the country a few miles from the nearest town, and this brings out a peaceful environment in which the author is able to base his main character’s thoughts on. These include scenes such as James fly fishing in the riverside, his conversations with Jenny out on the deck of the house as well as the relaxing scenery depicted outside (Canty). This setting allows a laid back scenario that is conducive to the wandering of thoughts and encourages the quiet conversations that take place between James and Jenny while Sam and Molly are away. The setting also allows for the sense of sadness that at times penetrates the story on various occasions such as Jenny’s revelation of her tiredness and Sam causing the death of a girl under suspicious circumstances (Canty). The quiet nature of the environment allows for the revelation of these tidbits. The issue of life and death as well as endings and beginnings shape the story in the sense that they bring about the mood of the story and its basis on the constant evolution of life. The death of James and Sam’s fathers’ show how no one can live forever, and one should enjoy the moment while they can. This is seen through James reminiscing of the good times that he had with both his father and Sam and his father as well and the fact that both men are now dead (Canty). With regard to endings and beginnings, this topic is broached through the relationships in the story as James fears that Sam and Jenny’s marriage may be over and also contemplates the direction that him, and Molly may be headed. The beginning and ending issue can be said to signify how all good things come to an end eventually. The story’s view on marriages can be seen as something that both parties involved have to work on and cannot be sustained by one individual alone lest its demise be risked. It also depicts that marriage is not an easy road, and it is not all fun and roses as there will be hard times too as seen by the issues that are being faced by Sam and Jenny (Canty). Work Cited Kevin, Canty. Mayfly. The New Yorker, Jan 28th 2013. Web. http://www.archives.newyorker.com/global Read More