The Curse by Andre Dubus - Story Analysis - Research Paper Example

The curse entails about a rape case, which was witnessed by the character, Mitchell. It concentrates more about his opinions and views concerning the rape case and portrays how it generally affects him both socially and psychologically. Mitchell his hunted with guilt for what occurred has he did not do anything to help. He struggles with conflicts that hunt him internally, as he tries to manage the empathetic emotions. In this aspect fear, for being hurt or injured in the situation prevents him from intervening and the culture code make him question his essence of protection to a woman as a man.

The story questions on aspect of manhood, action and inaction. After analysis of our fist character Mitchell, we consider the other essential characters in the story, which are the motorcyclists. The author describes them as egocentric, in human and inconsiderate people who acted in self-interest. He shows how passionate they were as they first entered into the bar, “their eyes were quick, alert as wary animals, and they spoke loudly, with passion, but their passion was strange and disturbing, because they were only chatting, bantering (the curse, p.274) We also have a clear outline of the people present in the bar, the author describes Bob, he described him as a black-haired man who is too big compared to Mitchell Hayes, the author states that Mitchell " looked from the door, past Bob to the empty space of floor at the rear; sometimes people danced there, to the jukebox" (pg.273). The story also analysis on the women and their views and their reactions towards the rape case, in the society, in “the curse” we have three women involved, we have the rape victim, Mitchell wife, and Mitchell stepdaughter.

He states on how he met his wife "One night she came into the bar with two of her girl friends from work. She made sixdollars an hour going to homes of invalids, mostly what she called her little old ladies, and bathing them" (pg.276). The author expounds that after Mitchell gives a clear outline of the rape case to his wife Susan, she says that he did the right thing, Mitchell his portrayed as Susan’s “little old ladies”. Mitchell does not want to become just “a good witness” he fills that he ought to have done something.

Mitchell feels he himself will be at trial for what he did not do to assist the young woman. In this page, we are able to known about women attitudes and the categories in which Mitchell wife and stepdaughter view the rape case. In the next part of the story, we are able to analyze on struggle that Mitchell went through during the rape period. Mitchell had to submit, like the girl and just watch what was going on. Victimization of Mitchell by the motorcyclists, psychologically affected him. Both the girl and he were considered as victims in the story.

Mitchell could not fight the five strong men and to the author explanation, it becomes a rape case to Mitchell. The author states that Mitchell "looked once at her sounds, then looked down at the duckboard he stood on, or at the belly or chest of a young man in front of him," (pg.273). In the next part of the story, the author states on the continuous condition of Mitchell. Mitchell becomes a storyteller, instead of being the hero, in his story telling, Mitchell leaves out the aspect of being the coward person who was not able to assist the victim this haunts Mitchell.

The story also analysis the caring aspect of Mitchell to his customers, in the