BORING!!
I love Alissa’s mom’s story. Her grandmother was laying on her deathbed, old and decrepid. She calls her daughter close, to whisper some words in her ear, maybe for the last time. And what does she say? “Im bored.”
This is a great story. When i heard it, i started laughing. I can totally imagine my grandmother saying that when she’s sitting around, but thank God she’s still halthy.
I think what makes a great story is a flash of irony at the end. Here, I was expecting her to whisper a final goodbye to her daughter, a final farewell. But what she actually said couldn’t be more youthful! I can see a little kid saying that to her mom, but certainly not a dying old mother to her daughter.
It also teaches an important lesson- old people are way older on the outside than they are on the inside most of the time. And important lessons are also part of what makes a story great.
2 responses so far
I completely agree that irony helps make a story good, as in the case of Alissa’s story. I always love when authors throw in irony in a sudden twist of the plot. I think that one of the reasons why you enjoyed this story so much, apart from the irony and the lesson, is that you were able to relate to it. You mention in your post how you “can totally imagine [your] grandmother saying that.” It made you laugh because you were able to understand it. I think that aspect of being able to relate to and understand a story really makes it interesting to the reader.
I was taken aback by Alissa’s mom’s story about what her grandmother said: “I’m bored.” I have seen some gag shows where that happens, like the person’s about to die but complains to his best friend about the shirt he is wearing. I never thought someone’s grandmother would be saying that. It really was a refreshing moment with a bit of sadness. She must have wanted to do more in life but can’t.