Part I
Leonard Michaels was born in January 2, 1933 and died on May 10, 2003. His birth place was New York and his parents of Jewish background with his father coming from Poland. He was an American writer who mainly wrote short stories and novels and even essays. He got his B.A. from the University of New York while his M.A. and Ph. D were earned from the University of Michigan. Among other short stories, Michaels has to his name a short story titled “Crosssbones.” His stories mainly embrace the use of couples who are violent just like in this case, Sarah Nilsin and Myron Bronsky. He embraces the normal ups and downs are normally seen in any couple, copulation, birth and then finally death.
His works mainly received huge applauses and were received well because he had proven to be a very competent writer. He was widely read and received prestigious prizes because at the time, his was a shining star of a literary giant who did write really well. This short story for instance can be put in a context when feminism was beginning to gain momentum and therefore using a female figure in this light was definitely meant to arouse feelings that could make readers focus their attention to it.
Part II
The short story has got some very interesting parts that sure arouse any reader and I am no exception. One such incident is the violent that colors the entire story. The voice with which the story is delivered is violent in a way. Myron and Sarah quarrel endlessly and each single conversation tend to lead to a fight (Bloom 2609). They are ravenous for intimacy. Time and again, they say hurtful things to each other one may wonder why they are living together in the first place if theirs is a relationship that is hurting both of them. Naturally, couples are expected to love and respect each other because at least that is how society depicts marriage or when people of the opposite sex are living together.
Michaels says that “the simple air of their two-room apartment seemed too thick to breathe or to see through to one another” (Leonard 38). This means that they were indeed a couple that lived together not for the joys that they were getting but rather just compromising with each other. One wonders whether this is how marriage should really be like. Ordinarily its never all rosy but this union has gone beyond boundaries because apparently they do not get along. Another funny yet serious incident that caught my attention is the point when Sarah hurled the iron box at the Myron but it the wall. This creates a very vivid picture of devastated domesticity where fights and wrangles have become so common to this couple that they seem to be enjoying what they do, fight.
These two characters, Sarah and Myron are as funny as they are as crazy. One wonders what binds them, is it love for each other or hatred because the latter is better described by their gestures and actions. Every single move or action is characteristic of violent and this heightens what is left of this couple. The escalation of one brutal act after another brings to light not only failed domesticity but also, a failed humanity. There are people who are trapped in their relationships, they have been beaten, forsaken and are also lost. And this is the hallmark of Crossbones (Gunton 314).
Part III
It goes without saying that love is beautiful, when it is two ways and the persons involved hold each other in high esteem and respect each other. This can be said about Nicholas and his wife Rachel. Theirs was a dream come true. Their lives crossed when they met one day a long the corridors of the college where they went to and to this day, when they look back, they no regrets whatsoever about coming together and starting life as a family.
What started as beautiful dinner ended up as a romantic relationship that stood the test of time, family wrangles and the storm of heartbreaks and breakups to be one of the most beautiful marriages under the sun. Nicholas did what any man his age could have done to sustain and maintain a good relationship and Rachel too put her best foot forward and made their life together a haven of love, joy and many beautiful things.
Even though they are married today, one incident two years ago threatened their relationship. One evening, Rachel received a call from her ex boyfriend saying he was right outside her bedroom window. It happened that Nicholas was with her at that very moment watching a movie that they had looked forward to watching that very evening. And true to his word, her ex boyfriend was right out there, with a bouquet of flowers wanting to meet his soul mate, so he proclaimed. Nicholas, without a second thought walked out of the door, slammed it shut, just to go silent for a whole month despite Rachel’s efforts to make him understand what was really happening. But just like any beautiful ending, Nicholas came to understand her predicament with the ex boyfriend and today, they live to tell their beautiful love story.
Works Cited
Bloom, Harrold. Twentieth Century American Literature. Vol. 5.New York: Chelsea House Publishers. 1986
Gunton, Sharon. Contemporary Literary Criticism, Vol. 25. Farmington Hills: Gale Research. 1983
Michaels, Leonard. The Collected stories. Reprint Ed. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. 2008
