Elise always viewed life as a garden of winding paths. Some were dusty and barely visible while others were well-worn and distinct. But which one to take? All she could see were the beginnings of each one; where the paths ended were hidden. If only she knew where she wanted to go! Elise sat in the garden and waited.
A friend came, a close friend she had not seen in several years. Amy had long hair now, as well as a golden band on her left hand. She said she was a doctor now, having accomplished her dream since the age of five. “Are you still doing the acting thing?” she asked. “That was what you were doing the last time I saw you, right?”
“Yeah,” Elise fidgeted, “I still am. I’m not sure if I still want to do it anymore though.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t give it up years ago. The acting thing always seemed kind of low end.” As they conversed, Amy talked about how she envisioned Elise becoming a lawyer. “I pegged you for the lawyer kind of person. Smart, follows the rules. I think you’d be a better lawyer then actor.” She continued on about the many attorneys she knew and the fast cars and mansions they owned.
After Amy left, Elise remained at the table, lost in thought. In college, she was longest undeclared major in her class. She majored in acting on the advice of a roommate, who told her that actors were affluent. Elise didn’t mind acting, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to continue it for another twenty years. Even though she hadn’t seen Amy in three years, she found she could not get her friend’s words out of her mind. Maybe she was letting herself down, with acting. Not realizing her full potential.
As the moon rose that night, Elise found herself awake. The more she thought about it, the more acting lost its luster it once had. Her paycheck was nowhere near an actor’s, and the extra money would be useful. Why not switch jobs? “A change would be nice,” Elise whispered to herself, “and maybe it wouldn’t be so embarrassing the next time I see Amy. I could apply to law school and it wouldn’t take long to graduate. I could move to a bigger apartment, maybe even a house!” She lay in bed, thinking of all the advantages becoming a lawyer would give her.
Techniques: The first technique I used was imagery to create a metaphor at the beginning of the story. Hurston also uses this technique in Their Eyes Were Watching God many chapters begin with imagery of the sun rising or other descriptive words. The second technique used was contrasting Elise with Amy, a foil character. Hurston has foil characters, such as Tea Cake and Jody, and Mrs. Turner. These characters contrast with each other and show characterization. The last technique I used was an apostrophe, when Elise speaks to herself. In this she shows what she’s thinking. Hurston often uses an apostrophe to show Janie’s true feelings throughout the story.
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