Discussion of "Red Sky in the Morning"

I enjoyed this story very much, especially after reading "The Crack Up." While reading "The Crack Up," you had to try to figure out what Fitzgerald is trying to say. Its not really up for interpretation. You just have to figure out what he is saying. In "Red Sky in the Morning," there is an intended message, but the author leaves it up to the reader to find what it means for them personally.

We first talked about the quote, which titles the book, "I could tell you stories." The middle aged woman says this to the author, referring to her relationship and life with her husband, who is often mistaken for her son. We discussed what we usually think of if someone said this to us. It could mean that she really didn't have anything to say, or it could mean that there was so much to tell, but she never would. The woman leaves an air of mystery by saying this, and the reader is allowed to jump to whatever conclusions they want to.

We also talked about, " A story, we sense, is the only possible habitation for the burden or our witnessing.” We talked about how a story is all we have left over after something happens. A story is the best we can do to try to help someone else understand what we have experienced. "A burden of our witnessing" could mean that it is your duty to tell the story, and to share it with others. A story is a strong thing, it connects us all, whether we know it or not. When someone tells a story and someone listens, the listener now has the story with them to share with others.

"Red Sky in the Morning" was a good piece for a class discussion, because of the way it can try into the other pieces we have read, and the new topics we could bring up after reading it.