In this post: A short story that relates truth to safety and ultimately decides the risks are too great to bear.
Category: Short Story Collection
Ramiah Recommended?
Yes, but a soft yes.
"Lake Like a Mirror" is an interesting tale of teachers who are very cautious with their curriculum, as taking a risk could mean the end of their careers. Topics such as religion, sexuality, and more are tiptoed around to not anger parents and the school administration. And... that's the point I gathered from it.
The most recent short stories I have reviewed have definitely shown that plot is often left to be desired. Luckily, "Lake Like a Mirror" didn't have a strong problem with plot.
Imagery is a strength in this story, but pretty grim in most cases. Take below for example:
I am very sensitive, she thought. It was a feeling like a thorn buried in her forehead, ready to work its way out through the corner of her mouth and pop the bubbles of chat and laughter that hung in the air.
Am I the only one who actually visualized a thorn maneuvering around someone's face, from forehead to mouth? Pretty nasty of an image, but kudos to Hok Sok Fong for being able to have that effect on readers.
And that's not the least of the grim either. Here's another:
She helped her mother clear the plates, listening patiently to her as they washed up. Her mother’s solitary life: to her, life was always someone else’s story. Everything about it. Someone. Else’s. Story.
The thought that someone's story is always someone else's story is interesting. I'm not sure if it is possible for anyone to have a story that is completely theirs - we are all byproducts of our families and environment, even the society is an external force that shapes who we are -- what we find belonging in or what we rebel against.
The commentary is also strong enough to earn a recommendation from me:
She listened quietly, at a loss for words. She was sure that the woman was speaking the truth. But what was true had nothing whatsoever to do with what was safe. The two things were miles apart. Truth was further from safety than two islands at opposite ends of the Earth.
It's unclear if most of the short story was condemning political correctness or what, but I think "truth was further from safety" is an interesting statement in the context of this story. Telling the truth to students in this story that different religions exist, different ethnicities exist, and that sexual expression and attraction are on a spectrum, can be unsafe for the teachers to share. The risk of sharing diverse experiences and perspectives at the expense of one's safety is, unfortunately, not an unheard-of reality in some parts of the world. The risk posed to the characters aside, I appreciated the representation of Malay in the story.
Though I didn't understand the ending, check this story out and let me know what you think!
Ramiah Reflects
Questions to Ask Yourself (and answer!):
Is telling the truth worth the risk of safety?
Ramiah's Re-read When
Re-read when:
You want to contemplate the relationship between safety and truth
You want to read a story that has Malay representation
No book notes this time, folks!
Check out my other posts and book notes here.
Until next time!
Montana Houston
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