OR Blog Week 1

Natalie Lopatowski
Mrs. Baione-Doda
AP Literature
September 2008

How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers
Story #3: The Only Meaning of the Oil-Wet Water

"Pilar and Hand had woken up facing opposite walls but their ankles entwined. They smiled at each other and he reached over and grabbed her nose, as if to pluck it off. She knew that they would continue to sleep together because the night before had been good, and nothing wrong had happened. It would be this way: at night they would brush their teeth and sit on the bed and pull their legs around and under the thin blanket. They would scoot towards each other, their hands searching like those of children pretending to be blind."

The importance of this chapter in relation to the work as a whole is that throughout this short story Pilar and Hand seem to be stuck between the line of friendship and romance. This passage shows the more passionate side of their relationship which typically occurred in the bedroom at night but during the day their conversations were short and meaningless. Also the first sentence of this passage illustrates how they drifted apart even after sleeping together but remained at a level of comfort and feeling together.

Eggers mostly uses the setting and tone to set the mood for this story. Pilar and Hand are in Costa Rica, a foreign place to both of them, being in this setting gives the sense that anything can happen, especially referring to their friendship/dating. In relation, Pilar and Hand’s conversations are no longer then a few words showing that there might be an awkwardness for the two but the mood changes when the sun goes down. Eggers characterization of Pilar is what she says and thinks about herself. But Pilar obviously didn’t see the flaws that hand did which could have led to their uncomfortable situation.