Attempts to Connect in Joyce Carol Oates Shopping Essay -- Joyce Caro

Attempts to Connect in Shopping Although Shopping, written by Joyce Carol Oates, is fiction, the news report portrays a race that represents many parents and pincerren have in real life. The child is growing up and essentials to gap her wings. However, the parent usually does non want to let go. Arguments and the awkward silences are frequent. The makemingly useless attempts to connect with the discussion or fille are also frequent. Yet, what the child does not sort out is that no matter how octogenarian she may get, she is still the parent s child. The mother is not going to forget how precious her little louse up is, yet that is what the mother does in this story. Oates uses references to pregnancy to portray the relationship betwixt mother and daughter. Mrs. Dietrich remembers what it was like to have her little baby. Through shopping, she tries to relate to her juvenile daughter in the same cherished way. The story is quickly introduced with the line, An old ritu al. Saturdaymorning shopping (833). The story takes place when Nola, 17, visits home during spring break to see friends and to shop with her mother, Mrs. Dietrich, 47. Though 40 years separate the two, Mrs. Dietrich strives to connect with her daughter by this shopping trip. Nola does not complain because to her, shopping is like flood tide home (835). However, a connection does not happen because of a escape of communication. During the trip, Mrs. Dietrich tries to bring up a topic to talk about unless when she tries, she stops and says, They ve been through that before . This happens several times during the story. For example, when Mrs. Dietrich is tempted to ask what Nola is thinking she stops and has to resist the temptation to do so. Mrs. ... ...versation. Instead, she did not say anything because she knows not to argue (836). Another opportunity is when Nola lets her mother know about her figure to go to Paris for a semester. Instead of asking why Nola wants to go or w hat she plans on doing there, Mrs. Dietrich seems to dismiss the subject. Mrs. Dietrich would rather talk about it several(prenominal) other time (840). Again, an opportunity to relieve the tension is lost. The story shows a relationship between a mother and a daughter through the event of shopping. Mrs. Dietrich, a middle aged mother, longs to have that intimate relationship with her daughter, just as she did when she was pregnant. Nola, a young teenager wanting to spread her wings, just wants her mother to let her go. This time of their relationship is awkward for twain of them but is typical for many parents and children.