Read and Response to "Scars: a Life in Injuries" by David Owen and "Cat Person" by Kristen Roupenian

Introduction

The story "Cat Person" by Kristen Roupenian is a fictitious piece of work that features in the New Yorker (Roupenian, 2017). Another story titled "Scars: a Life in Injuries" was written by David Owen and features in the same site (Owen, 2017). It is a personal history genre that documents the narrator's experiences. This paper summarizes and responds to both readings. It explains the meaning of these stories and relates them to other texts.

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Cat Person

"Cat Person" is about a 20-year-old college student (Margot) who has an encounter with Robert, an older man (34), whom she initially thought was in his mid-twenties. At first, Margot is worried that Robert is uninterested in her despite her efforts to make him notice her interest in him. Margot is thrilled when eventually Robert pays attention and asks her out. It is apparent that both parties are yet to know each other to the extent of being comfortable in each other's presence. Margot has sex with Robert despite the urge to back out, and she is disgusted. Robert, on the other hand, is pleased to have had sex with her and begins paying attention to Margot to the extent of stalking her. Eventually, he is annoyed that Margot chooses to ignore him (Roupenian, 2017).

It is an unwritten rule that men are in control of a relationship. It is upon the man to determine when it starts and ends at his convenience. The woman has often been portrayed as the needy person in a relationship; she gets attached easily and has difficulty getting detached. In this story, this stereotype has been discredited. In the beginning, Margot yearned for Robert's attention but when she finally discovered that he was different from her expectations her desire waned. Margot is as judgmental about Robert's looks and skills in bed as he was about her living in the dorms. Robert is needy and cannot believe that he is being ignored and this infuriates him as evidenced when he resorts to insults.

Scars: a Life in Injuries

The narrator recollects the events that resulted to the physical scars on his body. These scares remind him of his past friendships and adventures that define the person that he presently is. Additionally, that author recalls specific details including the make and color of an old vehicle owing to the accidents that he suffered. An injury preceded his recollection of the trip that he made with his friend Duncan that he sustained on his knuckle. Unlike the other injuries, he had to handle this one without the help of his parents or friends (Owen, 2017).

This piece is a reminder that a consequence accompanies every action. While the narrator and his friends thought that it was fun play with firecrackers and cherry bombs as a remedy for boredom, the result was an injured toe. Notably, it is upon the victim of a circumstance to decide the lesson that they learn from painful encounters. It is possible that a scar conjures up bitter memories such that one would rather not see it. In this case, however, the narrator reveals that his blemishes come with fond memories such as the picture of a lonely girl whom he later took out on a date.

Conclusion

Owen, in his story, explains in detail the defining moments of his life. The scars on his body enable him to document these with unrivaled clarity. In the same way, the narrator in Cat Person highlights the details that Margot identifies with Robert, and it is these that make her decide not to cultivate their relationship any further. These detailed recollections connect these two readings from different genres making them nearly contextually similar. It implies that it is possible for two different stories to have a similar context but with different outcomes. In Owen's case, the specifics create nostalgic memories while in Margot's; she would never want to have a similar encounter with Robert.

References

Owen, D. (2017, June 19). Scars. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/03/19/scars

Roupenian, K. (2017, December 11). "Cat Person". Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/12/11/cat-person