The Curse-Internal Conflicts

Outline

Thesis statement: By being too empathetic, Mitchell will continually be cursed with grief until he learns to accept and let go of the past.

I. Mitchell struggles with internal conflicts.

A. Mitchell's fear prevents him from intervening.

B. Mitchell's emotions cause him to feel empathy.

C. Cultural codes of man cause Mitchell to question his masculinity.

D. Desire for integrity causes Mitchell to seek self-assurance.

II. There is more than one victim in this tragedy.

A. The girl that is raped was portrayed as a good person.

B. Mitchell is a victim because of his empathetic reasoning.

III. Situational Irony is displayed in the story.

A. The rape victim, a young girl, endures an animalistic attack of five men.

B. Mitchell Hayes, a carefree man, witnesses a horrible tragedy.

"The Curse", by Andre Dubus, is a story about a middle-aged man who goes through a horrible tragedy and feels cursed because he cannot help a girl being raped. Mitchell Hayes, a bartender, witnesses a young girl being raped while at work one night. Mitchell reminisces of the event while he tries to carry on with his job; however, he cannot get this feeling of being cursed out of his mind. Mitchell portrays the event over and over, because he retells the story to "`most of the regulars`" (589). By being too empathetic, Mitchell will continually be cursed with grief until he learns to accept and let go of the past.

Situational irony is displayed in the story because bad things happen to good people. The young girl that is raped, as well as Mitchell, are victims in the situation. Mitchell is a dynamic character, because he changes from being a carefree, self assured man, to an impetuous man who feels old and consumed. After the rape, Mitchell feels distraught over his decision of not making a stronger attempt to help the poor girl. He feels helpless and believes he should have taken charge of the situation. Mitchell's fear prevents him from getting involved with the rape. He feels selfish because a part of him does not want to intervene and possibly get hurt. On the other hand, Mitchell struggles with emotions, the cultural codes of man, and his obsession with desire for integrity and wholeness because he seeks unassailable justification for his non-intervention in the situation.

Bob, Mitchell's manager, tries to reassure him that he has done the right thing. Bob wants Mitchell to see the reality of the situation because the whole ordeal could be a lot worse. Smitty, a police officer and friend, arrives at the bar and Mitchell tells him that he "`could have stopped them`" (587). Mitchell continues to beat himself up with his failure to act and be like a man. In cultural codes, for a man to be a man, he must act no matter what the cost may be. Because of the rape, Mitchell feels personal loss and guilt. Mitchell judges himself on the basis of his activity, or non-activity, of the situation. Susan, Mitchell's wife, supports him no matter what. Even