Reading Response #1: Reader Response

Irene Holmes
Ms. Darrow
ENG 140
7 June 2009
Reading Response #1: Reader Response
Love of My Life
The short essay, The Love of My Life by T.C. Boyle is about two young high school couple, China and Jeremy who both are madly in love with each other and appeared inseparable. As summer breaks the couple have more time to spend with each other before parting to two different colleges in the fall. A moment of heated passion by the lake will change their lives for ever. By fall, China goes off to college pregnant and so does Jeremy. China and Jeremy keep in touch by phone as months pass and one night China wakes up with her bed wet and in a lot of pain. China phones Jeremy and the couple meet a motel, where a new nightmare begins. China has her baby in a motel and Jeremy get rid of the baby by tossing it into a dumpster. The couple think they both solve their problem, but this is just a beginning of their new lives. Both pay a price by going to jail and being held a hostage at home with a house arrest anklet.
I enjoyed reading the short essay, The Love of My Life because the story takes a turn from being so romantic to a nightmare. The writer keeps the story realistic in time and place as the story takes place , especially China‘s pregnancy keeps up with the time line of the whole nine months of a pregnancy. Also the writer give a lot of details of where the event is taking place, “The rain, of course. It came midway through the third day, clouds the color of iron fillings, the lake hammered to iron too and the storm that crashed through the trees and beat at their tent with a thousand angry fist.” (Pg. 139).
My first reaction after reading the short essay, The Love of My Life was what ignorant and inhumane young couple. Spoiled kids who never think ahead and just live for the moment. It wants to make you slap them and tell them wake up. The story sort of give hints of what the couple may end up doing, like where it states, “And the sex. They were careful, always careful-I will never, never be like those breeders that brings their puffed-up squalling little red faced babies to class….but she had forgotten to pack her pills….” (Pg. 139). At this point I knew that China will probable get pregnant.
The short essay, The Love of My Life is written to entertain the audience because the story is not persuading or informing. It was about a romance that takes a turn and no matter what the case may be, China’s love for Jeremy is always there. The story begins by entertain the audience, “They wore each other like a pair of socks….their fingers were entwined, their shoulders touching, their hips joined in the slow triumphant sashay of love.” (Pg. 133) and ends the story with “She moved into his arms and they kissed,….He was Jeremy. He was the love of her life. And she closed her eyes and clung to him as if that were all that mattered.” (Pg. 152). Entertainment from beginning to the end.