Analyzing 'The Standard of Living' by Dorothy

The standard of Living by Dorothy Parker

            The standard of living was written by Dorothy Parker (1893-08-22 – 1967-06-07). She was an American writer, poet, and critic. This story was written in 1941. This story told about two young worker women. They were Annabel and Midge. They worked in the same office as a stenographer. Annabel worked two years longer than Midge. Annabel had a wages eighteen dollars and fifty cents a week, and Midge has sixteen dollars. Looking when this story was written, their wages were common. They also must divide a half of their salary to support their family. It means that they are not really reach based on the society condition in that time. 

            They were friends, truly comrades, just like a twin. They liked eating great sandwiches or patties. Their appearance was similar. They had almost perfect appearance. Their skin was like petals, had flat bellies, and lean flanks. In this story, Annabel and Midge were showed very glamour and also very arrogant. It was showed that they painted their lips and nail, seemed to shimmer from them, etc. They also passed impolitely when some boys admired them when they walked.  Annabel and Midge always spent their time together, from when they worked, lunched, and spent their holiday or free time.

            One day, in their free afternoon when they walked together, Annabel had a game. The game was what-would-you-do-had-a-million-dollars? In the game, they had to imagine, if they had a million dollars from someone who unrecognized, died immediately, and leaved much money to them and they also had to spend that money. They offer this game to Sylvia, their friend in the same office. They asked “What would be the first thing you’d do?” But Sylvia answered it impolitely. They leaved Sylvia and continued the game. Annabel said that the first thing that she would get after having million dollars was silver-fox-coat. But Midge refused it. She said that silver-fox-coat was so common. After the days, Annabel changed her mind, she wanted mink coat and Midge agreed. Beside, the first thing that Midge would from million dollars was real string of pearls. Finally, they came to the Jewelry shop to watch the price of the string but they were made ashamed by the clerk. After that, they changed their mind again.

            Plot of this story is chronological order because the writer tells in chronologically, serially from the beginning until the end. The structure of plot; Expository is when Introduce Annabel and Midge’s style. It begins from the first paragraph until the paragraph talk about a habit of Annabel and Midge that is walk on their free afternoon to play their favorite game. Raising action is when Annabel has a game. The game is “what would you do if you had a million dollars?” She told about the role of the game. Climax is when they do the game. Annabel and Midge determine what they will buy if they got a million dollars. There is no falling action because after climax, they begin to start the game again. There is also no resolution. This story has open plot because this story does not has resolution, so, the reader can guess what is continuing of the story. The elements of plot that consist in this story are plausibility, foreshadowing, and surprise. Plausibility because this story interpret something true. It may be happened in true life. Foreshadowing because it show something to guide the reader following this story. This story makes surprise, because the readers think that after coming from the jewelry shop they will finish the game. In fact, they are going to continue the game. The basic conflict are person vs person, person vs self, person vs society, and person vs fate.

From this story, we can see some character there; Annabel, Midge, Sylvia, doorman, clerk, and some boys. Annabel and Midge is glamour, are saw from their style, they she also arrogant that are knew when they walked in the street and some boys admire them and when they came to the jewelry shop and do something impolite to the clerk. They also like dreaming, look from they really spirit to do the game. Beside, the game is just dreaming. Then, characterizations of Sylvia are impolite because she answers Annabel and Midge’s question impolitely and she does not like dreaming or doing something useless because she refuse they offer that dream game. After that, the doorman and clerk are polite; it is saw when they serve Annabel and Midge in the shop politely. The last is some boys, who admire Annabel and Midge. Protagonist characters in this story are Annabel and Midge because they take important part in this story. They draw the story from the beginning until the end of the story. And the antagonist characters are Sylvia and the clerk. Sylvia does not agree with their game and the clerk give information about the string pearls that make them think more what they should get firstly. The major characters are Annabel, Midge, and the clerk because they take significant part in this story. Then, the minor characters are Sylvia, doorman, and young men or some boys because they just as the figurant there. All of the characters in this story are flat. There is no changing character during the story. The methods of characterization are telling or direct and showing or indirect. Telling method can be looked in 16^th paragraph: “ ..a slim, immaculate clerk come to them and bowed.” Showing method is showed when tell about arrogant in first paragraph: “ Annabel and midge came out of the tea room with the arrogant low gait”, “ they had lunched as was their want “. Tell about unfriendly and impolite in 10^th paragraph : “ Sylvia had not shown the decency……. So, it is to be seen that she was no fun. Then, tell about glamour in 4^th paragraph : “ they painted their lips and their nails, they darkened their lashes and lightened their hair………” and tell about politeness in “giving greeting while bowing”

            Point of view in this story is omniscient third point of view. Because the writer know the entire story and does not include in this story. There are also some settings; Time is noon, and afternoon, September. Place are: Fifth Avenue, jewelry shop, office, tea room. The condition is in summer.

            High class economy people have big power in the society. They are more respected by the environment. So that, Annabel and Midge want to follow the cool style in the society. In fact, their economy does not match with their style. They force their self to do it. In the society, I can see that someone who really cares with her appearance is uncommon. It is showed some boys admire Annabel and Midge. Annabel and Midge become true comrades because their appearance and attitude are similar.

The values that I catch from this story are; live with your standard living, do not force to follow another person’s live. Just be yourself. Keep your dream and do it, but everything has a standard. Do not exceed the standard of living or dream because it will make you suffer when you fall down. Be creative like Annabel and Midge, when feel your dream impossible, try to seek another way to make your dreams comes true. The true friend is the person who always helps, remains, and accompanies you in your life and makes your life meaningful.