The fat girl is a contemporary styled piece of literature. The fat girl by andre dubus is a short story about the adolescence and early adulthood of louise, who spends decades trying to find love as she struggles with binge eating, dieting, and the judgment of her friends and family about her fluctuating weight. Mike has been teaching this dubus story for several years, through many syllabus changes. The story changes from past tense to present tense in its final sections, suggesting that the plot moves from past to present.
In order to get around her mothers insistence that she diet, louise develops the habit of sneaking food which she secretly eats in her bedroom or in the bathroom. Blue flower arts andre dubus iii a literary speakers agency. The fat girl a short story by andre dubis 1175 words bartleby. Born in oceanside, california, to patricia nee lowe and louisianaborn writer andre dubus, dubus grew up in mill towns in the merrimack river valley along the massachusettsnew. I think it is a book that will stand the test of time. Once when she was sixteen a boy kissed her at a barbecue. Andre dubus was born in lake charles, louisiana, on 11 august 1936 as the third child and only son of andre j.
His first collection of stories, separate flights 1975, is praised for its craft, strong sympathy with its characters, and detailed evocation of setting, as is adultery and other choices 1977. Andre dubus, the author, wrote the story in present tense. Andre dubus does not shy away from the dark places, and he writes his characters with such empathy that we are willing to go there with them, with him. Andre dubus iii born september 11, 1959 is an american novelist and short story writer. Andre dubus, born in louisiana to a catholic family, studied journalism and english at mcneese state college. Andre dubuss the fat girl follows louise, who loses weight and loses herself in the process. The story literally unfolds in front of the reader.
This summary of the fat girl includes a complete plot overview spoilers included. Andre dubus was the master of the short story and remains my favorite writer. Shes a growing girl dubus 321 he would say to her mother when she would limit louise on what she could eat. A negative perception towards somebody can have a great impact, especially when it comes from the ones who are closest to them. Raymond carver included it when editing his book american. In his lifetime, andre dubus was lauded for his highly realistic and captivating portraits of ordinary americans. Especially at such a good price and sheer volume of stories in included in the book.
The novella develops another favourite theme of dubuss later work, that of the benign, even redeeming, power of roman catholicism. The narrator of the fat girl is a girl named louise who feels like she is an outcast because she is fat. He had two sisters growing up as well that supported him. Andre dubus surface finishes his tale with a astonished louise enjoying a candy bar and shocked to find her husband richard remains.
Selected stories is an important book, and a book well worth a patient first read. Fat louise, with an eating disorder since she was nine, would diet in public and sneak candy and peanut butter sandwiches in private. Blue flower arts andre dubus iii a literary speakers. In his lifetime, andre dubus was lauded for his highly realistic and. Although dubuss first published book was a novel the lieutenant, 1967, short stories and novellas became his specialty. His son andre dubus iii is also an author, whose most noted book is the novel house of sand and fog 1999 was both a finalist for the national book award and the basis for an academy awardnominated film of the same title. She was in conflict with herself and the society because of her weight. Understanding andre dubus olivia carr edenfield, linda wagnermartin published by university of south carolina press edenfield, olivia carr and linda wagnermartin.
The fat girl and graduation from adultery and other choices and the 1984 novella voices from the moon are cited as his best attempts to develop the point of view of his female characters. He is a member of the faculty at the university of massachusetts lowell. Andre dubus and son andre dubus 111, author of house of sand and fog. In the short story, the fat girl, andre dubus, depicts how judgment on ones physical appearance often leads to a low selfesteem in the future, even at a young age. They took care of him and helped him get through college, and college is where his writing career had begun.
The fat girl is what the title would suggest, an account of a girls struggles with obesity and secret indulgence. The seven stories collected hereincluding killings, the basis for todd fields awardwinning film in the bedroomshowcase legendary writer andre dubuss sheer narrative mastery in a book of quietly staggering emotional power. Therefore, it is something special when both father and son are accomplished authors. The protagonist, louise, is chubby and is accepted by few her father is a notable exception, until with the help of her friend carrie, she loses weight. Andre dubus has 53 books on goodreads with 23051 ratings. Everywhere she looked was someone telling her to be skinny or models pictured on the covers of magazines. Dubuss short story the fat girl is about a young woman, louise, who, from the age of nine, is seen by everyone around her as a fat girl. This study guide consists of approximately 35 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the fat girl. Andre dubus finishes his story with a surprised louise enjoying a candy bar and shocked to discover her husband richard is still there. Louises mother would always criticize louise about her weight. New tour dates just added andre dubus iii is the author of gone so long, dirty love, townie, the garden of last days and house of sand and fog an oprah book club pick and a finalist for the national book award.
A marine corps captain, he left the military to pursue an mfa at the iowa writers workshop, and subsequently lived as a writer and teacher of writing. Tobias wolff dubus can home in more quickly and efficiently on a characters inner life than any writer ive encountered in recent memory. The fat girl by andre dubus is a short story about the adolescence and early adulthood of louise, who spends decades trying to find love as she struggles with binge eating, dieting, and the judgment of her friends and family about her. Her parents pitied her and were embarrassed by her. Who is the narrator of the fat girl by andre dubus. Andre dubus is one of the best writers i have come across in a very long time. The seven stories collected hereincluding killings, the basis for todd fields awardwinning film in the bedroomshowcase legendary writer andre dubus s sheer narrative mastery in a book of quietly staggering emotional power. The fat girl, a story that was included in dubuss 1978 collection adultery and. Another story in this volume, the fat girl, portrays a woman who struggles with her obesity, the love of her mother and selfacceptance, and goes on diet after diet until finally, relishing. Kingsley amis and son martin come immediately to mind as do john updike and son david. By the time dubus wrote the fat girl, the concept of the ideal american family was changing.
Oct 27, 2010 discovering the best in fiction, essays, and poetry. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the fat girl by andre dubus. Andre dubus iii reads from his work in progress the new york times calls dubus latest book staggeringly good. Why did andre dubus write the short story, the fat girl. The fat girl by andre dubus the fat girl starts out with a nineyear old girl named louise. Each short story tells a tale of everyday life in the perspective of a character described so well that the reader may think, just for a short while, that they are that character. We read the fat girl and the winter father in class. Andre dubuss challenging but beautifully written stories. Louise didnt enjoy being called fat by her mother so she began eating very small amounts in front of people. She would then scarf down as much food as she wanted in private. It just explores the desire to belong so perfectly, taking a problem or supposed problem that every girl goes through and delves into the inner demons so brilliantly that youd swear andre dubus himself were a woman who struggled with weight growing up. Why did andre dubus write the short story,the fat girl. Tom bailey, my fiction professor at susquehanna university, included an essay by dubus in his book on writing short stories.
Andre dubus iii has a keen and generous eye, and the great gift of bestowing dignity on even the most confused of his people. Cadence, corporal of artillery, the shooting, and andromache. Being such a huge fan of short fiction i couldnt pass up this anthology. The fat girl summary and analysis natalies genre unit. I had read and re read them to the point that when i started to reread one of his pieces, i knew by memory every word on the page. Summary and analysis of killings by andre dubus murder, a rightfully known act of immorality is proven to be justifiable in andre dubuss killings. Andre dubuss the fat girl is not so much a story about a young womans uncontrollable urge to eat to the point of obesity as it is the story of a psychological hunger, not only for love. The plot is constructed around louises inner conflictthe fact that she thinks she is fat and society will never accept her.
Through this short story, the writer tries to draw attention to society which marginalizes those who do not fit certain normsin this case, body norms. Andre dubuss most popular book is selected stories. I had been introduced to the elder dubuss work as an undergraduate. Ironically, his lost was incurrent when he was extending an act of charity. He was thin and kind and she could see in his eyes when he looked at her the lights of love and pity. As in most contemporary pieces, the protagonist was battling society, the antagonist. A father in mourning contemplates the unthinkable as the only way to allay his grief. Selected stories by andre dubus goodreads share book. His parents, andre dubus and katherine dubus, took a very big role in his life. In this section we will highlight the most important aspects we will focus on when analyzing the fat girl by andre dubus. He spent six years in the marine corps, during which he married his first wife and had his first four children, including andre dubus iii. However, as i read on, each story seemed to have the same theme. Honored throughout his long career by numerous and prestigious awards, his stories were often included in the pantheon of best american short stories.
Normally i go for short horror or science fiction stories so mr. Discovering the best in fiction, essays, and poetry. The alluring temptations of vengeance, too strong for matt fowler to push aside, were eventually accepted. Dubus andre dubuss meditations from a movable chair the title of andre dubus nonfiction book of spiritual reflections reflects the fact that the author now is stranded in a wheelchair, having lost his mobility in a tragic accident. His important role in the literary community was demonstrated in. In reissuing the books, bodwell found a welcoming community of writers at the ready to support his effort, beginning with dubuss son, the novelist andre dubus iii, who bodwell said was. The fat girl by andre dubus the fat girl is a short, contemporary story that examines themes of selfacceptance versus the need to be accepted by those around us. Fat louise, with an eating disorder since she was nine, would diet in public and sneak candy and peanut butter. It is a story of a young girl louise and her search of herself, her love, identity and selfacceptance. Once when she was sixteen a boy kissed her at a barbacue.
The protagonist of the fat girl lets herself, after a long interval of. This week were talking about the andre dubus story the fat girl, and the oftmaligned jort. In realization, the short storyline the fat girl by andre dubus shows many of the negative aspects associated with eating disorders, fat people, and just how society addresses them. From his civil engineer father, dubus inherited an interest in the outdoors and in sportsparticularly baseballand from his. A study of the short fiction, published in 1988, remains the only fulllength critical examination of dubuss work. The fat girl by andre dubus 839 words essay example.
I discovered andre dubus as an undergraduate at ohio state. The fat girl is almost a fairy tale, but one gone very wrong. The fat girl starts out with a nineyear old girl named louise. What is dubus doing, anyway, calling one story the fat girl, and another story from the same book, which alludes to a very different mythical woman, andromache. In the bedroom by andre dubis is a collection of seven of dubis short stories. Years ago, i owned a copy of every book that contained his work that i could find. The second half of the book is composed of military stories dubus was among other things a marine corps captain. The main themes of the short story the fat girl by andre dubus are identity, transformation, and friendship. The first short story in his book, selected stories, drew me in immediately. The fat girl by andre dubus is a short story about the adolescence and. Her college roommate caught her at the secret eating and offered to help her get control of her eating. Jan 09, 2014 i had been introduced to the elder dubuss work as an undergraduate. English literature essay writing service male student reading book.
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