The First Oyster by M. F. K. Fisher
Miss Huntingdon’s School for girls: 75 boarders, 25 woman
Mrs. Cheever: uncomfortable, lonely, college graduate,
super-lady, cook, snubbed by her colleagues
Christmas Party: oysters served, exotic:
“got one with surprising neatness into my mouth”
“The oyster in was still in my mouth. I smiled,
with care, and stood up ..”
“The oyster seemed larger. I knew that I must down
it, and was equally sure that I could not. Then, as Olmsted put her thin hand
on my shoulder blades, I swallowed once, and felt light and attractive and
daring, to know what I had done.”pg 571
“If I could still taste my first oyster, if my
tongue still felt fresh and excited, it was perhaps too bad. Although things
are different now, I hoped then, suddenly and violenty, that I would never see
one again.” Pg 574
Old Girls’ Day – warn day in June, fun party, good food. “mean
to all but the Seniors, who had to be nice to the returning alumnae.” Pg 568 “For
moment, at least, in the year, we were greatful to her for our deliciously full
mouths.” Pg 569
Southern California: climate considered tropical
Demitasses – a small coffee cup
The literary devices used in this story were characterization
and point of view. The author used characterization as ways to describe how
Mrs. Cheever appeared, thought and felt. The author also used point of view to
describe how she and others viewed Mrs. Cheever in the different settings
throughout the story.
This was not one of my favorite stories to read in the book,
the story did not really spark my interest. The only thing that thought was
interesting and funny was when she had the oyster in her mouth and described
it. My father and husband enjoy oysters and I think they are gross, so it was
funny to read her point of view of the oyster and eating it.
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