Analysis Of But The One On The Right Essay

In Dorothy Parkers short story, But the One on the Right, the main character is a woman named Mrs. Parker. She feels terribly disappointed for coming to the dinner because of the one on her left who is her partner at the dinner. Because of the disappointment, she always has her eye on her right, which catches her attention more than the one on her left. Throughout the short story, there are several examples to show Mrs. Parkers disappointment and disinterest towards the one on her left and her interest towards the one on her right through different tones while she is talking to herself about both of them.

Mrs. Parkers disappointment can be seen early in the first paragraph:

I knew it. I knew if I came to this dinner, I'd draw something like this baby on my left. They've been saving him up for me for weeks. Now, we've simply got to have him--his sister was so sweet to us in London; we can stick him next to Mrs. Parker--she talks enough for two. Oh, I should never have come, never. I'm here against my better judgment, to a decision. That would be a good thing for them to cut on my tombstone: Wherever she went, including here, it was against her better judgement. This is a fine time of the evening to be thinking about tombstones. That's the effect he's had on me, already, and the soup hardly cold yet. I should have stayed at home for dinner. I could have had something on a tray. The head of John the Baptist, or something. Oh, I should not have come.

The sentence Oh, I should never have come expresses her regret at the decision that she comes to the dinner. It is marked by the use of perfect modal verb should never have that states an action that should not be done, but it has already been done intentionally or not. Other sentences to show her regret are I should have stayed at home for dinner. I could have had something on a tray. The head of John the Baptist, or something. Oh, I should not have come. Another use of perfect modal verb is applied in the sentence I could have had something on a tray. The perfect modal verb could have states an action could happen in the past, but it did not happen. In Mrs. Parkers case, instead of coming to the dinner, she prefers to stay at home and eats John the Baptists head but she is already there having dinner with the one on her left, which is somewhat tedious, and again, she says Oh, I should not have come whose tone is showing her intense disappointment.

Because of the dull conversation with the one on her left, she secretly has her eye on her right and finds him attractive:

I might try my luck with what's on my right. No, not a chance there. The woman on his other side has him cold. All I can see is his shoulder. It's a nice shoulder, too; oh, it's a nice, nice shoulder. All my life, I've been a fool for a nice shoulder. Very well, lady; you saw him first. Keep your Greek god, and I'll go back to my Trojan horse.

Mrs. Parker talks to herself about the man on her right with praising tone All I can see is his shoulder. It's a nice shoulder, too; oh, it's a nice, nice shoulder. She praises how nice that mans shoulder is. The tone quickly changes right after that to be rather disappointing when she compares him with the one on her left Keep your Greek god, and I'll go back to my Trojan horse.

Humiliating and sarcastic tones can be seen when Mrs. Parker differs from the man on her left. He asks her whether she is fond of potatoes or not, and she answers no, and triumphantly she humiliates him:

Im on a higher plane. I do not stoop. Hes less than the dust beneath my chariot wheel. Yah, yah, ya-ah! Less than the du-ust! Before Id be that way. Yah, yah, ya-ah!

Also, before that, she sarcastically says:

I have something to tell you that will bring back your faith. I do like cucumbers. Why, hes better already.

It states Mrs. Parkers pity in a sarcastic tone for the different answer she gives to the question about the potatoes the man asks, and surprisingly he feels better.

At the end of the story, Mrs. Parker imagines that the she has a conversation with the man on her right:

Well, I thought you were never going to turn around. You havent? You have? Oh, Lord, Ive been having an awful time, too. Was she? Well, you should have seen what I drew. Oh, I dont see how we could. Yes, I know its terrible, but how can we get out of it? Well. . Well, thats true. Look, right after dinner, Ill say I have this horrible headache, and you say youre going to take me home in your car, and

The reason why she imagines having a conversation with the man on her right is because she is not able to talk with him at the dinner, and the tone in the set above is hopeful. She hopes it happens, but, in fact, it does not.