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"Bittersweet" ("The Evolution of my Brother" Rename)

When reading "The Evolution of My Brother," I felt that while the title that certainly explains the narrative of the story succinctly, that is, how a brother evolves and changes over time, to me the title still didn't sound quite right. Is the brother's personality itself that important? To me, the more significant aspect of the story is that the narrator's perception of her brother is what is "evolving," more crucially than his personality itself. And while the original title somewhat captures this notion, I still advocate for a new, different title: "Bittersweet." Why?

Basically, the conflict of the story comes largely from the narrator's uncertainty: she simply doesn't know how she feels about her little bro. Does she love him? Or does she hate him? She certainly resents him, but that's largely a function of the former question: essentially, she hates that she loves him. Further, a crucial element of the story is its depiction of childhood and everything uniquely bizarre about it: the quirky adventures, the muddled zaniness, the misplaced innocence. However, unlike many people, the narrator hardly seems to romanticize those times, instead, she begins listing regrets. For example, she herself says "(...) I realized the full name of the file was actually 'Power Rain Jurs,' and I cried. Power Rangers. I should have shown him the proper spelling." This quote captures the wist of the narrator's nostalgia beyond anything else.

Ultimately, the narrator loved her childhood, and she misses it, but she certainly laments her behavior. She wishes she had treated her brother better. Additionally, her perception of her childhood is extraordinarily connected to her perception of her brother himself. She loves him, but she wishes things were different. She feels sad and angry about it, but yet her nostalgia is still there: her memories of her brother- to her, the very personification and human representation of her childhood- are but "Bittersweet."

-HD

Comments

  1. UnknownMay 26, 2020 at 3:18 PM

    "To me, the more significant aspect of the story is that the narrator's perception of her brother is what is 'evolving,' more crucially than his personality itself"--yes! Great point! And I agree that bittersweetness is the essence of the story: the funny, innocent childhood memories are always tinged with regret for the narrator, who as an adult comes to wish she'd treated her brother and parents with greater kindness when she was younger. Thanks for sharing these reflections on the story! -Ms. O'Brien

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