Corey Campbell's "Pool", Essay

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“Pool”, essay Everyone is searching for happiness. But how do you reach such an abstract and desirable feeling? Nuclear family sometimes seems to be the answer, but is that really the case? Or is it all nothing but pretend? People are like snowflakes – everyone and each different and unique with their very own perception of happiness. And what about that other person in the desired nuclear family? Is it really possible to love someone so much that you cannot sleep at night? Corey Campbell tries in the short story “Pool” written in 2009, to define love and show the search for happiness and identity. Darla, who is the main character, is a low profile insecure woman who is currently dating Jon. “Darla and Jon had been together just under a year.” (p. 1, l. 28). Her and Jon had the night before had an accident in the bedroom, and had in fear of Darla getting pregnant, spend the morning shopping for the morning-after pill, as told in this quote:”Their condom had split the night before, so they'd spent the morning going to two different Rite Aids to get the morning-after pill.” (p. 1, l. 34-35) After Darla took her morning-after pill “[…] they both pretended everything was normal, and turned up the radio loud once they hit the freeway.” (p. 1-2, l. 36-1). They keep on trying to forget the episode, and even though Darla tries to pretend that everything is alright, it still fills her thoughts during the pool party, and it makes her notice things about Trevor and Mandy’s house and life that she haven’t noticed before. Darla isn’t really interested in being at this pool party, and describes it as “[…]had been pulled to the party by her boyfriend…” (p. 1, l. 24-25). Jon only does this in hopes of lightening her mood. The pool party takes place “[…] in the Valley, in a neighborhood of small square houses, many guarded by iron fences, the homes of car thieves and
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