Irony In The Title Of Susan Minot's 'Lust'

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Irony in the Title of Susan Minot’s “Lust” A ‘title’, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “a descriptive or general heading” (“Title” def.4). To the average reader, there is a preconceived idea that the title of a story will surely give away hints to the plot, theme, characters etc. The title is one of the most important components to a piece of writing. “Lust”, is the title of a short story by Susan Minot. When one hears or sees the word, “lust”, he or she is quick to assume that the story will be based on intense and emotionless sexual relationships between characters. In the short story by Minot, the title “Lust” is a word that deals with more than just the sexual experiences, but the emotional experiences, changes and…show more content…
However, as the story progresses, the vocabulary becomes less enthusiastic and the sentences become longer, as if the narrator is trying to find a way out of her pain. The boys go from being described through individual details and observances to body parts. In the beginning of the story for example, she says, “Roger was fast. In his illegal car we drove to the reservoir, the radio blaring, talking fast, fast, fast. He was always going for my zipper. He got kicked out sophomore year” (339). She speaks about the boy personally and shares details that are not only about their physical relationship, but his personal life and moments they shared together. Toward the end of the story, the boys become nothing but body parts. She writes, “Tim’s was shaped like a banana, with a graceful curve to it. They’re all different. Willie’s like a bunch of walnuts when nothing was happening, another’s as thin as a hot dog” (343). The young lady uses humorous similes as an easy way to mask her emotional pain. Humor is suddenly used against the boys who hurt her and becomes a defense mechanism against the emotional scars they left…show more content…
The word “lust” is one that is associated with sexual experiences. On the other hand, the emotional experiences, changes and struggles the main character undergoes are something that is not expected from the title of the story. Through the story’s use of vocabulary and sentence structure, theme, and representation of the narrator’s life overall, the irony of the short story’s title becomes clear. The narrator is like a delicate rose, and with each boy she becomes physical with, she loses a petal. Her experiences have seriously damaged any sure thoughts toward men. As the title suggests, ‘lust’ is straight physical attraction and has no positive permanent effect on the young woman. Ironically, as one continues to read the story, he or she will discover that the narrator longs for more than a physical attraction, but a long lasting
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