As we have been analysing and discussing this powerful short story, the events, the potential underlying reasons and effects etc., some interesting observations came up in our very first week of classes.
One of these for example was about the point that people in general are curious about other people's lives and hence would find it difficult to give up a source that provides them with info about what happens in others' lives - why else would we have Facebook? I think this is a very true comment and I'm grateful for the student who has made the link from the events in the story to a currently trendy way of engaging in a kind of voyeurism.
Another comment I thought was very valid and was glad came up was the fact that Irene might be engaging in this addictive habit of hers in order to escape (facing) her own problems - isn't it ironic that exactly this desire to escape reality might lead to a cruel awakening in the end?
There were many more good insights which I enjoyed hearing, I hope to see some of those come up again in your blogs...:-))
I hope we are off to a good semester and will have many different perspectives to explore :-)
