This was definitely a story I had to give another read to because I came into it with an assumption of human characters and it made me a bit confused. Despite that, I liked how Leguin let the story build up with good detailing because it created an intense feeling that made me want to continue reading to find out what finally happened. The diction in the story was good as well, there was a southern flare to it and that’s a style of writing you don’t often see. Having the story be about a family that we come to find out later are creatures was a nice twist as well. Some questions I have is why did Leguin choose to use animal characters, while having one turn human, and why were the characters given human thoughts? Also what was the turning point that made the husband change?
About
Professor: Jessica Penner
Email: creative.writing.citytech@gmail.com
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM. I’ll be available through Zoom and will send an invitation via email that you should keep all semester. Try to join my meeting at the start of the hour, not at the end—since I may be talking to other students or have another appointment after the hour is up. If those times don’t work with your schedule, we can schedule a different time. This means you’ll have to schedule an appointment in advance. I suggest you have multiple times in mind, since your schedule may not mesh with mine!
I’m also curious about why he chose to have animal characters having humane thoughts. It reminds me of a movie I had seen recently (it was called The Call of the Wild if you’re interested), but the animals in that film had communicated in a interesting form as well.