Fiction Packet

"Survivors"

Going through the fiction packet I was immediately taken by the first story, Survivors. With just under 300 words and no names this story spoke volumes. I love the way it was written. From the first line "he and his lover were down to their last T cells and arguing over who was going to die first." Just from that line you know its about two gay men diagnosed with HIV. Yet the words gay and HIV never appear in the sentence. this story was full of emotion you felt empathy as a reader the characters experienced anger, disappointment, selflessness, love and  pride all in this short story.

I can't quite say what it was that attracted me to this story. it just feels real, you can imagine this situation and these people, their struggles, and their love. we hear a lot about people being bullied, harassed, beaten "out of their gayness" so or me this story was very relevant and rings true. there was also a sadness about this story however which you felt in the story and definitely affected your mood as a reader. But as much as it was about death it was also about love and to me that was the bigger theme in the story.

Language that stood out for me in this particular piece was:

• "he knew, too, that they all--father, mother, two older brothers--would disapprove of their flat, of the portrait of the two of them holding hands that a friend had painted and which hung over the bed, the Gay Freedom Day poster in the bathroom, all the absurd little knickknacks like the windup penis......"

This sentence which came a few sentences after the first made it clear that they were dealing with disapproving families but also described the place that they referred to as home. But also how it ended with:

• "....Dear God, he thought, let me die first, don't let me survive him."

I just think this sentence just showed how selfless someone can be but also makes you think what would be going through your mind if you were faced with this same situation. would you be scared? would you be at peace? would you think of the people in your life? aboout your spouse? i just think this story was brilliantly written.