“The parodic effect lies in the contrast between the tone of the original and the tone of the alternate version,” the writer Rebecca Makkai says. Her short story, “The Plaza,” offers a kind of parodic prequel to the children’s-book series “Eloise.”
” revolves around a young woman from a small town in upstate New York, seduced by a wealthy man from New York City who puts her up at the eponymous hotel. It’s very hard to talk about the story without giving spoilers, so anyone who hasn’t read it yet should stop here! The story is, we gradually realize, a kind of parodic prequel to the children’s-book series “,” written by Kay Thompson .
In almost all of my work, realism leads me toward dark places and themes. The original Eloise story is a fantasy, and an enchanting one, but one that belies the actual constraints and subjugations of women’s lives in the nineteen-fifties. As I dug into a more plausible version of the story, with its constantly absent mother, the never-mentioned father, and the child left to be raised by the nanny, the narrative went to some alarming places.
Although the purpose of the story is, fairly clearly, a skewering of the moral universe of the original book, I needed it to work even for those who didn’t get the reference at all. Early on, I sent it to a friend who I assumed wouldn’t “get” it. I was right, and his feedback on “The Plaza” as a freestanding story was helpful.
As you say, Margaret triumphs—in that she sees through Alistair’s schemes and wins her financial freedom—but, at the same time, she doesn’t have a very happy life, and she is hardened by it. Is the only winner here the child? Or is the child actually the one who’s lost the most?
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Aubrey Plaza, Emma Roberts called out over campaigns for Big MilkCelebs like Aubrey Plaza and Emma Roberts are getting slammed for Big Milk ad campaigns: 'I thought we left the cow milk propaganda in the 90s'
Read more »
7 Penn Plaza to get new roof deck, upgraded lobby amid Penn redevelopment pauseAt Seven Penn Plaza, a capital improvements program will bring the prewar, 18-story tower a newly modernized lobby and tenant amenities including a new roof deck by the fourth quarter of 2024.
Read more »
I spent $41 for breakfast at Disneyland, and I’d do it againPlaza Inn is offering something you can’t get anywhere else at Disneyland.
Read more »
A New Silo Clip Offers a Cryptic Tease of the Show's Secrets to ComeRebecca Ferguson and Rashida Jones headline Apple TV+'s sci-fi drama based on the Hugh Howey books.
Read more »