Poll

Two great stories - very tricky one.

This was my first time reading "The Grave," and I was pleasantly surprised by the story. I haven't read much Porter and shall have to amend that. I suspect that Oates dedication of her story to Bob Dylan after it's first publication gave this story a subsequent boost in it's critical appraisal. For me, it is a much lesser story without it.

I'm not fond of Oates and am puzzled every time I see her name listed as a prospective Nobelist, but this story has continued to meander in my brain, whereas I couldn't remember the contents of The Grave without retyping it in my browser to refresh my memory even though I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The screen door in Oates's story forms a line in the sand between the latent dangers of youthful beauty (vanity, jealousy, basing one's worth and power solely upon it...) and the coarser and palpable societal dangers eager to bleed her of fleeting beauty and innocence. Connie feels ready for independence from her family based on the effects of her looks on boys and her resistance to becoming her drab, live-at-home sister, but then the baseness of the real world and the curses of beauty expand right to her kitchen door. There's no safe place beyond the front door. Suddenly that power she felt at snubbing attention at the drive-in isn't possible anymore. Her beauty makes her a desirable target until it's used up.

Oh, that's terribly thought out, but I must change my vote.

Another close one (the only one left in Round 1, in fact). I'm good with either because I think they are both exceptional. We'll see if "The Grave" holds on or if "Where . . ." can get another vote to take this to a tie breaker (or two to win outright!).