Brian Wang

10/23/2014
English IBA
Mr. Seeley
Taking Things for Granite (Gravel)
The short story Gravel by Alice Munro seems to be attempting to illustrate multiple
facets regarding memory. It does this through its usage of leading diction that seems to suggest
what is happening without ever fully explaining, and through the things that it doesnt include.
The isolated nature of memories becomes visible through both the way the text is
structured and through the dialogues of the characters within the text. The entire text is set up as
a retelling of a previous experience of the narrator, who consistently is unable to remember what
exactly was going on at various instances throughout the text. Towards the beginning, the
narrator of the text states that I barely remember that life. [] I remember some parts of it
clearly, but without the links you need to form a proper picture. The text seems to be blatantly
suggesting something about the nature of memory here, specifically, the incomplete and
incoherent nature of memory. Furthermore, the text also seems to be illuminating the unreliable
nature of our memories, as it seems to be implicating that they may very well be contradictory
with one another, as shown when the narrator introduces Neal as an actor then promptly states
that [Neal] was not really an actor soon afterwards, suggesting that the narrator wasnt really
sure what Neal was, or, at the very least, couldnt remember. In addition, the texts mention of
the dream the narrator is haunted by is very much a distorted version of the original memory of
her sisters drowning. In the original version of the scene, the narrator mentions [standing] there
not obeying; however, in the dream sequence, the narrator is running in an attempt to help her
drowning sister, before reaching the water and standing there watching her drown. Through these
instances, and many more like them, one can see that, to a certain extent, through its usage of
contradictory statements, multiple realities, and rather direct statements, the text seems to offer
up some wisdom regarding the nature of our memories.
The text could also be serving as a metaphor for the way we deal with certain memories,
both in regards to what types of events get remembered and how we, as a species, are able to
overcome the demons inherently present within our memories. Some instances where a
commentary on memory can be seen within the text are when the text mentions [Neals] big,
helpless toes, as well as the portrayal of the bedtime scene between the narrator and her sister.
The texts depiction of the events the narrator remembers seems to directly coincide with the
Freudian idea that people will have a propensity to remember events or sights associated with
powerful moments, as well as mundane routines; the sight of Neals toes was accompanied by
the traumatizing event of her sisters death, and the bedtime chatter between the narrator and her
sister seems to serve as a representation of typical mundane routines. This also illustrates the idea
of how we are able to call upon our previous memories; it is through the repression, abstraction,
and regression of our thoughts that we are ultimately able to remember.
Furthermore, the manner in which the narrator seems to try to cope with the death of her
sister seems to be a textbook example of the Kubler-Ross model of the five stages of grief.
Originally, she denies the prospect of her sisters death through her aforementioned dreams,
twisting and manipulating events in an attempt to make them more preferable and easier to bear.
After finishing the denial stage, the narrator begins to look for people to blame for the death of
her sister, constantly looking for scapegoats, harboring thoughts such as Maybe I remembered
that Neal had said, apparently blaming Neal for her sisters death. The narrators seeking of
someone, anyone, to blame for her loss epitomizes the anger stage of grieving. Eventually, the
narrator begins to look for alternative ways of dealing with the loss, such as going to numerous
counselors and therapists, as well as seeking help from those around her, all in an attempt to
remove the source of her sadness. In this manner, the text seems to be forcing the narrator
through the next stage of grief: bargaining. Next, the narrator becomes very detached from the
events occurring in the story, stating them as if they had nothing to do with her, and she begins to
lose the life that separates humans from machines. The narrator describes the days following the
death in a very curt manner My brother [] was not born until ten days after the funeral []
[A woman] took me on an expedition. [] My mother recovered. She had to []. The text
seems to be implying that the narrator is going through the stage of depression by taking out all
semblance of anything that makes us human, effectively portraying the narrator in this stage as
someone who has lost all will to live, one of the main symptoms of someone undergoing the
depression stage. Lastly, the narrator is ultimately able to come to terms with her loss, and accept
it, when, at the end, she is finally able to move on, when she finally understands how to be
happy, despite her loss.
The short story of Gravel illustrates many things about both the nature of memory and
how we deal with memories, both at the time the original events are occurring, and long after
said events have transpired.