Reading as a Writer: "We Didn't" by Stuart Dybek

After reading "We Didn't" by Stuart Dybek, there is a lot to be discussed as far as the story goes. A drowned pregnant woman, a passionate couple on the beach, a relationship gone sour, the "Blue Ball Express." It's clear that Dybek's story is full of lots of great imagery, tense and emotional moments, and the haunting presence of the blue drowned woman who seems to be lurking just behind every word.

Reading this story as a writer, I must say that one of the things that most struck me was how intentional each sentence appeared to be. Nothing seems out of place in this story; every word and comma all contribute to where Dybek wants the story to go. The command of language, plot, and character in this story is real.

It's in the details

One of the things that makes this story so fabulous is the attention to detail. Throughout the story, small things really make this piece memorable. From a lost pair of shorts to the description of the drowned woman, all of these details contribute considerable weight to the story. We really get a sense of these characters, and especially their troubled relationship - from what they are passionate about to what they argue about, and how often, those two things overlap.

"It means the baby who drowned inside her that night was a love child - a boy - and his soul was released there to wander through the water."

Whether this line is just a strange fantasized version of what happened to the narrator's lover or something else entirely, I am not sure, but it is a detail like this which stuck out to me. This one, in particular, kept me wondering just what was going through this person's head. What is the meaning of the love child? Does it have any relationship to the moment the two lovers shared on the beach? Was the drowned pregnant woman some type of symbol? What did I miss here ... ?