3-21 My Tea with Madame Descartes and This Blessed House

There were many similarities in these two stories. When I first read them I was a little disappointed I guess you could say because nothing really happened, there was no climax in the story. But as I thought about them some more and read into the descriptions a little I realized these stories were meant for so much more than just a story line and entertainment. As you read these and others like these you learn about a character. Through knowing what they think and what they do the reader is able to relate this to people they may know or they may even be able to relate some qualities to themselves. You’re able to grow as a reader and as a person from reading these stories.
As I read the different things the author said about these characters I realized that it takes so much more than physical descriptions to describe and know a person. Often times the qualities we see in others that we like and remember long term are not physical but qualities they have or things they do. Just as David St. John says in My Tea with Madame Descartes “There’s so much we name as beautiful simply to dismiss it, cage it, desire then dispense with it” we often look at physical beauty and admire it until it gets old or something better comes along and you soon forget. But actions and character sticks around a lot longer and tells you so much more about a person. I really enjoyed reading these stories because I was able to see the importance of character. How well you can get to know someone by observing their qualities and actions.
Through reading This Blessed House I felt like I was able to really know Twinkle even though she doesn’t exist. The descriptions the author gave brought her to life and made her seem to be a person I have known for quite some time. I, as the reader, was able to relate to the character and through her actions I learned from myself.