First-Person Fiction

I believe the reason that made the narrator tell her story about her boyfriend and the new neighbors coming in was the new neighbors (hence “The Weirdos”) but also, to some degree, her boyfriend’s weirdness, which he may also be tied into those she found weird. The narrator seemed to be either thinking or writing with no general audience except maybe her future self. Because she said that she and her boyfriend hadn’t been together long, on page 69, made all the events in the story recent — maybe not that day, when considering her boyfriend, but especially when the neighbors moved in. I believe toward the end of the story, we realized that the perspective was very recent, and I think it was at the point I mentioned above. The narrator believed this story was about her boyfriend and or the new neighbors, but it was about herself and the dark stance she had on the world and people around her. She thought all these people were weird and unusual, their routines, their speech, their belongings, their any and everything was weird. I don’t think she knew what to expect from any of them and misunderstood their motivations or anything from them, honestly. I start to wonder, now, if she was the weird one filled in a world surrounded by people who acted in such a way that is regarded as normal. The presentation of the story reminded me of not necessarily a reflection or self defense or confession, but a matter-of-fact, “this is weird, but what can I do?” stance. She sounded depressed but aggravated through most of the story, wishing for the end of something, anything. By the end of the story, she twisted around as she wondered what if her boyfriend was the man of her dreams and if she should stay. I think her dream of the monkey echoed with her boyfriend, but yet he ended up changing, to me at least, and she decided to stay. I think she still felt hated for him, though it may not be as strong at the end. I think she found this story meaningful to tell because it was, at the end, her change and acceptance of things.