A Messy Life (Cathedral)

Vitamins

This short story is full of mini stories that all connect. I feel bad for Donna and Patti. It must be very hard having to live of off selling vitamins. I couldn’t even imagine how much these women make just going door to door selling vitamins. They must make very little money, exactly why Donna need to quit. The vitamins just did not give her enough to maintain her life. I did not like Donna at all as soon as she started thinking about prostitution. Women have to respect themselves, the only fu control that humans have is over there body. Your body is yours and nobody else’s. I could never imagine having to sell my body to be able to eat. I think that there are so many other job opportunities out there. Women should not turn to prostitution for money. I am totally against it.
“I mean, when I was a girl, this is the last thing I ever saw myself doing. Jesus I never thought I’d grow up to sell vitamins.” (p.97) I think that this stuff happens to so many people. They study one thing and there life ends up having to do with something different. This always makes me wonder if that could happen to me. And if it does I hope it’s different I hope that my change in the future will be better than what I expected. I just want to stick to what I want to do with my life and be the best. Patti tries her hardest, but Donna is just stupid.
Once again Carver keeps us wondering at the end. What happens to Donna? Hopefully she does not turn to prostitution. What was deal with Nelson? At the end I was so curious to just know what else happened. But like all the other short stories in Carver’s writing, the endings always keep you thinking.