Chapter Introduction

From the places we come from and the places we go, we each form defining relationships with one another and the world around us. Weighed by multiple heavy years, once mundane things feel new, and uncertainty, familiar. Just as a wave would push you and then immediately pull you in, the works in this section reflect the complicated positionality one takes on by simply being. Each of these authors write of relationships, intimate in many ways, and the role of the self as narrator, observer, and active agent on an unpredictable landscape.

Brodie Murnaghan’s short story, “Betty’s Rum: December 1921,” follows the protagonist’s complicated emotions and need for connection following discrimination at a polling station in the face of changing times. On the other hand, Austen Clayton’s academic essay “The Woolf at My Door” calls for a collective reassessment of the social perceptions of queer women and goes on to provide insight into the heavy emotional struggle devised by heteropatriarchy. In succession, both works focus on individuals as influenced by larger structures and the possibilities in allowing ourselves to seek better.

Camille Mady’s personal essay, “The Immigrant Dilemma and Privilege,” reflects on the personal battle that arises from moving from one country to another. She realizes that despite the difficulties of existing between cultures, there is an immense privilege in consciously cultivating a unique relationship with the world that cannot be understated. In “When the Sun Lays to Rest,” Meghan Dewar’s characters struggle with themselves, their wants, and the inevitable connections to others that shape life and death. These two selections look at the hurt and comforts of diverging from expected paths when considering our relationships with others.

Finally, the short historical fiction titled “Pardon Me” by Grace McGuirk follows an empowered child narrator despite the oppressive environment that attempts to limit her. Meanwhile, Madison Grounds’ poem, “The Dentist,” brilliantly touches on the gentle solace of the familiar, despite the distaste we may have for something as common as an appointment. In these works, the authors illustrate a childish resilience we often forget to recognize as we grow older. There is an emotional simplicity in realizing that despite the world not being beautiful at times, our connections to others will be a guide in seeing the good.

“Pushing and Pulling” will encourage you to look deeper into the complicated nuances of being human in an unpredictable world. Each author demonstrates that though we may feel small in the face of adversity and structural barriers, we cannot forget that we are surrounded by many who empower us, comfort us, and challenge us. It is a provocation to be conscious of our many places in this world, and may we be better for it.