Self-Review – The Bride

It is Time to Unveil The Bride

While I have written about some weddings before, I do not think I have concentrated quite so closely on the bride until this short story. Also, this story is a part of the Real Hub universe.

I wrote this story during the third quarter of 2018.

Background

As I was writing The Real Hub of the Universe, I got to thinking about Shannon Duffy’s subject immediately before Ceilidh. And then I got to thinking about his wife, and her point of view. I felt Blima deserved to have a say.

Plot

In a nineteenth century shtetl in Europe, a teenaged bride gets ready for her wedding day. And night.

She has met the groom maybe one or two times before. This was typical for the time.

But what is different here is that the groom has a friend who will insert themselves into just about every aspect of the marriage. Then again, how many people have an alien shapeshifter for a companion?

As for the casual homophobia, it was unfortunately very typical for the time.

Characters

The characters are Blima Shapiro, her younger sister Chana, and their brother, Yussele.

Memorable Quotes from The Bride

“Blima, do you think he’s handsome?”

“I don’t know. He’s a boy – I mean, man. They are all the same, more or less.”

Chana snipped a loose thread from her sister’s simple gown. “Papa isn’t just some man, the same as all the rest.”

“That’s because he’s Papa,” Blima said. She looked at her light brown hair in an old mirror that was a little wavy and distorted. “I won’t get used to not looking like myself anymore. A sheitl! They all look so horribly ugly: dark brown, straight, in a tight bun. I suppose women all look the same as well – at least, married women do.”

“But you’ll take it off at home,” Chana pointed out. “And you can take it off when it’s just us girls. Aunt Rachel does.”

“Yes, I know. This whole process is so wretched! I don’t even know why Mama and Papa chose him in particular. They’re all the same. Did they close their eyes and point, or something? I do not see the specific appeal of Herschel Taub.”

“Don’t forget his friend, Levi Alschuler.”

“And him!” Blima looked at herself in the mirror again. “I don’t want to be married to either of them.”

“Do you think they…?” Chana’s voice trailed off.

Blima emitted a standard exasperated teenaged sigh. “If they do, then that nonsense stops tonight.”

Genre and Overall Mood of The Bride

The genre is historical fiction. The mood is neutral to slightly positive. I have no doubt that a lot of girls in Blima’s position would have been scared, angry, confused, or worried. But Blima is none of those things. Rather, she is just resigned to her fate.

In keeping with the custom of the time, she would have no say in the matter and no real incentive to do anything about the situation beyond perhaps protecting her family, assuming that she could. And that would only be if she was caught in an abusive situation.

However (spoiler alert), Herschel is a decent person who never hurts her. And so, because she cares for him at least minimally, she wants to have him to herself. This means she shuts Shannon (Levi) out a lot of the time. This includes when Herschel is dying from a stroke.

Rating

The story has a K rating.

Takeaways from The Bride

It was a tough time for young girls. They had very few choices in life, very little agency. The differences between the Shapiro sisters and, say, Kitty and Mink from Mettle or even Nell from that story are striking.

Even Ceilidh has more of a say in her fate. And that is saying a lot.

Want More of my Short Stories and Novellas?

If this story resonates with you, then I hope you will check out some of my other blog posts about my shorter works.

And finally, for a complete list of my shorter works, please be sure to check out the Hub Page—Short Stories.