Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

When I read ZZ Packer's short story "Brownies," I really found myself examining the symbolism. Even though the troop was named after the popular dessert, it also represented the color of the main character's, "Snot" skin. She feels like an outcast in her troop because there aren't many girls who look like her and at her age, she needs a sense of community to feel accepted. Even though the story was short, I saw "Snot" grow in front of my eyes. From being hesitant and reluctant to standing up for herself when the other troop of girls call her and her friends retarded.
The technique of the story is also very interesting. The plot isn't furthered by narration, but is furthered by dialogue instead. The most interesting parts of the story happen when the characters are talking to one another and the reader is given background information about where the different girls come from in the book. Another topic the author highlights is the importance of religion, which helps the reader distinguish the kind of community the characters are coming from. Whether it is Presbyterian, Lutheran, or even Mennonites, it is understood that the characters are from the South where what sect of Christianity a person belong in encompasses their social hierarchy. Packer is either a very religious person or anti-religious person because secular beliefs are mentioned often in all of her stories.
Another thing I noticed is that Packer does not describe her characters. She leaves it to the readers to imagine them the way they want to imagine them. The social issues of the story are also portrayed through the conversations of their children. It is apparent that Packer is talking about how different people are treated in society, but uses children to spread that message.
The few stories I read from Packer grabbed my attention and got me thinking and if a book has that affect on someone than it is obvious that it is well-written.

Word Count: 329