Scarlet Tilt

ORIGINAL:

“It's very hard to live in a studio apartment in San Jose with a man who's learning to play the violin.” That's what she told the police when she handed them the empty revolver. (from Revenge of the Lawn: Stories 1962-1970)

At first the impression I got from this is that the woman had enough of her husband. I viewed her husband as an old man who’s unemployed, maybe drunken, and violent. She had repressed her anger and hatred of this oppression for so long that she bursted out and ended his life.

VARIATION I:

“It's very hard to live in a studio apartment in San Jose with a white man who's learning to play the violin.” That's what she told the police when she handed them the empty revolver.

I interpret this that the woman was a skinned color who needed money for some sort of reason, and so she saw this old white man as a victim to get his money. He resisted, and so she ended this poor old white man with a bullet.

VARIATION II

“It's very hard to live in a studio apartment in San Jose with a black man who's learning to play the violin.” That's what she told the police when she handed them the empty revolver.

I interpret this that the black man was an annoyance to the white female. The woman probably tried telling the black man to quiet down but he resists and instead threatens to take the woman’s life. She panicked and afraid, took out her revolver and shot him.

VARIATION III:

“It's very hard to live in a studio apartment in San Jose with a woman who's learning to play the violin.” That's what he told the police when he handed them the empty revolver.

I interpret this that the woman wanted to learn violin, but that her husband did not allow her. He believes that the woman is better off working rather than learning something “stupid” like music. One day he’s angry and moody from work, maybe drunk as well, and saw her playing the violin, and so he killed her.

VARIATION IV:

“It's very hard to live in a studio apartment in San Jose with a child who's learning to play the violin.” That's what she told the police when she handed them the empty revolver.

In this variation I imagine that the child was an innocent naïve little kid who was trying to learn how to play violin. The woman is the child’s mother was annoyed of her child that he should be learning and not playing some “dumb” music. The kid resists and kept on playing and with annoyance, anger, and without thinking thoroughly the woman shot her child.

VARIATION V:

“It's very hard to live in a studio apartment in San Jose with a baby who cries all the time.” That's what she told the police when she handed them the empty revolver.

In this version, I viewed that the woman was an amateur who had a baby without thinking thoroughly. She wasn't ready to be a mother and stupidly shot the baby because of the crying and mess the baby causes.

VARIATION VI:

“It's very hard to live in a studio apartment in San Jose with a baby who cries all the time.” That's what he told the police when he handed them the empty revolver.

In this version, I viewed the man to be a bad father who kept drinking, gambling, and other waste-of-time activities. The father was drunk and mad at his wife, and so he probably shot both of them without thinking. Later on he found out and called the police, but it was too late.