...“Low visibility” is a short story written by Margaret Murphy. People have always felt the need to secede from society; this comes to expression in the text. However, the leaders of the society believe that it is their duty to take control, and create a place where everyone is welcome. What happens when people feel unwelcome? Chaos breaks out, the politicians blame one another, and most importantly people turn against the norms of society. Laura is our protagonist. Laura was a woman with a free and strong spirit, delightful humor and most prominent happiness; however, this all changed when she met her John. John is a demanding person with a lot of hatred dwelling inside of him. “What are they protesting about?” John demands. “Their own shitty lives?” John thought that by marrying Laura, his life would change that maybe one day he would change, but Laura was the one ending up being devoured by the lust and hatred of John. Laura and John are like the principle of Yin, and Yang, darkness and light, if there is no equilibrium, there will be no order, and one will consume the other. Leading to chaos, which is one of the many signs, the couple shows. You can compare the riots on the street with Laura and John’s relationship. Laura reminds us of the riots; she has been suppressed throughout their marriage, and in the end of the story Laura chooses to fight back. John is the oppressor; Laura gradually starts to rebel, even though she is not aware of this “Don’t.” the sound of her...
Words: 1002 - Pages: 5
...Low visibility The story is a about a woman and her husband. Their names are Laura and John. The story is written in 3rd person and we get a clear feeling of what they are thinking. The text describes the condition of their marriage as bad and it’s becoming worse and worse. John makes Laura feel invisible and a bit insignificant. The reason why she feels invisible is that she wants to feel invisible. She feels invisible because she tries to ignore John and just let him do his thing. Even though it hurts she tries to stay calm and silent since that reduces the chance of John abusing her. Laura used to be able to fill a room with laughter but now the tides have turned. She was happy but now she is suppressed by her husband. John expected that when he married Laura she could make him happy because of her kindness and humor. However that wasn’t what happened. Instead of him becoming happy, he turned Laura into a hostage, whom got psychologically broken down. John no longer respects Laura’s opinions. He only does as he pleases. When the riots, which they saw on the TV as John was abusing Laura, came to their street Laura found her gemstone, which is called the tiger eye. Personally I think the remote control to the TV is a symbol of John’s control of the relationship. He has the remote control meaning that he has the power to control the TV and Laura. “The tiger eye, creates harmony out of chaos,”(line 109). This obviously means that she can use it to gain or create harmony out...
Words: 716 - Pages: 3
...Low Visibility Low Visibility is a short story written by Margaret Murphy in 2008. The story is about a married couple, and their names are John and Laura. The story is about how it is to be the victim of a broken and violent relationship, and how Laura brakes free from the chains of fear. The story takes place in their city apartment, in Liverpool, at the same time as a riot is going on. The two main characters are the married couple Laura and John. As mentioned before Laura and John are in a broken relationship, as John tends to be violent towards Laura. For example, when they are sitting on the couch watching TV, he’s hand is grabbing her thigh. He is holding it so hard that it bruises. Ad every time he – for some reason – lets go, and puts the hand back, he moves it higher up her thigh. This is what he considers foreplay, and it indicates that there is no romance what so ever, in their relationship. Therefore Laura has become submissive. She barely speaks, and has become full of fear. She was a completely different person before she met John – “Once, she was a girl who could set a room to laughter”. And it was because of her good spirits that John wanted her; he thought that he himself would become happier if he was with a happy person, but instead he smothered her happiness and joy. He “held her too tight” and she became a hostage in her own life. The riots in the streets are very violent. The people throw bricks and Molotov cocktails at the police, and every time they...
Words: 706 - Pages: 3
...Low Visibility Low Visibility is a short story written by Margaret Murphy from 2008. The story is about the woman Laura, and her marriage with her abusive husband John. They are watching the News where they follow the street riots all over town. Laura doesn’t speak and doesn't move, in terror of what her husband will do to her. However, even when she doesn’t draw attention to her self at all, her husband John, slowly but surely punishes her absentmindedly. The street riots spread to their apartment building and the store under them gets broken in to. John goes down to make them stop and ends up getting beat up. Laura goes down to the street and finds her husband lying on the ground in bad shape. When John asks for her hand as help, she neglects to do so. A rebel passes them on the street, and winks at Laura and doesn’t see John at all, who is begging for help. Laura asks the man if he isn't scared of getting caught, whereto he answers " Not me girl. I’ve been invisible all my life.” Laura walks away from John, surrounded by explosions, without helping him. The story is narrated by a third person, and therefore we know what Laura and her husband are thinking, while we at the same time, have a full overview of what is happening physically in the story. The main character of the story is Laura. She is described as being a frightened person who is so scared of her husband that she doesn't even dare contribute with a single word. The silence that appears is like white...
Words: 815 - Pages: 4
...In any given situation, it is crucial to prevent yourself from falling into invisibility. One must step into character and create certain clarity about yourself and your worth. If you do not, one day you will vanish, both physically and psychologically. The main character of the short story “Low Visibility” by Margaret Murphy from 2008 is one of the more fortunate that acts before it is too late. The story is about a woman named Laura, and her marriage with her abusive husband called John. Sitting in the living room one evening they follow the street riots all over town on the local news channel. Laura does not say a word nor move, in terror of what her husband might do to her. Even though, Laura does nothing to draw attention to herself, John slowly but surely punishes her absentmindedly. While they are watching TV the street riots spread to their apartment building and the store underneath gets broken in to. In anger, John goes down to make the rebels stop, but instead ends up getting beaten up. Laura goes down to the street only to find her husband in a bad shape covered in blood. When John asks for her help, she neglects to do so. A rebel passes them on the street, noticing Laura and does not see John at all, who is begging for help. Curious Laura asks the man if he is not afraid to get caught, to which he answers “Not me, girl. I’ve been invisible all my life” (p. 12 l. 165-166). In the end Laura ends up leaving John behind, walking away surrounded by explosions. We...
Words: 1096 - Pages: 5
...Low Visibility In many marriages it is common that the woman is alone, invisible and afraid. But in most of the marriages there is also hidden a strong and independent woman, she just needs to crack the shell and show that she is not an object. In the story Low Visibility, written by Margaret Murphy in 2008 same thing appear, but she has to prove to herself that she is more than just an object for her husband’s violence. The story starts in medias res with a description of their relationship. The narrator tells us the story in third person, which means that the narrator has an overview of the situation and the persons who appear in the story. “John is watching TV, one hand on the remote control, the other on her thigh. She keeps very still” (page 8, line 1-2) In the quotation we can imagine how their marriage is and that she is scared. “She wishes she could protest, but has forgotten how.” (page 8, line 15) The narrator has a complete or unlimited knowledge and informs us about the characters thoughts and mind. The narrator also stays passive in proportion to their marriage. She does not support the characters, but inform us about their feelings in a passive way. “She allows herself to float away, imagines she is a million particles of matter that can simply disperse.” (page 10, line 88-90) Laura used to be happy and a joyful person but changed slowly when she got married with John. He absorbed all the joy and love in her with his dominant and violence behavior. Therefore...
Words: 742 - Pages: 3
...In the short story “Low Visibility” written by Margaret Murphy the main character is called Laura.Laura is, because of her husband who has been repressing her for a long time, a very insecureperson. She does not have the courage to fight back when he gives her orders. In the text it says,that she used to be a spirited person who “could make the whole room laugh” but because of hermarriage with John that energy has slowly left her. John wanted to marry her because of her spiritbut day by day she drifted in to the sad and hollow frame of mind John himself was trying toescape from.Laura has no liberty in their marriage and John sees her only as an object. In every healthymarriage there is love, but it does not show in this marriage. Perhaps there was a little spark in thebeginning but that love is certainly gone. He hurts her both physically and mentally and of courseshe is not satisfied with this but she has become afraid of him and does not dare to go in his way.If she does oppose him he either yells at her or hits her. She feels as if she is invisible and she feelsthat no one can see that she is suffering. She is very troubled and it seems that only a small thingwould push her over the edge into madness.In the story, Laura and John are watching TV. They are watching the news about the riots that arehappening in the streets. In the streets all kinds of violence and crime are happening. People areclearly furious about something. John does not feel the same way, because if he did...
Words: 858 - Pages: 4
...Low Visibility (Short story) The main character in the short story is Laura, who is married to John. Laura does not have anything to say in their relationship and is mostly just controlled by John, who always gives her orders. John has suppressed Laura for a long time, which has resulted in her becoming very insecure. Because she is so insecure, she does not have the courage to stand up for herself or fight back. It is even like she has forgotten how to do so. If she resists John, he yells at her or beat her up. Before Laura met John she was a person with great energy and spirit. She was a loving person and she had good humor “Once, she was a girl who could set a room to laughter.” John wanted to be with her because he though that her energy, humor and positive lifestyle would spread to him, but instead he changed her. John took away both her spirit and energy, and the spark that maybe was in the beginning of their relationship, is long gone. An example of how there is no romance in their relationship is when John holds his hand on her lap and starts pressing it, that is his form of foreplay because he does not know how else to do it. “John digs his fingers into her thigh and she bites her lips, but doesn’t move” John has changed Laura into an unhappy, sad and frightened woman. She has become afraid of John and that he might hurt her, if she does not do as he pleases. She does not even dare to speak anymore, because she does not know what she can say, that will not make...
Words: 948 - Pages: 4
...“Low Visibility” by Margaret Murphy This short story is written in 2008 by Margaret Murphy. We follow a women called Laura and looks in too her sad life with her abusive husband John. Laura and her husband are watching the news, where a big demonstration is taking place in their town. Laura are being complete silent as she fears her husband, who is holding on tit, to her while they are watching the street riots tear up the city. Laura tries not to draw any attention what so ever to her husband. Through the years, she had adjusted by not saying a word against her husband in fear of his abusiveness. While they are watching TV, John have a strong grip on her neck and she feels the pain from the back of her head. But even though it hurts, she is still great full that he isn’t hitting her with his elbow or fist, at the moment. Down under, the street riots had breaking in to the store. John gets up and goes down to stop them but get beating up. Laura goes down with her tiger eye stone hold on tight in her hand, to see what has happen. She finds her husband lying on the ground, all bloody and beating. He asks for help from her, when one of the street riots comes by. He doesn’t notice John who is still lying on the ground begging for help. Laura asks if the man isn’t affair to get caught by the police, his simple answer was “not me girl, I’ve been invisible all my life” that answer got Laura’s mind to go off and she looked down on the tiger eye stone that she had in her hand....
Words: 819 - Pages: 4
...Low Visibility In the story we have 2 main characters, the couple John and Laura. John is a harsh man, he is tall, big and has this huge hands. John is a man of control, he loves to control his wife Lara with an iron fist, often he makes it clear that his in charge. In the story there is no doubt that it is John’s house, bout him and Laura knows that. Laura does not even has anything to say, actually she does not even dare to speak to John accept for when he ask her or tell her to speak. For John this violence is his sick way of romance. Laura is woman who married the wrong man. She ones was a woman who was happy and cheerful, but after she married John she has fallen into darkness, she is no longer this cheerful woman she used to be. She has no longer control over her own life, her life is controlled by John, and it is like John has taken her as hostage in her own home. But deep inside Laura is a very strong woman, in the end she shows that she got the guts. In the end she realize that she have been victim of John’s tyranny for too long. It is like Laura knows that she does not have anything to say in the home. She is very quiet, she is so scared of John that she doesn’t even dare to dry the blood of her lips, when John hits her. The story takes place in the home of John and Laura. The story starts in the living room where they are watching TV. They are watching the news, where the riots on the streets are going insane, and then later in the story John goes on the street...
Words: 703 - Pages: 3
...The main character in Margaret Murphy’s short story “Low Invisibility” from 2008 is called Laura. Through most of story Laura is referred to as a nameless woman, in fact you only get to know her name in the very last line. Laura is married to John, a man who has mentally and physically abused her throughout their four years of marriage, leaving Laura scared, fragile and extremely submissive. John is on the other hand a very dominant, violent and miserably man. They have an utmost destructive marriage, where John is in charge and only sees his wife like an object. If she doesn’t do what he pleases, if she denies him or don’t act the way he thinks she should, he will hurt her. He has also managed to isolate her from her friends and family making sure she is only there for him. Laura’s freedom has been taken away and John in so much control and fills her life so much, that she feels almost invisible to both him and the rest of the world. It is said, that Laura wasn’t always like this. Before she got married, Laura was an outgoing, happy, humorous and energetic person; much different to whom she is now. In the beginning Laura was drawn to John because she wanted him to belong in with the others, even though “he resented the effort of fitting in”. John is as said a very miserable man, so he marries her in hope that Laura’s humor and happy spirit will wear off on him. The text states that in the beginning of the relationship, there is a spark of love between the two. However when...
Words: 893 - Pages: 4
...Low Visibility The short story Low Visibility written by Margaret Murphy is about a woman called Laura who is married to the very aggressive husband John. She lives her life in fear and violence, but instead of making resistance she chooses to appear invisible. The short story has a third person narrator. Already in the first line of the short story we get a clear view of the characterisation of both John and Laura and how their marriage is: “John is watching TV, one hand on the remote control, the other on her thigh. She keeps very still.” It tells us that John is in total control. He has the control over Laura, and he is watching TV. Laura is not; she is just forced to be there because of her fear to John, but she accepts the situation by keeping still. The narrator tells from both John and Laura's viewpoints and thoughts. You can tell by the characters’ thoughts of each other that there are no love between them. Laura has not always been the invisible girl; her marriage with John has given her a new personality. “She wishes she could protest, but has forgotten how. Every muscle in her body trembles with the effort of keeping still.” This quote shows that Laura really wants to protest against John’s opinion to the protest in TV, but she has forgotten how to do it. A flashback shows us that Laura gradually have changed during their marriage. She did not notice that something was wrong with their relationship until at was too late. We do not know the actual reason why...
Words: 709 - Pages: 3
...”Low Visibility” When someone feels oppressed, and has been for a period of time, it is in the human nature to fight it. International wars, Civil wars, hunger strikes and public demonstrations are all good examples of this, and they are a part of our daily global lives. It happens all the time. The masses will always object to what does not seem fair. It may take years, but it will come. This is also the case for the main character of Low Visibility, Laura, as well. She has been humiliated and oppressed for many years, and suddenly she breaks free, to be herself. . The story Low Visibility by Margret Murphy is a fictional story, which deals with many themes, such as (domestic) violence, love, hate, oppression, and right and wrong and the story is told by an unintrusive and omniscient 3. person narrator who tells the story as it unfolds. The plot takes off in medias res, as we’re thrown into a sequence where Laura’s husband John is watching TV and we’re given no introduction. The structure in the story lets us jump a bit back and forth between two settings, as we are shown what is happening in the streets though Johns television, which is a metafictive device, while we’re also following the main characters in the apartment. Furthermore the structure itself also leaps between the narrator’s storytelling, and different dialogues, mostly between John and Laura, but direct speech is also used by a shop looter and a TV-reporter. As already mentioned, the story unfolds two places:...
Words: 941 - Pages: 4
...Low Visibility Through history, many terrible events have happened. You could mention the 2nd World War, where the war had not ended if it had not been for the Allies, who took action, because it was necessary. But it is also worth mentioning the ordinary people who fought for their liberty in their own countries during the war. Such people we often call rebels. They have the courage to take action against something they think is not fair, and they face their worst fears. The short story Low Visibility by Margaret Murphy is about taking action and doing something about the things in your life that you are not satisfied with, and facing the dangers about it. The story is about two people; a husband and a wife. The husband, John, is a violent person with a rough background, who does not really care too much about his wife, whose name is not mentioned. It becomes very obvious throughout the story that John only sees his wife as an object, which he can do with whatever he decides. “”Nothing to contribute?” Her heart flutters in her chest. “No sharp insights into the situation?” She is wordless, stripped of language, of the liberty of expression. She doesn’t know the right thing to say, because he changes the rules each time. So she says nothing. It’s safer - less painful” (page 2, line 39-44). She is obviously afraid of him, and he can treat her just the way he wants to. They are sitting in their apartment, watching the news on TV, where they show something about a huge revolt on...
Words: 935 - Pages: 4
...Essay:”Low Visibility” The short story ”Low Visibility” involves Laura and her husband John. Laura is John submissive, and she has nothing to say at home. Before she met John, she was the kind of person who could make a room laugh; she had a good humor, lots of energy and a good spirit. But John changed her; from being full of life, he made her into a person who barely speaks at home out of fear. In the text it says “She wishes she could protest, but has forgotten how.” This clearly explains how submissive she has become, when she cannot stand up for herself anymore. When they watch television, one of his hands is on her lap, holding it tight - so hard that her thigh bruises. John is a very violent person, and at a time he moves his hand higher up her thigh and presses, this is his foreplay because he does not know romance. When the riots enter the apartment below theirs, John gets pissed and flings the door open, ready to fight. As he flings the door open, Laura says “Don’t” and she is surprised over her own act, because she has not spoken a word of command for four years. This shows that maybe she is beginning to find herself again – starting to be independent of John. In the end when John lies on the ground and “ask” for a hand, she turns around and walks away, meanwhile a window explodes behind her, she is not harmed though. Another proof of the fact that she has found out that she does not need John in her life. The riots in the street are very violent. The rebels throw...
Words: 670 - Pages: 3
