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Low Visibility

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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 John blames Laura for his ongoing unhappiness and starts slapping and punching her, that sparks quickly dies out. The only thing holding her together is a tiger eye gemstone, which she got from a friend long ago. It symbolizes courage, strength and “creates harmony out of chaos”. It also represents herself in some ways – most of the time dark and empty, but with rare flashes of light, the few moments in her life, where she experience the feeling of hopefulness.
The text is structured with focus on two different “stories”. In the main plot you follow Laura and John sitting in a couch in their apartment and watching news on the television. John has his hand on Laura’s thigh and he squeezes it so hard that it bruises.
In the other plot you follow the events that are transmitted to the news: Protesters have gathered and are rioting on the streets. They are fighting the police, looting supermarkets, smashing things and burning cars and buildings. You even hear of an incident, where a driver is being pulled out of his car and beat up. It’s a rebellion. There is a fine parallel between the two stories; as the people are protesting outside, Laura is slowly starting to protest on the inside. And as the mob approaches the part of town, where the couple lives, the feeling in Laura grows stronger and stronger. She states for example that: “She wishes she could protest, but have forgotten how”. The first time Laura is actually able to express what she thinks, is when John leaves to fight some intruders in their shop below the apartment and she contradicts him for the first time in four years by saying “Don’t”.
After John leaves the apartment is then set on fire, slowly burning down all its horrible memories with it.
Laura runs out on the street and sees John lying on his back, bleeding. He demands her help, but she refuses. The moment she refuses to help her husband is also the moment the roles are switched; now she is in charge and he is the helpless one. This is corroborated by the fact, that when a man with a trolley approaches the married couple he only sees Laura and not John, suggesting that is now John, who has become invisible. Deliberately Laura starts returning to her old self, the person she was before her husband tore her down. “She hears a quaver of fear in the command, astonished to discover that it’s been there all along. He tries to get up but he is weak”. Laura realizes that all along she has been the strong one and John the weak and afraid one. She picks up a brick and decides whether to revenge the four years he tyrannized her and hold he captive or whether she shall simply just walk away. She chooses the latter, and walks away with the burden (that was John) off her shoulders. She has now brought control over chaos. Like the protestors on the street Laura has rebelled against what was holding her down - hence regaining her freedom and old self. The author emphasizes this at the end of the story by referring to her by name; Laura.
The title “Low Visibility” can refer to the fact that throughout her marriage Laura hasn’t been seeing clear and therefor having a poor perception on her relationship. All along she thinks her husband is the superior and the strong one, when deep down it is quite opposite. Furthermore it can be interpreted as how Laura and all the other rioting people feel about themselves: That they all have a very small visibility the higher powers.

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