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Short Story 'It Would Be Different If' By Maggie Mitchell

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The Short Story “ It Would Be Different If” By Maggie Mitchell People want what they cannot have. Nikki, the main character in “It Would Be Different If” has an actual obsession when it comes to wanting what she cannot obtain. Nikki has stepped over the line of just wanting Jeff, (her high school crush), and is now at the point of being delusional and obsessive over him. Nikki’s whole life is focused on being with Jeff and it’s making her emotionally unstable as well as selfish. Nikki does not have a healthy state of mind. For example, when Nikki is imagining Jeff coming into her salon and having her cut his hair, Nikki imagines keeping the trimmings of Jeff’s hair to comfort her until he finally leaves his wife, Amber, and their child. It might be normal for people to daydream about their crush, however, it is absolutely crazy to have a daydream where one would keep the hair trimmings after their loved one had a haircut. Another moment where the reader can question Nikki’s emotional stability is when she states, “I wasn’t supposed to be one of those people, the unmarryable ones” (170). Nikki then goes on to explain a very detailed story of how her and Jeff were supposed to be married with a small dog, a beagle, and what they would look like in old age, etc. Any person with common sense would know …show more content…
Jeff and Amber have been together for a long time now, and Nikki knows that, but wont accept it. At one point Nikki states that, “ It’s so long ago that people can’t get too worked up about it anymore” 170. Nikki is referring to how the people in the town originally felt sorry for her when Jeff started to go out with Amber, but now, as the years have gone by no one cares. The people all around Nikki are able to see what the reality is about Jeff, however, Nikki will not let herself see it. Most people can get hung up on a crush or the one that got away for a week, or maybe a month, but not

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