Response to "Off" by Aimee Bender

Aimee Bender's Off is an interesting character study where the main character tries to push everyone and everything she knows away. The character does this due to a lack of self-worth, which is shown through the paintings that nobody truly appreciates, understands, or remembers. In doing so, she has detached herself from emotion, which, in her opinion, will keep her from getting hurt. This becomes evident when you see how she unfolds throughout the night, almost in a sense of desperation.


I really enjoyed Aimee Bender's story because I have friends who act just like this. By doing so, they are losing sight of reality and only hurting themselves in the end. That being said, I think she does an excellent job of conveying a realistic feeling of being lonely and trapped in your own stubborn personality. She also does a great job with the character's inner dialogue, which shows how much despair the character is truly in.

One of the most interesting parts of the story to me is her mention of the dog. In my opinion, it summarizes her personality without being direct. I think this is a very good tactic that forces you to pay close attention to the story and really analyze the character’s traits. A good example is when she names her dog “Off” only to confuse the people at the dog park. However, when the dog dies, she shows a sense of humanity and a bit of the vulnerability she holds. Then, as soon as you see a glimpse she rips it away by giving some of the ashes to her neighbor’s cat, which she considers poetic.



The other interesting part revolves around the idea of being “just another brick in the wall.” In my opinion, the main character truly wishes to attain this. She wants to be just like everyone, but has been forced in another direction. That being the case, she can never be accepted as that specific person everyone seems to embody. Therefore, she chooses to rebel against it and be the exact opposite, which makes herself the definition of her own point.