Dressed Left: Flash Fiction by Alle C. Hall

Summary

A bird, discontent with conventional expectations, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, encountering various ideologies and experiences before finding a balance between adventure and stability.

Abstract

The narrative "Dressed Left: Flash Fiction by Alle C. Hall" presents a bird who, dissatisfied with the dismissive response from a cock regarding the color of her eyes, seeks her own path. She rejects the safety of a cage lined with heretical thoughts, which her parents endorse, in favor of exploring the world. At The Sorbonne, she encounters a French fox who introduces her to a bohemian lifestyle of artistic and intellectual freedom, challenging traditional norms. Despite the allure of this unconventional life, the bird yearns for a sense of normalcy, leading her to teach English in South Korea, a role that is both financially rewarding and less chaotic than her previous experiences.

Opinions

The bird's journey reflects a critique of societal expectations, as she rejects the predetermined path set by her parents.
The narrative suggests a tension between the appeal of intellectual and artistic communities and the desire for stability and normalcy.
The French fox's character represents a stereotype of French culture as sexually liberated and artistically focused, yet he defies this stereotype by remaining faithful.
The bird's experiences at The Sorbonne highlight a satirical view of intellectualism and the sexual revolution, describing them as "polymorphous non-perversity" and "the end of rectilinear thought."
The bird's decision to teach English in South Korea implies a commentary on the transient nature of expatriate lifestyles and the commodification of English language teaching.

The bird said, What color are my eyes. The cock said, It doesn’t matter. The bird said, Fooey.

The bird said, What color are my eyes. The cock said, It doesn’t matter. The bird said, Fooey, tied on an attractive bonnet, and flew in search of a cage. The cage she found was lined with heretical thoughts. She could spend years here, but her parents were pulling the worms. They agreed to pull for four years. And, they insisted, their birdy would live in a big, safe, cage with lots of tweety birds. The bird said, Fooey, bought a Jackie O. hat, and flew to The Sorbonne, where she met a French fox. He shat prose poems. He introduced her to rooms full of radiant parrots and glamorous flamingos. How wren-like she felt, amidst their artistic intellectualism, their sexual politicization. Mais non, cherie, they cooed. It was polymorphous non-perversity. It was the end of rectilinear thought. The French Fox said, I prefer merely to fuck. Defying stereotype, he stayed faithful — aside from that one time at Burning Man that he begged her to help him win the Beaver Eating Contest. The bird thought, “We need a little more normal around here.” As you see, she re-instated the use of quotation marks and flew to South Korea, where she quickly found a cage in which to teach English. It was boring but well-paid — and teaching English in Japan was soooo 1980s.