A Type of Love Story

Russel Banks’ “Sarah Cole: A Type of Love Story” isn’t your typical love story it has no happy ending and many things seem to have different meanings. In short, the story is about two people coming from two different worlds. It is about Ron a handsome upper class man and Sarah a “homely” lower class woman. They only met because both were drinking and Sarah was dared to speak with him. Both were pleased that they were able to connect with one from another class. Their friends observed them as they did something out of the ordinary.

To connect this story to what we have been discussing in class Ron was Hegemonic. From the start he controls everything from their first conversation down to their break up. When they speak they talk about her most of the time Ron even states” he finds that he is not at all interested in telling her about himself”. Is this so she can’t assimilate into his life? Then when he wants to get intimate with her he clearly comes out and tells her. Later on in the story when she wants to go to the Osgood’s he controls the situation and convinces her that he wants to keep his private life private. He obviously didn’t want to be seen together with her in public. Sarah’s friend Glenda even points out that the two of them being together is an awkward sight. Ron never even went over to Sarah’s house and met her kids instead he just kicked her out of his life. He didn’t want to give up his life by joining hers.

The only time that they were equals is when they are having intercourse. Near the middle of the story when they planned to do it in Ron’s Car he says all this stuff about them being completely different but when they are going to make love they are in a sense equals. Later on in text when they actually do it the narrator says they “were two naked members of the same species, a male and a female…” he speaks as if they are one by using words such we, both, etc.