"The Weirdos" Analysis: Conflict

In “The Weirdos”, conflict is used by integrating friction in the narrator’s relationship with her boyfriend. Living with her partner, who is overly superstitious, irresponsible, and doesn’t meet her expectations, makes the narrator question the relationship's worth. Over the course of the story, she convinces herself that he’s teaching her “humility” (57) and that she should be “grateful” (57) for what lessons she gets from enduring his antics. But at times, she gives into her impatience, which is symbolized when she accepts a black feather from the new tenants that will supposedly eliminate her troubles. Through her discernments, readers can observe the imperfections in their relationship. The extent of how long she will tolerate her boyfriend’s living conditions is the driving force of the conflict in this story, and is what influences her actions relative to him.

Because her boyfriend progresses her own thoughts and decisions, the use of conflict is effective. At the start, the narrator tolerates their relationship by letting her boyfriend into her space or meeting his demands. However, towards the end of the story, she eventually packs her bags and makes plans to leave him. The resolution she reaches is dependent on a stacked amount of circumstances that displeased her, so the conflict was functional.

Conflict is used in this story to depict the narrator's internal dilemma of committing to a relationship that both amuses and aggravates her. Whether she’s with him or alone, she’s always reconsidering her reasons for staying there, yet sometimes would rather stay at the apartment complex than leave. The author uses this type of conflict to reveal the narrator’s conflicting desires; to either stay or depart from her relationship.

Overall, “The Weirdos” effectively lives up to its title, and its scenarios are understandable to the reader. The author develops the characters and their flairs well enough that the story is realistic, even though their actions are unorthodox. Although disturbing at times, this story is a skilled example of how characters influence each other.