Essay on Charlotte Bondy’s Short Story Renaude

Essay on Charlotte Bondy’s short story “Renaude’’

This is a short story written by Charlotte Bondy in 2015.  The story is about a friendship between Clara and Mischa. Renaude, is a transfer student from Canada. Renaude only appears halfway through the story and Clara and Mischa find themselves attracted to her. The main character in this story is Clara and she is also its narrator.

The main characters in the short story “Renaude” by Charlotte Bondy are Clara and Mischa. Renaude is also an important character in the story, and she is important because of the interest she stirs in the two friends. The text reveals that Clara is a teenager in the last year of high school. Clara lives with her mother, and that she is lesbian. When Clara meets Mischa first time, she tells him about her being mistaken for a boy once before, which is a clue regarding Clara’s boy looking.  Clara is the one who approaches Mischa and who makes the first step in their friendship: “After class, I found him in the hall and told him I was jealous of his curls. I also told him this story about when I was twelve and had a terrible mushroom cut.” (ll. 3-5).

When she spends time with Mischa at his house, the girl is happy and feels comfortable. She is playful and, when Mischa’s mother says that she is busy, Clara pretends that they are the only ones who live there. Clara is also very open to experience new things. An Example, she doesn’t refuse to drink, smoke, drugs, or watching porn with Mischa. “Occasionally at night when we’re bored or stoned we watch porn on the laptop in Mischa’s bedroom.” (ll. 25-26).

Despite she is very open to new experiences, Clara is still unwilling to do bad things. Such as using  a fake ID to go to a gay bar because she is afraid.’’ For my birthday Mischa takes me to a gay bar on Church Street with the fake IDs we had made in a basement downtown which say we’re twenty-year-olds from Michigan. But when we get to the door I’m too nervous and instead we go sit on the swings at Riverdale Park. ‘’(ll. 47-50)

The relationship between Mischa and Clara is very powerful. Not in a romantic way, however, Clara is into girls and Mischa is straight. Mischa feels attracted to Clara even though Clara is lesbian. Mischa’s feelings for Clara is a bit strange because he tells Clara he loves her. ‘’Mischa looks at me and curls a strand of hair behind his ear. “I love you, Clara.” (LL 105). Their relationship is also defined by respect towards each other.  After their games in the Riverdale Park, he offers Clara a present for her birthday and she holds him “tightly for a long time” (P1 LL. 65). Their relationship is so powerful that they communicate with their eyes as well, knowing what the other feels without needing to say anything: “I laugh, but I can tell that we’re both already a little bit in love with her” (l. 80); “I raise my eyebrows at Mischa and he smiles.” (ll. 84-85); “Mischa and I exchange a significant glance…” (P1 ll 69-70).

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