The Bear Came Over the Mountain by Alice Munro

The Bear Came Over the Mountain by Alice Munro Alice Munro (b. 1931) is a Canadian writer who focuses almost exclusively on short stories. She has received numerous literary awards, including the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature and the 2009 Man Booker Prize. Munros stories, nearly all of which are set in small-town Canada, feature everyday people navigating ordinary life. But the stories themselves are anything but ordinary. Munros precise, unflinching observations unmask her characters in a way that is simultaneously uncomfortable and reassuring- uncomfortable because Munros x-ray vision feels as if it could easily unmask the reader as well as the characters, but reassuring because Munro’s writing passes so little judgment. It is hard to come away from these stories of ordinary lives without feeling as if youve learned something about your own. The Bear Came Over the Mountain  was originally published in the December 27, 1999, edition of The New Yorker. The magazine has made the complete story available for free online.  In 2006, the story was adapted into a film titled, directed by Sarah Polley.   Plot Grant and Fiona have been married for forty-five years. When Fiona shows signs of deteriorating memory, they realize  she needs to live in a nursing home. During her first 30 days there- during which Grant is not permitted to visit- Fiona seems to forget her marriage to Grant and develops a strong attachment to a resident named Aubrey. Aubrey is only in residence temporarily, while his wife takes a much-needed holiday. When the wife returns and Aubrey leaves the nursing home, Fiona is devastated. The nurses tell Grant that she will probably forget Aubrey soon, but she continues to grieve and waste away. Grant tracks down Aubreys wife, Marian, and tries to convince her to move Aubrey permanently to the facility. She cannot afford to do so without selling her house, which she initially refuses to do. By the end of the story, presumably through a romantic connection, he makes with Marian, Grant is able to bring Aubrey back to Fiona. But by this point, Fiona seems not to remember Aubrey but rather to have renewed affection for Grant. What Bear? What Mountain? You are probably familiar with some version of the folk/childrens song The Bear Came Over the Mountain.  There are variations of the specific lyrics, but the gist of the song is always the same: the bear goes over the mountain, and what he sees when he gets there is the other side of the mountain. So what does this have to do with Munros story? One thing to consider is the irony created by using a light-hearted childrens song as the title for a story about aging. Its a nonsense song, innocent and amusing. Its funny because, of course, the bear saw the other side of the mountain. What else would he see? The jokes on the bear, not on the singer of the song. The bears the one who did all that work, perhaps hoping for a more exciting and less predictable reward than the one he inevitably got. But when you juxtapose this childhood song with a story about aging, the inevitability seems less humorous and more oppressive. There is nothing to be seen except on the other side of the mountain. Its all downhill from here, not so much in the sense of being easy as in the sense of deterioration, and theres nothing innocent or amusing about it. In this reading, it doesnt really matter who the bear is. Sooner or later, the bear is all of us. But perhaps youre the kind of reader who needs the bear to represent a specific character in the story. If so, I think the best case can be made for Grant. It is clear that Grant has been repeatedly unfaithful to Fiona throughout their marriage, though he has never considered leaving her. Ironically, his effort to save her by bringing Aubrey back and putting an end to her grieving is accomplished through yet another infidelity, this time with Marian. In this sense, the other side of the mountain looks a lot like the first side. Came  or Went  Over the Mountain? When the story opens, Fiona and Grant are young university students who have agreed to get married, but the decision almost seems to be on a whim. He thought maybe she was joking when she proposed to him,  Munro writes. And indeed, Fionas proposal does sound only half-serious. Shouting over the waves at the beach, she asks Grant, Do you think it would be fun if we got married? A new section begins with the fourth paragraph, and the wind-blown, wave-crashing, youthful exuberance of the opening section has been replaced by a calmer sense of ordinary concerns (Fiona is trying to wipe away a smudge on the kitchen floor). Its clear that some time has passed between the first and second sections, but the first time I read this story and learned that Fiona was already seventy years old, I still felt a jolt of surprise.  It seemed that her youth- and their entire marriage- had been dispensed with too unceremoniously. Then I assumed that the sections would alternate. Wed read about the carefree younger lives, then the older lives, then back again, and it would all be sweet and balanced and wonderful. Except that isnt what happens. What happens is that the rest of the story focuses on the nursing home, with occasional flashbacks to Grants infidelities or to Fionas earliest signs of memory loss. The bulk of the story, then, takes place on the figurative other side of the mountain. And this is the critical difference between came  and went  in the title of the song. Though I believe went  is a more common version of the song, Munro chose came.  Went  implies that the bear is going away from us, which leaves us, as readers, safe on the side of youth. But came  is the opposite. Came  suggests that were already on the other side; in fact, Munro has made sure of it. All that we can see- all that Munro will allow us to see- is the other side of the mountain.

3 Ways You Can Make an Impact at Your Internship

3 Ways You Can Make an Impact at Your Internship In many areas of the world- especially the United States- job title and status  are an incredibly important factor to  the way society perceives you. It’s not uncommon for your  job title to hold more influence and status than your actual job description.  As an intern myself, I can vouch for that.  I have had first-hand experience in having my hand held  and being treated as if I’m significantly less competent  by  people who have been out of college  for a mere 3 years. But here’s the thing: success is  all about perspective, goals, and influence. Making an impact has very little to do with title and a lot to do with influence. I can choose to be offended by the way people treat me because of my intern status, or I can shift my perspective, set goals for myself, and grow my influence.All you need to do is ask yourself how you can make an impact in your company as an intern. What is your goal at the end of your  internship? It could be as s imple as getting a full-time position or finding out if  you’re in  the field you truly want to be in. As long as you have a goal in mind, you can set sail and proceed in the right direction.There is no one-size-fits-all method to get there, of course, but here are 3 ways you can make an impact at your internship and begin growing your influence and professional career.1.  Visualize the results you wantvia [giphy.com]Think of it this way- if you’re going shopping and walk into a store with no list, you might spend an entire day searching for just a few things. If you walk into the store with a list, it might take half the time to get the same task  done.The same concept can applied to an internship. Once you have a list of things you want to accomplish, you can work at a more efficient pace. Sit down with a supervisor, manager, or even a coworker who has more experience and go over your responsibilities and how they relate to the goals of the company.At my inte rnship,  I am responsible with managing two blogs for our company, so I block out time in my calendar to meet with two different people in my marketing team in order to go over my progress, current goals, future goals, and responsibilities. I do this twice a week and it helps me align what I’m trying to accomplish for myself with what the company wants to  do.2.  Show you’re hungry and ready to learnvia [giphy.com]At my internship, I’m always brainstorming ideas- not because I have an agenda, but because I’m genuinely involved and I enjoy marketing. I try to make the best of my 8 hours.  In order to begin making an impact, it’s important to take a similar approach. Even so, you also have to do your best to be a team player and help those around you. When a miscellaneous assignment comes my way, even if I have a million things on my plate, I do my best to find some time to tackle it.Being a team player is important, and showing you can help serve the needs of others and the company are characteristics of an effective leader- which also ties into growing your influence.Don’t be insulted when you get bombarded with menial tasks. I used to feel the same way. Instead, think of it as an opportunity to showcase how responsible you are. It’s an opportunity for you to show your team you can be trusted. With trust comes more responsibility. It’s okay to have a little voice in the back of your head saying â€Å"you’re better than this† because that’s entirely true, but the people around you don’t know that yet, so show them!3.   Know the essence of your charactervia [giphy.com]Having strong work ethic is important. You need to attend meetings, complete projects, meet deadlines, and contribute to the company- but one thing that truly stands the test of time is the content of your character.  Are you honest? Are you trustworthy? Do you have empathy for your fellow man? These cha racteristics are important building blocks to authentically building your influence.Most people these days are tired of the stereotypical  bad guy CEO. Things are changing and the corporate world isn’t as cutthroat as it used to be.  People prefer working with someone who is a good person and doesn’t just look out for themselves.Disclaimervia [giphy.com]There is an important caveat  that you should take away from all of this- professional change isn’t something that will happen overnight. It  will take time. At first, it may not feel natural,  but over time it will become habitual. Focus on growing yourself professionally and becoming a better person.Remember, it’s about more than just the workplace. You have to focus on yourself outside of work as well. Take the time to become a better version of you.  Titles are reactive. Influence is proactive.