Comments on: The Bitter Cup

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 22:34:42 +0000

Those of you who have had such a positive reaction to this story might want to note that its author, Angelyn W. Wadley, is the same woman who wrote Be the Girl of Your Dreams. That wasn't just another "smile and you'll be popular" girls' manual -- it was written by someone with the same sensitivities you see in this story.

By: Heather B in SC

Heather B in SC — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 22:09:58 +0000

I agree. As a chronic pain sufferer, who has often been in and out of wheelchairs, I had to figure out this exact thing by myself, because the “just be brave, just have faith” stories had the same effect on me that they did on the two protagonists in the story! It would be wonderful to be able to present these stories to others as well, kind of a compendium of “lost knowledge,” that is palatable to adults but also easily understood by small ones. My preteen would understand this just as well, and I don’t mean that as an insult

By: Téa

Téa — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:29:11 +0000

Thanks, Ardis, for pointing my mind in a new direction. It’s going to sound trite, but I really needed to read this today.

By: Mommie Dearest

Mommie Dearest — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:38:19 +0000

Quite instructive for a little trifle of fiction, and much more palatable than a sermon.

Thanks again, Ardis.

By: charlene

charlene — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:57:36 +0000

Varied and disjointed thoughts…
I’m very impressed with the issues addressed in this story. Even though it ends in the same place, it’s not quite as didactic as what I usually hear now, i.e. strive to be grateful for your challenges, they’re for your own good

I thought about this being written at a time when polio was a very real threat, also my best friend was afflicted with rheumatic fever about a decade after this story was published. I’m grateful for the medical advances, as well as the acknowledgment and accommodations for disablilities, since that time.

Also, it seems that the Relief Society Magazine was a wonderful resource and outlet for homespun talents. IIRC, there were household tips, recipes and poetry that didn’t necessarily have a *gospel message.* I recall that my mother was a loyal subscriber. And, the magazine’s successor, Exponent II, was a lifeline for me for several years.

Now that you’ve brought these bits of fiction to my attention, I’m impressed with the various ways that women were demonstrated as actively taking charge of their lives and situations, although there has also been a substantial number of *wait for the men to take control and make the decisions* types of situations. There has been a nice mix of characters who are not members of the church, at least at the beginning of the stories. Do you think that the magazine was constrained to publish only *faith promoting items* the way that church publications are today?

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:31:12 +0000

That would be great, Coffinberry. Secretly, I’m hoping that Keepa is creating an audience for these stories, making such a compilation worthwhile for a commercial enterprise like, presumably, Deseret Book.

Even when they’re less skillfully written, or even a little didactic like this one is, I find these stories valuable, if only for showing the breadth of subjects that our mothers and grandmothers were willing to tackle. Physical disabilities, speech impediments, depression — they all come up. Mixed with a heavy dose of romances and fluffy things, of course, but there.

By: Coffinberry

Coffinberry — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 20:13:36 +0000

A decade and a half ahead of Kubler-Ross, a story that lays out the Stages of Grief almost direct from the book.

Fascinating.

I wish there were a compilation of these stories.