"And either she had grown slimmer of he had grown more tolerant of fat. Her thick ankles and the general obstinacy of her flesh used to goad him into being cruel." (Updike, 562)
-The above quote is a comment made by the main character of the short story, Clyde. He sees an old love again and descibes her in this quote. This love, Janet, manages to show a strange side of Clyde. A completely vulnerable side to him that you wouldn't necessarily see otherwise. It also shows that while he loved her he wasn't always great to her. He admits to making fun of her weight because of the unchanging sturdiness of her body. This in turn tells alot about the story because although he desires her, and feels he needs her, he doesn't think she's perfect. He even hides behind the idea that he's doing it to make HER happy, not himself.
"her authority in the world peripheral to the world of love in which she was so servile." (Updike, 566)
-Again Clyde is describing Janet and her qualities here. He implys that in their relationship he was completely in control of her. This in turn hints to how the story will end. At first you believe that maybe she'll simply ignore him, and try to avoid the situation, but when he says that you know that he expects her to do as he wishes. It's also a strange notion to think that in life you can be completely in control, but in love not at all. In logical terms love is a part of life so if youre in control of your life shouldnt you be in control in the face of love?
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