"Drinking Coffee Elsewhere" is a short story which we read to assess character and character development. Dina is a young black woman studying at Yale who is originally from Baltimore. Dina has a major attitude and is sarcastic because she builds up walls around her to keep people from getting too close. And from really truly listening to herself. Dina starts to hang out a lot and fall in love with what seems to be her first friend. This girl later turns out to be a lesbian. I think what is interesting about this short story, although there are many parts that I found quite odd, is the fact that Dina never has to say she is straight or gay. It doesn't really seem to matter. She observes everyone and judges them and sterotypes the people around her because she is so bitter and lonely that she won't open up. Which is ironic since the last phrase in the story is "open up".
While trying to take note of character and character development, I noticed something in terms of deconstruction. Is it possible to really truly hate the main character of a story? Because MOST stories are written through the main characters voice or about the main character, as the reader, we are accustumed to associate their opions, feelings, and actions as "right". Is it possible to love a story if you are unable to relate to the main character?
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