Birds of America Response: "Dance in America"

Before reading Birds of America I couldn't help but notice all the accolades bestowed on Moore from critics and publications alike.  Because of this I naturally had high hopes for such a recognized piece of work.  I was a little disappointed though as I read.  I'm not sure how I can accurately describe it, but her stories just didn't seem to grab my attention too much.  Her characters seemed jumbled and I found them hard to follow and stay intrigued by.  However, the one story that I truly enjoyed was "Dance in America."

After the first few paragraphs I was thinking to myself that if the main focus of this story is about dance, then I'm going to struggle with focusing on the plot.  But Moore worked the idea of dance well within the story and it made for a very enjoyable read. 

The meaning of this story seems to delve into the common negativity that is rampant among the modern, American adult.  The narrator is an unhappy, selfish dance instructor who seems to be "going through the motions" because she knows nothing else.  She then meets up with an old college buddy who is now married and has a child.  Cal's negativity is seen initially in his refusal to update such a dilapidated old house because of the unusual names of some of the paints... a rather obvious cop out to avoid doing the work required of living in such an elaborate house.  Once we learn about Cal's son, Eugene, and his cystic fibrosis we can see a continued anger in Cal.  When talking to her about the arts he states that, "It's wonderful to fund the arts.  It's wonderful; you're wonderful.  The arts are so nice and wonderful. But really: I say, Let's give all the money, every last fucking dime, to science" (49).  Some of his negativity is deservedly due, but if he harnesses it better then his life could be happier.

Switching from the negative, we have Eugene, a boy that really makes adults think about how precious life truly is.  He is eventually going to meet his demise because of his disease and he is just as happy of a little boy as could ever be.  When she asks him to be her agent he slyly replies, "I don't know.  Is the agent the person who drives the car" (52).  His innocence and zest for life are admirable and I think her truly helps the narrator reflect on her selfish ways.  The dance scene near the end helps her see the importance of enjoying the simpler things in life.

Moore does an excellent job of physically creating this story.  Just enough information is given so the reader has an idea of the back story between the narrator and Cal.  I found myself intrigued by some of the more minuscule details because of the visualizations that it made me conjure up.  For example, the necessity of having pots in the attic to catch leaks and then need them for use in the kitchen was a unique way to grab my attention as a reader.  Infusing the story with details such as this keeps the reader on their toes so they can fully engage with the text.