Successful Relationships and Short StoriesA successful relationship is the holy grail in life for most people. We are constantly searching and striving to make that connection with someone without fully understanding the elements involved in making it happen. In an age of serial monogamy, forced marriages, and quick divorces, we don't have much incentive to invest that kind of time. It's easy to get out of a relationship. But to have a successful relationship, both parties must first actively communicate their intentions about what they hope to get out of the relationship, their concerns, and their hopes for themselves as individuals and as a collective. Failure to do so would surely be the end of any relationship. There are many examples in short stories I've read where two characters are unable to grasp the concept I'm presenting. A good example would be Miss Dent and Mr. Blake from “The Five-Forty-Eight” by John Cheever. In this story, Miss Dent and Mr. Blake begin as a working relationship that turns into a one-night stand. Neither character has communicated what their intentions or hopes are regarding this meeting. Miss Dent considers that she cares about this person and would like to get something more out of this affair. She explains this to him later by saying "All I wanted was a little love". If she had addressed this issue from the beginning, her hopes would have been clear for this relationship. Mr. Blake, however, presented the exact opposite view: “She gave him something to drink and told him she was going to put on something more comfortable. He urged her to do so; that's why he came. » their intentions would have been clear, allowing them to make an informed decision. Another example of a successful relationship from the short stories I read is the character Nanapush and her young friend Eli from "Matchimanito" by Louise Edrich. Eli frequently came to Nanapush for advice on hunting, women, and life in general. It was clear to Nanapush what Eli's intentions were, as Eli frequently communicated them with his barrage of questions. "I'm a Nanapush, remember. That means I knew what Eli Kashpaw was interested in. He wanted something other than what I could teach him about the woods..