"Smoke Rings" by Caroline Barr

Caroline Barr’s story, “Smoke Rings” was well written and contained the necessary elements of story and plot. It began with a girl that was unsure about a lot of things and trying to figure out her place and what she was going to do at college. When she was entranced by the mysterious smoking girl in her sorority she never thought that she would have a chance to meet her and just kept her distance in admiration. When she got stuck in a bathroom with her and they were both forced to learn a little be it about each other, the result was an interesting dynamic.

Clara, the mysterious smoking girl, was a great character but I think she could have been rounded off a little more. I always think characters can have more rounding off because in real life people are constantly surprising me and making me hit myself for making them so simple in my head. Just a couple instances of Clara doing something out of character, like wearing a sorority shirt or looking like she’s enjoying something that her character typically wouldn’t enjoy. I mean she did willfully enter the sorority and someone has to pay a lot of money to stay there so she can’t be completely miserable.

The change in the narrator was good but I think it came before it was encouraged by Clara. By the time they were in the bathroom the narrator had already stolen the glass coaster. Why did the narrator suddenly decide to change her life and be a thief? It would make more sense if she was encouraged and inspired by Clara and did something like that afterward, but before seems slightly forced for the stories sake.

I liked the flower, and I didn’t say this in class but maybe Clara draws a flower but then the narrator comes back and draws a different, more badass mark next to it to outdo Clara.