1981

Questionfive
Discuss the title of the story. The original title was "Mine". Which do you think is more effective?

I think the title "Popular Mechanics" is more effective as a title.. I'm guessing that the story is about divorce.
Sometimes in divorce parents will say.. "We're doing this for the kids.. they will be happier this way", but then they don't really even take the kids into consideration after that. I know a lot of my cousins come from divorced families, and this is true in their case. It's a constant battle over who gets the children until the children turn into adults and move out too soon. It really isn't a healthy environment to grow up in.
The author is criticizing parents who do this.. and usually they don't even know that they are. Each parent wants to win so bad, they forget who they are fighting for.
In this story, the mom and dad are so intense in their fight, they rip the baby apart and he dies! And that's basically what happens today too.. but the kids don't die.

"Mine" helps in understanding the irrational behavior of the parents.. like from Finding Nemo.. the seagulls all chirping "Mine! Mine! Mine!"..they took no consideration of any of the other birds or the fish. They just wanted one thing and didn't think about anything else.

"Popular Mechanics" actually tells the reader that the author is making fun of society and divorce.. and then the actual story describes the "Mine" thing.