"With Sweat Stripes Across Our Bellies" is about a woman that had moved away from her family years ago. During that time, Connie's mother has developed dementia and is having trouble functioning the way that she used to function. For example, she has forgotten recipes that the piece gives the impression she used to cook all the time and can no longer remember whether she has taken her pills. The conflict revolves around the narrator's feelings of regret for leaving her family and dealing with having a sick mother.
I think that the best part of the piece are the splices of dialogue interspersed throughout the piece. It breaks up the memories into sections nicely, creating easy-to-read sections. The dialogue also feels extremely realistic, and it seems that Emily did research the effects of dementia. It's really believable. The cooking portion, and the use of muscle memory also is a highlight of the piece for me, and I found that section to be well-written, well-developed, and extremely-important.
However, the piece falls a bit short at the ending. I don't really feel like the character changed that much, but instead, I feel that we're left wondering what's going to happen next with no expectations of how the characters are going to react. The story needs something more in plot to help the reader feel more tension and give the main character an opportunity to change.
There was also a small issue I had with the piece. What did the father do at U.S. Steel that allowed them to buy a piano for a dining room? U.S. Steel doesn't imply a high-wage job, so the idea of a dining room and a piano seem to be from a class just above where they should be. Did they save up for the piano? Considering that the piano has no bearing in the overall plot, I feel that this can be cut without issues. The glasses can be found on an end-table instead.
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