Summary of "Conceptual Fruit"
"Conceptual Fruit" is a touching short story about a father's attempt to share his interest in the internet with his differently-abled daughter, Greta. The story begins at dinner when the father enthusiastically tells his family about a website where you can create virtual streets and houses. His wife and son show no interest, busy with their pasta and artichokes.
However, sixteen-year-old Greta, who has special needs, shows curiosity. She often repeats what she hears and has worked hard to achieve basic skills like tying her shoes by age ten and reading at fifth-grade level, five grades below her eleven-year-old brother Joel. She attends a special school and is expected to possibly get a word processing job if she can type fast enough.
The father takes Greta to the computer and creates a virtual space for her called Greta's Street and Greta's House. He asks her what she wants in her house, and Greta requests bowls of peaches in every room, along with blue bowls, eleven windows, and sheer white curtains like the ones in her bedroom. She decides not to include a bathroom because it's not a real house and people wouldn't use it.
When the father programs the fruit and Greta clicks on "bowl," only the word "peaches" appears on screen. Greta is disappointed, having thought she could make real peaches. The father tries to explain that these are just words that represent real things, like in books, but Greta doesn't fully understand. She gives a furtive smile, pretending to comprehend something that makes no sense to her.
As the father suggests adding more fruit and flowers, Greta responds with polite disinterest, saying "Sure, there could be anything," and slides from the chair to help her mother cut blackberries in the real garden. The story ends with the father's touching reflection: Greta will never have a house of her own but will live in a group home. He hopes it will be large with white curtains billowing in all the rooms and an orchard with real fruit in real blue bowls—apples, pears, peaches—whatever Greta wants.
"Conceptual Fruit" എന്ന കഥയുടെ സംഗ്രഹം
"കൺസെപ്ച്വൽ ഫ്രൂട്ട്" വ്യത്യസ്ത കഴിവുള്ള മകളായ ഗ്രേറ്റയുമായി ഇന്റർനെറ്റിലുള്ള താൽപര്യം പങ്കുവെക്കാൻ ശ്രമിക്കുന്ന ഒരു പിതാവിന്റെ ഹൃദയസ്പർശിയായ കഥയാണ്. വെർച്വൽ തെരുവുകളും വീടുകളും സൃഷ്ടിക്കാൻ കഴിയുന്ന ഒരു വെബ്സൈറ്റിനെക്കുറിച്ച് അത്താഴസമയത്ത് പിതാവ് ആവേശത്തോടെ കുടുംബത്തോട് പറയുമ്പോഴാണ് കഥ ആരംഭിക്കുന്നത്. ഭാര്യയും മകനും താൽപര്യം കാണിക്കുന്നില്ല.
എന്നിരുന്നാലും, പ്രത്യേക ആവശ്യങ്ങളുള്ള പതിനാറുകാരിയായ ഗ്രേറ്റ ജിജ്ഞാസ കാണിക്കുന്നു. അവൾ പലപ്പോഴും കേൾക്കുന്നത് ആവർത്തിക്കുന്നു, പത്തു വയസ്സിൽ ഷൂ കെട്ടാൻ കഠിനാധ്വാനം ചെയ്തു, പതിനൊന്നുകാരനായ സഹോദരൻ ജോയലിനെക്കാൾ അഞ്ച് ഗ്രേഡ് താഴെ അഞ്ചാം ക്ലാസ് തലത്തിൽ വായിക്കാൻ കഴിയുന്നു. അവൾ ഒരു പ്രത്യേക സ്കൂളിൽ പോകുന്നു.
പിതാവ് ഗ്രേറ്റയെ കമ്പ്യൂട്ടറിലേക്ക് കൊണ്ടുപോയി ഗ്രേറ്റയുടെ സ്ട്രീറ്റ്, ഗ്രേറ്റയുടെ ഹൗസ് എന്ന പേരിൽ ഒരു വെർച്വൽ സ്പേസ് സൃഷ്ടിക്കുന്നു. എല്ലാ മുറികളിലും പീച്ചുകൾ നിറച്ച പാത്രങ്ങൾ, നീല പാത്രങ്ങൾ, പതിനൊന്ന് ജനാലകൾ, കിടപ്പുമുറിയിലെ വെളുത്ത മൂടുശീലകൾ എന്നിവ ഗ്രേറ്റ ആവശ്യപ്പെടുന്നു. ഇത് യഥാർത്ഥ വീടല്ലാത്തതിനാൽ ബാത്ത്റൂം ചേർക്കേണ്ടെന്ന് അവൾ തീരുമാനിക്കുന്നു.
പിതാവ് പഴങ്ങൾ പ്രോഗ്രാം ചെയ്ത് ഗ്രേറ്റ "ബൗൾ" എന്നതിൽ ക്ലിക്ക് ചെയ്യുമ്പോൾ, സ്ക്രീനിൽ "പീച്ചസ്" എന്ന വാക്ക് മാത്രമേ പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെടൂ. യഥാർത്ഥ പീച്ചുകൾ ഉണ്ടാക്കാമെന്ന് കരുതിയ ഗ്രേറ്റ നിരാശയിലാകുന്നു. പുസ്തകങ്ങളിലെ പോലെ യഥാർത്ഥ വസ്തുക്കളെ പ്രതിനിധീകരിക്കുന്ന വാക്കുകൾ മാത്രമാണിവയെന്ന് പിതാവ് വിശദീകരിക്കാൻ ശ്രമിക്കുന്നു, പക്ഷേ ഗ്രേറ്റയ്ക്ക് പൂർണ്ണമായി മനസ്സിലാകുന്നില്ല. അർത്ഥമില്ലാത്ത എന്തെങ്കിലും മനസ്സിലായതായി നടിച്ച് അവൾ ഒരു രഹസ്യ പുഞ്ചിരി നൽകുന്നു.
കൂടുതൽ പഴങ്ങളും പൂക്കളും ചേർക്കാമെന്ന് പിതാവ് നിർദ്ദേശിക്കുമ്പോൾ, "തീർച്ചയായും, എന്തും ഉണ്ടാകാം" എന്ന് മര്യാദയോടെയും താൽപര്യമില്ലാതെയും ഗ്രേറ്റ പ്രതികരിക്കുകയും യഥാർത്ഥ പൂന്തോട്ടത്തിൽ അമ്മയെ സഹായിക്കാൻ കസേരയിൽ നിന്ന് സ്ലൈഡ് ചെയ്യുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. പിതാവിന്റെ ഹൃദയസ്പർശിയായ ചിന്തയോടെ കഥ അവസാനിക്കുന്നു: ഗ്രേറ്റയ്ക്ക് ഒരിക്കലും സ്വന്തമായി ഒരു വീട് ഉണ്ടാകില്ല, പക്ഷേ ഒരു ഗ്രൂപ്പ് ഹോമിൽ താമസിക്കും. എല്ലാ മുറികളിലും വെളുത്ത മൂടുശീലകളും യഥാർത്ഥ നീല പാത്രങ്ങളിൽ യഥാർത്ഥ പഴങ്ങളുള്ള ഒരു തോട്ടവും ഉള്ള വലിയ വീടായിരിക്കുമെന്ന് അദ്ദേഹം പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കുന്നു.
About the Author
Thaisa Frank is a critically acclaimed American short story writer. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as a psychotherapist, which likely influenced her sensitive portrayal of human emotions and relationships. She teaches at the University of San Francisco and has published several collections of fiction. "Conceptual Fruit" appears in her collection "Sleeping in Velvet." Her writing is known for its emotional depth, subtle characterization, and exploration of family dynamics and human connection. Frank's background in psychotherapy gives her unique insight into the inner lives of her characters, particularly those facing challenges.
Questions and Answers
Why are the son and the wife uninterested? Do you approve of their attitude?
The son already knows how to program computers but isn't interested in them anymore. He wants to give away books and devote his life to karate. The wife spends all day in front of a computer at work and prefers to spend evenings in the garden. Their disinterest stems from their own priorities and preferences. While their attitude might seem dismissive of the father's enthusiasm, it's understandable that they have different interests and ways of relaxing. The wife's need for a break from screens after working on computers all day is particularly reasonable.
Greta is a special child. How do you know that?
Several details reveal Greta is a differently-abled child. She worked hard to tie her shoes by age ten, which most children learn much earlier. She reads at fifth-grade level even though she's sixteen, five grades below her eleven-year-old brother Joel. She attends a special school. She often repeats whatever she hears rather than engaging in normal conversation. Her father hopes she might eventually type fast enough to get a word processing job, suggesting limited future prospects. All these details indicate she has developmental challenges.
How does the wife and the son react to the man's excitement? What does this tell us about their character?
The wife and son continue eating their pasta and artichokes without showing interest. Later, when the father decides to show Greta the website, they "made eyes" at each other, silently communicating "He's at it again. He's getting Greta into it, too." This reveals they see the father as overly enthusiastic about technology and perhaps worry he's imposing his interests on Greta. Their reaction shows a certain weariness with his excitement but also suggests they understand his character well.
What is the father's expectation of his daughter's future prospects?
The father's expectations are modest and realistic. He mentions that by the time Greta leaves school, she might be able to type fast enough to get a word processing job, though "no one knew for sure." Later, he reflects that Greta will never have a house of her own but will live in a group house with other people like her. Despite these limited expectations, he maintains hope that she will have a good life with comfort and dignity.
Who is Sam? Why is he mentioned here?
Sam is a person from Illinois who set up a whole library of classics on the virtual platform. He's mentioned as an example of what people can create in cyberspace—an incredible collection of books. The father mentions Sam to show Greta the possibilities of the platform and to demonstrate that real people create meaningful spaces online. Sam represents the creative potential of the internet.
How is Greta described in these lines? What does this convey about the character of Greta?
Greta is described with her blond hair blending with her sweater and her blue eyes being the only color in her face. This visual description conveys a sense of Greta being almost translucent or ethereal, suggesting her delicate nature and perhaps her difficulty fully engaging with the world around her. The lack of color in her face except for her eyes might symbolize her limited understanding or her disconnection from the complexity around her.
What made Greta disappointed? How did her father try to console her? Was his explanation convincing?
Greta was disappointed when she clicked on "bowl" and only the word "peaches" appeared instead of actual peaches. She had thought she could make real peaches. The father tried to console her by explaining that these are just words that remind people of what they stand for, like in books. However, his explanation was not convincing to Greta. She couldn't understand why people would like just words when they wanted actual fruit, revealing the gap between abstract representation and concrete reality for someone with her cognitive challenges.
Why doesn't Greta intend to have a bathroom in her house?
Greta decides not to include a bathroom because, as she logically reasons, "This isn't a real house, so people wouldn't use it." This shows Greta's practical thinking and her understanding that the virtual house is not real. She grasps that without actual physical function, certain rooms are unnecessary. Her father agrees with her reasoning, saying "You're right. You don't need a bathroom."
Why does she give a furtive smile when she saw the word 'peaches' on the computer screen? What does it indicate?
Greta gives a furtive smile because she's pretending to understand something that makes no sense to her. The smile is described as one "she got when she pretended she understood something that made no sense." This indicates that Greta wants to please her father and participate in his enthusiasm, even though she doesn't truly comprehend the concept of virtual representation. She's politely going along with something she finds confusing.
Can you identify the words that tell you that she is disinterested?
Several phrases show Greta's disinterest. When her father suggests there could be other fruit, flowers, and anything else, Greta responds with "Sure, there could be anything"—a polite but dismissive comment. The most telling phrase is "Greta was already sliding from the chair to help her" mother cut blackberries in the garden. The word "already" and the action of sliding away indicate she's eager to leave the computer and do something real and tangible instead.
What are the thoughts of the father? Do you think that they are touching? Why?
The father thinks about Greta's future: she will never have a house of her own but will live in a group home with others like her. He hopes the house will be large with sheer white curtains billowing in all the rooms and an orchard with real fruit in real blue bowls—apples, pears, peaches, whatever Greta wants. These thoughts are deeply touching because they reveal a father's unconditional love and acceptance. Despite trying to share his virtual world with Greta, he ultimately understands what truly matters: not virtual peaches but real fruit, not digital houses but an actual home where she'll be safe and happy. His dreams for her are simple, realistic, and filled with tenderness.