Reading Response #2

In the story Walking the baby to the Liquor store is a story which when you first look at the title you assume it's about an alcoholic with a child. But when you take another look you quickly realize that this is in fact not a story about an alcoholic at all, but a story about a man and his daughter. In one of the lines the father who says that "even if it meant giving up the National Book Award." He would rather spend time with his daughter.
 "This morning she is Cleopatra and the liquor store is Rome." The narrator describes his daughter as Cleopatra. I believe that by making that comparison he is pointing out that to his daughters point of view the liquor store is as far as Egypt (Cleopatra's home), to Rome, when in reality it's not that far at all. It's also another way of saying that his daughter is allowed to be anyone, but this morning she is Cleopatra. This reminds me very much of how little girls are when they're little. Often they choose a character like Snow White, or Cinderella and decide they are going to be that person. In that way this girl decides to be Cleopatra.
The writing style of this story give the reader a feeling that the story itself is very personal and allows them to endear the writer. One of the lines that stuck out in particular is, "A brilliant career is one thing- but being a good father, that's what really counts." In that the narrator is saying that rather than doing work, or getting awards his most important job is to be there for his daughter.