"Glory Days"

      I wrote my analysis on Hill's "Glory Days" and this is what I took from the piece.

      "Glory Days" deals with the idea of perfection and the consequences it has on an individual. The protagonist, Gloria, has a name that is very similar to a piece of the title. "Glory Days" itself is a term that is meant to bring forth nostalgia about the days where life seemed perfect, as well as when the individual was at their prime. The term "glory days" also shows a disconnect between an individual and their current time and place, such as how Gloria is feeling. Gloria "-is twenty-something running away from her thirtieth birthday-" (44), the age thirty marks the end of what is often called "the best years of your life", and the thirtieth birthday is viewed as the start to a negative period, especially for women. Gloria's fear of how unfulfilling her life has been plays into the fear of the age thirty, which is seen as an undesirable age for women. The stigma of age connects to the worth of life, and Gloria does not feel like she is living in what should be called "her glory days".

      Gloria is trapped in a cycle of mediocrity and mundane actions, and Hill describes Gloria as being "bitter that she isn't drunk enough to promote self-pity and pain" (44). Not only has Gloria not lead a fulfilling life, in her eyes, but she hasn't even led a life that is worthy of talking about. Her writing is described as not being "-shallow enough to pass for deep" (44), and this further enforces the idea of Gloria's life being stagnant and dull. Gloria's frustration stems from both the fact that she is getting older and is isolated from who she feels like she should really be. Her life has been this endless cycle of washed out bars and looking into mirrors, trying to connect with who she is really supposed to be.

    The mirror is a representation of an individual's true self, especially when the individual, in this case, Gloria, is so unsatisfied with her current self/life. Mirrors represent an idea of perfection to Gloria, and she is distracted by that idea of perfection, and she "-gets distracted by a mirror, and the cries for freedom it carries from a woman she wants to know" (44). The woman in the mirror is Gloria herself, and also her reflection represents her untapped potential, the potential Gloria herself feels like she has. The actions in her life reflect her belief in her potential, even though the reactions of people around her do not allow Gloria to follow up on that potential. In Hill's words, "no one has made a request [Gloria] could not accommodate or problem she could not make solvent" (44), and that further supports the idea of Gloria not being able to live up to her potential because those situations and people surrounding her do not challenge her in any way. The mirror represents the Gloria that could be and Gloria is trying to reach that potential by chipping away at the mirror, hoping to grasp herself and her future somehow.

Best,
Dani Rubinstein-Towler