JONATHAN E.

ESCOSIO

BSE 3-1 ENGLISH

Reader-Response Criticism – “Baby in The Bottle”

Mr. Libre and his wife are the protagonists of the story. Mr. Libre's wife
keeps her unborn baby in a bottle despite the fact that they are childless. The
unborn child in the bottle has now reached the age of five. Both have a defeated air
about them that seems to resonate with the reader. The reader can sense a feeling
within the characters. Despite the lack of happy endings or resolutions, the story
does not end on a cliffhanger; rather, it is designed for us to feel the story. The
characters' growing despair was an example of feeling; the husband keeps working
to keep them afloat, but it's too exhausting for him, and the wife has been suffering
from post-partum depression for years. They live in a lonely, horrible city that robs
them of their sanity every day. When the husband saw old documents about the
baby in the bottle, he realized that it was now five years old. The husband
continued to work until he became blinded and lost patience. This emotion, of
being depressed, of having no other options in life, of losing hope, can be felt by
anyone. Because of past mistakes, everyone wishes to go back in time, and the
characters are the same.

The story falls somewhere between psychological horror and suspense. It's
lifeless. It makes a valiant effort to convince the reader that the story is entirely
depressing. A day in the life of a city worker. The life of a parent without children.
A person's busyness causes them to forget to love someone. I give the story an 9
out of 10 rating.