when they consider all the Modern Love essays you’ve read, written by different people, how do the essays seem to converge (come together, share similarities —in STYLE, not subject matter) or diverge (go different directions from similar starting points)?

Essay I read : You May Want to Marry My Husband

One recurring style I’ve noticed in the essay’s I’ve read is the structure. They follow an introduction (author introduces themselves/their problem/event) and end with some sort of reflection/takeaway. Additionally, since these pieces are written about personal stories, the register is quite informal and casual. The short sentences and frequent paragraph breaks in most pieces show that the author is thinking or recalling as they write.

One way I’ve noticed how these essays diverge is through their different endings. Obviously every story has a different ending, but the resolution or takeaway in every story is not always positive. For example, in When Cupid Is a Prying Journalist, the ending is positive when 2 people who had a relationship in college find each other again and get married. In You May Want to Marry My Husband, although the story exemplifies the happy aspects of the author’s marriage through her perspective, before its devastating ending. Both of these essays begin with recollecting memories associated with positive feelings or loved ones.