The subconscious desires the thrill of change, despite the fear of the unknown. Even when the conscious mind does not recognize the need for thrill, deep within the mind the desire is always there. Old Mrs. Miller of Truman Capote’s “Miriam” is an old widow who does not want her life to change, and fears change on the outside, but inside she feels differently. In her old age, Mrs. Miller happens to meet a strange young girl named Miriam. At first Miriam only asks for Mrs. Miller to buy her a movie ticket, but then she goes to Mrs. Miller’s house for dinner, even though she wasn’t invited. Then Miriam forces Mrs. Miller to go out and buy a new vase, because Miriam broke the old one. In Mrs. Miller’s last encounter with Miriam, Miriam decides to move in with her, despite how much Mrs. Miller wants Miriam to leave. Miriam, who is a very mysterious person, only appears three times throughout the short…show more content… Even if the conscious mind is unaware of the hidden desire for change, the subconscious will force change into the daily life. Truman Capote’s “Miriam” displays the risks of continuous and predictable routine over a vast majority of one’s life. A person must add variety and change into their life or risk falling into a never ending routine, which can result in terrifying hallucinations created by the inner mind. Throughout “Miriam” Mrs. Miller is gradually more scared as change starts to occur quickly, and unravels before her eyes. The subconscious deeply desires variation, but when the physical body does not fulfill that desire, the mind can take its own course to achieve variety. And despite that change can be intimidating, and the outcome is unknown, the result and thrill of change can be one of the best things you will ever experience. Having a small routine is fine but if there isn’t enough variation then the inner self will create its own
