Marie

While reading Marie, the recurring theme seemed to be Marie's dislike for herself and her situation in life. She seemed depressed and disappointed about the way her life had ended up. It seemed like she felt that she settled. The story seems to focus on human relations, and how they affect a human being. While reading, I got the impression that Marie had not ever been married, or even had a boyfriend or loved on in general, from a few lines including "Marie sought help from no one, lest she come to depend on a person too much" and "She was haunted by the way Vernelle's cheek had felt, by what it was like to invade and actually touch the flesh of another person." But then, reading on, we find that she has been married three times.
Marie's lack of human relationships seems to be a large factor in her unhappiness. She does not trust anyone, confide in anyone, depend on anyone for her support and health. She talks about her dislike for the relationship her friend has with the old, dying man. She doesn't understand the reason for loving someone only to see them go away. And that seems noteworthy. Perhaps she does not have relationships because of her multiple relationships that have failed, whether romantic or family relationships.
The recording of her own voice and the tape player she does not know how to work represent her history, or perhaps a large amount of memories she failed to create. Perhaps that is why she put the recorder in the deepest part of her desk, never to look at it again. How could she face her miserable past?
A quick note on tension in the piece (this is a little scattered, sorry!) The tone was completely depressed and she seemed doomed to destruction because of her unwillingness to stand up for herself. I loved when she smacked that rotten secretary across the face. She finally stood up for herself. Marie was obviously raised in a different culture, another time. She was not taught how to stand up for herself and cause a bit of a fight, but in her new world, enough was enough. Perhaps there's a little lesson in here for everyone, to stand up for what we believe in.