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Temptation

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There was a sudden urge of ecstasy; all senses are transformed. The power of drugs makes everything feel magical. In Kate Braverman’s “Tall Tales From The Mekong Delta," she describes one woman’s struggle with drugs and how she eventually turns back to them after being sober for five months. In exploring the setting, effect of the color blue, and appearance of Lenny, this essay argues that Lenny’s ability to tempt the narrator back into drugs results in her death. In exploring Beverley Hills it plays a part in destroying her sober ways. The story portrays Beverley Hills to be a rich town filled with money. Drugs seem to be prevalent for the girl. She lives in a rich town surrounded by those who have the same addiction as her, which makes the temptation much harder to prevent. The narrator explains, “Lenny was stretched out on the bed. The bed belonged to Bernie and Phyllis but they weren’t home. Lenny was holding a necklace out to her. She wanted it more than she could remember wanting anything else,” (104). Her wanting that “necklace” is a metaphor implying that she wants the drugs once again. The “necklace” given to her by Lenny shows how Lenny has a hold on her like the drugs always will. Although the necklace acts like a symbol for the addiction she faces, Lenny tries to convince her that she’s not like the people she surrounds herself with: “You didn’t have that paint on yesterday. Don’t do that. You don’t need that. Those whores from Beverly Hills need it. Not you,”(91). Just like the necklace that Lenny gives to her, the Beverly Hills’ environment that she is surrounded and suffocated by brings out the worst in her, quickly allowing her to get stuck back in the destructive cycle she was stuck in before. Unfortunately, she’s unable to break out of this cycle, leading to her life crashing down and her death at a young age. The color blue is a metaphor on how she sees the drugs coming back in

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