"Audio Tour" by Patricia Marx

Note: This post was written by a student in the spring of 2019.

Whether a story transports a reader to a fantastical world, distills the essence of the real world into a mirror reflection, or conforms to whatever parallel realities lie between, stories have a unique ability to calm us, enrich us, and excite us.  These different avenues can be a source of much needed strength or catharsis. The story “Audio Tour” by Patricia Marx is a strong example of how stories can have therapeutic value. That value lies in “Audio Tour’s” relatability, sense of humor, and strong main character.

“Audio Tour” is, at its base, about the main character, Debby, and her internal struggle with a breakup. She faces off against feelings of betrayal and frustration while going through her ex’s apartment and finding small evidences of his daily treacheries. As she puts it after finding out that her ex hadn’t really gone skiing like he told her, “Once again, Todd Niesle proves himself to be a master at creating a scenario that elicits powerful emotions, such as hatred and disgust.” Those negative feelings are relatable to people who have gone through similar relationships and break ups. The relatability allows readers to feel like they have a companion who also acts as a source of empathy. The reader can see themselves reflected in this story and know that they aren’t alone in the feelings they are going through. This would help negate the loneliness and shock that often comes with such breakups like those involving dishonest partners.

Also, for someone going through such a rough time, the humor portrayed in “Audio Tour” could help lighten a reader’s mood. Even the format of the story is a quirky and humorous take on writing. Debby acts as though she is recording an audio tour for a museum, taking little jabs here and there at the other characters in the story. Debby walks through the house with a sarcastic air and dry commentary that gives every small detail its own unique and funny backstory. For instance, in this scene:

“See the Krups espresso maker? I, Debby, gave him that. It cost two hundred and forty-nine dollars, not including tax. You know what his gift to me, Debby, for my birthday was? A colander. You will observe that Todd Niesle's apartment has no gift shop. Correction: You are standing in the gift shop. Take the espresso maker.”

These little jokes, especially to someone who can relate to Debby’s situation, could help the reader allow themselves to laugh at their own situation. Debby is obviously not happy about what happened in her relationship; she’s frustrated. Readers that are coming out of similar relationships would often feel the same way, but Debby is able to keep her sense of humor and not take herself too seriously. This allows struggling readers to see that, while they are going through pain, it’s still possible to enjoy the little things, and it doesn’t invalidate their suffering to do so.

Debby does more than give the reader permission to laugh through a bad situation, however. She may not be a hero, but the way she deals with the breakup could be cathartic to people who aren’t able to release their frustration, by basically living vicariously through this strong character. Not everyone would go through their ex’s apartment when they aren’t there, go through their stuff, and take back items. She even pranks him a little bit, “…if you enjoyed yourself, call Todd Niesle and tell him so. His number is 212-399-4838 and he can be reached at 3 a.m. He likes pizza, ten pies at a time, and Rizzo's delivers.” These behaviors are decidedly destructive. However, by putting themselves in Debby’s mind and reading about her actions, it can feel to the reader that they’ve already done the things that Debby has already done. This helps eliminate the need to do it in real life but still allows them some relief through fiction.

Stories are excellent vessels of therapeutic value; the right story matched with the person who needs it can make a huge difference. “Audio Tour” is a good example of how a specific story can help people who relate to it, not only by virtue of its relatability, but also through alternate pathways like humor and the actions of a strong character.