Critique of Elle’s “Stockholm Syndrome”

“Stockholm Syndrome” presents the journal entries of a young narrator (still living with mother) with an undetermined gender who has become host to a colony of parasitic wasps.  Each entry demonstrates a shift in the protagonist’s attitude towards the situation, beginning with sheer discomfort and ending in dissatisfaction at the wasp’s surgical extraction.  As the wasps multiply and continue to build their colony in the host’s arm, further intruding on his/her wellbeing, the host develops empathy for the rampant wasps and views them on an almost human level.  This feeling of attachment increases even during severe reactions and blackouts (entries for February 18^th and 19^th are unaccounted for.

The story is well crafted with great sensory detail.  I almost had sympathy pains for the narrator because the case was presented so vividly.  The repeated phrase, “Wasps place great import on symmetry,” has a nice ring to it and may add more symmetry to the story if used a little more frequently.