Fiction analysis and literary characteristics

Fiction

Andre Dubus -- the Curse

Andre Dubus' short story "The Curse" put across a series of sentiments related to guilt, manliness, and inability to act. The tension in the story is felt by readers especially because of the rather realistic circumstances in which characters develop. Elements of fiction are used all across the short story with the purpose of intensifying the action and having readers identify with the protagonist as he goes from being a self-confident and rather untroubled individual to one who is consumed by his failures and because he realizes that he is no longer capable of being of any use when he is needed.

Mitchell Hayes, the old bartender who is left with no other option but to watch as a young girl is raped by several motorcyclists, is one of the main elements that the writer uses in order to draw attention to the text. Although the writer rarely uses direct characterization to relate to Mitchell, the character's attributes and faults are being shown through indirect portrayal. Speech, actions, and thinking are used throughout the text with the purpose of describing Hayes. The main character in the short story is himself responsible for putting across an explicit portrayal of who he is.

The fact that he constantly relates to how he did not take immediate action when it was required is meant to show his uncertainty and the fact that he is particularly confuse regarding his own power. Dubus uses this character as a means to express disorder and lack of self-assurance. Hayes is obviously feeling guilty, but he is uncertain whether he feels this way because he did not act or because it would have made no difference if he were to do something about the whole situation.

Hayes stands as the center of the general chain of events taking place in the story, as all the action is connected to him in some way. He is a dynamic character, given the evolution he experiences from the moment when he feels confident about his own power and until the time when he reaches the conclusion that he is no longer able to exercise his manliness. In spite of his weak nature, Hayes is a very complex character, as he manages to demonstrate that he is capable methodical thinking.

The short story's title is a reference to the burden that Hayes carries around with him as a result of witnessing the rape. It can also be meant to speak about how being a man is a curse, with men realizing the fact that they are unable to act accordingly only when they come across critical circumstances. Dubus uses the symbol of manliness with the intention of stressing the difficulty involved in being a man.

Even with the fact that Hayes' age appears to be one of the main reasons for which the character is helpless, it is likely that the author wants to emphasis the fact that age is not necessarily important in this matter. A young Hayes would probably behave similarly in a situation like the one in the bar. Considering that that he is outnumbered and with no chances of stopping the rape, it would seem useless for Hayes to act.

The fact that the motorcycle gang is concerned about Hayes is obvious through the fact that he is constantly supervised by a motorcyclist. He being a man must have been particularly important in triggering a defensive system from behalf of the rapists. It is thus difficult to determine the exact reason for which Hayes felt useless consequent to watching the rape scene. Whereas he was apparently saddened as a result of how his age rendered him unable to effectively fight off the aggressors, it is very likely that he actually felt sorry because he realized that it would have been virtually impossible for him to be efficient in the given situation.

The feeling of incapability can be especially traumatizing to any individual, regardless of age or gender. Given that people are inclined to search for scapegoats even in conditions when everything is obvious, Hayes tries to attribute his age to the fact that he did not save the girl. The rape is more than just a crime, as Dubus relates to it as being "it." This it can stand for a series of elements, with one of the most intriguing of them being Hayes' transformation. The bar scene damaged society as Hayes knew it, the girl who was actually the victim, and Hayes himself, considering the state of decay he finds himself in after watching the episode.

The girl's wound, as it is seen from Hayes' perspective, is supposed to be an allusion to the fact that she was deprived of something. Hayes understands the rape victim as being similar to an individual who had just been castrated. He virtually identifies with the rape victim and considers that they are relatively the same, as he is also the victim of a castration-like event. His reluctance to get involved in a fight with the biker gang leaves him with the feeling that he is no longer a man-that he was virtually castrated by the overall chain of events in the bar. Even when Smitty insists that Hayes did the best he could do in such a situation, the protagonist considers that it would have been better if he actually were to be harmed in a scuffle with the rapists. From his point-of-view, suffering as a result of physical wounds is better than suffering as a result of the fact that his ability to be a man and to protect women was taken away from him.

The girl's wound can be considered to be an allegory introduced with the intention of demonstrating Hayes' thinking in regard to a rape. He was virtually unable to understand matters clearly and consequently chose to use factors that he was familiar with in order to express compassion toward the girl.

John Chioles-Before the Firing Squad

John Chioles' short story "Before the Firing Squad" deals with an account from the Second World War set in occupied Greece. Chioles is primarily interested in expressing the exact sentiments present in Greece during the time when it was under Nazi occupation. Nazi Germany took advantage of Greece's geographical position to use it as an embarking point for Nazi soldiers meant to join Rommel's ranks in North Africa. Greece was an essential strategic position in the Northern African fight, given that it shortened the route to the African continent and because it provided Germans with a rapid and effective method of sending troops to the front.

Given the tension in Greece, it is only natural for locals to organize movements with the purpose of pushing the Germans back. Also, considering the superior Nazi power, guerilla warfare is obviously the best method of fighting against the Nazis. Chioles's story is set in the last years of the war, in a period when Rommel was long gone from Africa and German forces were defeated throughout Europe. Fueled by the weakened German forces and by the determination to free their country, people from Greece did not hesitate to get actively involved in fighting their oppressors.

Fritz, the short story's protagonist, is a young German soldier that has to deal with the reality of life and with the fact that his purpose as a Nazi soldier is to oppress Greek individuals. His nature is however stronger than his orders and he manages to befriend a Greek family, eventually coming to relate to his own family as he gets to spend more time with the Greeks. In spite of his young age, Fritz's life experiences have taught him to think as an adult and to make decisions based on logical thinking.