Tragedy and Divorce in Richard Ford's "Great Falls"

The Tragic Tradition and American Divorce

One form of literature deeply rooted in Western culture is tragedy. It is an art form based on the concept of human suffering, traceable to the ancient Greek theaters of Athens in the 500s B.C. From those origins, tragedy evolved through the centuries and continues as a living art form today. Each country has developed its own idea of tragedy shaped by its traditions, social problems, and cultural tensions.

In the United States, one common source of tragedy — especially in the post-World War II period — was divorce and its effects on the family structure. Divorce was not widely accepted by American society until after the war; before then, it carried a powerful social stigma, and children of divorced parents were stigmatized throughout most of American history. But as a result of World War II and America's emergence as a world superpower, American society shifted from a closed, parochial outlook to a more cosmopolitan one. One consequence of that shift was a loosening of moral restrictions on divorce and a broader social acceptance of it. This in turn led more people to leave cruel or loveless marriages rather than endure them — but it also left emotional scars on the children of those broken homes.

One powerful example of the emotional shock divorce can inflict on a child is Richard Ford's short story "Great Falls," which details the tragedy of a 1960s American divorce. Told from the point of view of a boy in his early teens who was present the night his family was torn apart, "Great Falls" is a quintessential American tragedy. As stories go, this one was hardly unique in American society. The period in which the story takes place was one in which husbands and wives no longer felt compelled to maintain the pretense of a happy marriage. There was an awakening of personal liberty throughout American society, and sometimes that awakening led individuals to make difficult choices that could only end in pain and misery for everyone involved.

One such person was the narrator's mother, who had married his father believing their life together would be filled with adventure rather than domesticity. In earlier times, a woman like her would have suffered through long years of a life she did not want, playing the role of happy wife and mother while quietly miserable. Such circumstances drove many women to the false comforts of drugs and alcohol and the gradual ruin of their lives. The narrator's mother would not be trapped in that way — she made a series of choices intended to end her suffering, though in doing so she introduced tremendous suffering to those around her.

"Great Falls" is tragic because it depicts the destruction of an American family, something that should never be taken lightly. The American family is widely regarded as the foundation of American society, and the breakup of that foundation carries both collective and deeply personal consequences — even for the innocent. That is why the dissolution of the Russell family is so devastating. The decision made by Jackie's mother had lifelong effects on both Jackie and his father. Afterward, Jackie saw his mother only "from time to time — in one place or another, with one man or another…" (Kittredge 150). His father eventually moved to Ely, Nevada, where he was killed in an accident, leaving Jackie with no father and very little of a mother. If tragedy is the artistic expression of human suffering, then the breakup of the Russell family certainly qualifies — a tragedy that has been repeated millions of times throughout American society.

The Russell Family: An Unlikely Marriage

Jackie Russell's parents were an unlikely pair from the start. His mother was two years older than his father and had graduated from college, while his father worked as an airplane mechanic. When his father was discharged from the Air Force, his mother wanted to return to the more cosmopolitan city of Tacoma, Washington — but his father decided the family would remain in a small town in Montana. Jackie's father was a small-town man at heart who found fulfillment in the Montana outdoors, while his mother yearned for the energy of city life. His father was content going to the same bar once a week; his mother wanted clubs with music and dancing. In short, Jackie's father was a simple, settled man, while his mother was an adventurer.

Because of the fundamental divide between them, the marriage was never destined for success. Jack Russell was so comfortable with his domestic life that he could not see that his wife was deeply unhappy. His inability to connect with her emotionally left him unaware of her unfulfillment. While he loved her, she was miserable and wanted out — and by the time he began to suspect something was wrong, it was far too late.

Jack Russell as Tragic Figure

Jack Russell's actions on the night described in the story make clear that suspicion had begun to take hold. He chose not to go to the Mermaid bar that night, and Jackie noticed something different about him — "some sound in his voice, something I didn't recognize" (Kittredge 131). The days and weeks leading up to the confrontation must have been agonizing, as he slowly gathered evidence of his wife's infidelity while keeping his dark suspicions to himself.

People who suspect their spouses of infidelity generally do so because they have cause — subtle behavioral changes in a spouse often accompany such behavior. Jack must have been building his courage during that time, steeling himself to confront his wife and alter their family forever. That is Jack's real tragedy: finally accepting that his wife no longer wanted him, and having to be the one who forces the confrontation. It would have been easier if she had simply told him she no longer wished to be married. Instead, she maintained a covert second life while avoiding any direct reckoning with her husband. It fell to Jack Russell to discover her infidelity and to make the decision that would change all of their lives.

Jack Russell was ultimately a man who married the wrong woman and paid a heavy price for it. He loved her deeply and wanted that love returned; she did not return it. Unrequited love is among the most painful experiences a person can endure, and Jack Russell's devotion continued long after his wife's had expired. His dream of a long and happy marriage — of growing old together — ended the night described in the story, when he was forced to send the woman he loved out of his home forever. He was left a single parent, rejected by the one person who had promised to love him always.

Works Cited

Kittredge, William, and Allen Morris Jones. The Best of Montana's Short Fiction. Guilford, CT: Lyons, 2004. Print.