Use Of Violence In The Story Wolfe example essay topic

In the fictional short story "The Child by Tiger" no event occurs with out purpose. Authors of fictional short stories have to produce a well-read piece without any excess information or events. Thomas Wolfe was no exception to this rule. He demonstrated a serious fictional short story without any overflow of information or detail. An act of violence in a story provides suspense, drama, mystery, and other specific advantages. Wolfe also displays the result of violent acts, especially in small towns.

In "The Child by Tiger" Dick's violent act seems both shocking and surprising, but offers and excellent gateway to wrap up the end of a story. The violent act of Dick Prosser, the Shepperton's servant presents the story with a great crescendo of conflict and suspense. This kind, gentle, respectful man changed suddenly into a cold-blooded killer. The purpose of this violence in the story was to show the reader the need for Dick to be free. Literally, he was free, but because of his position as the Shepperton's "Negro man" he was not. He even went as far as to kill people just so he could live his own life.

Without the author's use of violence Dick's point would not be made as boldly. If he had talked to Mr. Shepperton about his desire to live his own life, it would not have made such an impression on the readers as it did when he became violent. Also, if Dick did in fact speak to Mr. Shepperton about his desire to live his own life and if it was granted to him the story would have had a nice moral, but not offer the same excitement and drama as it did. The reader can also assume that if he was "freed" that he would have a difficult time trying to find employment and respect because this story takes place about 1937.

Another interesting fact bout "the Child by Tiger" was that Thomas Wolfe provided subtle, yet imperative, foreshadowing to the readers. Throughout the story, a reader could have a feeling that something exciting should be happening but could never be exactly sure. The narrator described Dick as having a muscular build, and when throwing the football he aimed it over his outstretched hands "as if he were pointing a gun". We find out that later in the story he does in fact use a gun as a means to try to "free" himself by killing and injuring several people, before running out of town. Other examples of foreshadowing are presented in the story in such a fashion as to prepare the reader for an imperative violent act that will finish the story.

One interesting lesson that a reader can obtain from this short story was that violence causes violence. With the result of Dick Prosser shooting and killing people in the town the men feel the need to form a coalition to find Dick and kill him. When the towns' people did find him, they shot him with "two hundred and eighty-seven" bullets. They even went so far as to hang him up in the center of town for all to see. The reader can easily analyze that this over abundance of bullets was entirely unnecessary, but it does provide the reader with the extent of the rage in the towns people. With the use of violence in the story Wolfe demonstrates to the reader an important lesson about violence and what excessive destruction it causes.

Throughout the short story "The Child by Tiger", several events make it interesting, but only the act of violence truly is able to bring any reader to his / her feet. By Thomas Wolfe's examples of foreshadowing we are able to expect a significant even later in the story. We, the readers, can also understand exactly how desperately Dick Prosser wanted to be "free" because he chose violence over rational conversation. The act of violence in the fiction allows Wolfe to grab is audiences' attention and finish the story, without it seeming too abrupt or offering any excess information.