The Half-Skinned Steer Short Story

The short story, “The Half-Skinned Steer” by E. Annie Proulx, is written in a very unique fashion. It begins with the story of Mero in old age returning to his family ranch, but sidetracks by telling the story of Mero’s youth, and of the old man’s girlfriend. While these stories may seem unnecessary, they are crucial in understanding the death of Mero, and the lessons behind his mistakes. The story of Tin Head closely mirrors that of Mero, because it shows the resemblance in their destiny. They deal with the situations very differently; although their troubles are similar, a seemingly supernatural power leads them both to their demise.
Mero and Tin Head had various mutual traits that we are hinted throughout the short story. A key similar trait between them is how both characters do not finish the tasks that they start, no matter how long or short. The girlfriend says, “Tin Head never

Although Tin Head didn’t finish many of his tasks, he did stay on the ranch his whole life, unlike Mero. The girlfriend says, “They had to eat, didn’t they, just like anybody else?” signaling the fact that Tin Head is still loyal for his family and the ranch (524). Mero on the other hand, left for decades and did not attempt to return until the death of both his father and brother. Although they had contrasting methods of dealing with the struggles in their lives, Tin Head is more respectable due to the fact that he stayed loyal to his family all his life. The fact that Mero left his own family due to the failing ranch is a testament to his lack of resilience. A major difference which may seem unimportant is the metal plate in Tin Head’s head. On the surface, it seems an irrelevant statement, however looking deeper we can see that although Tin Head is lacking parts of his head, Mero is lacking parts of his heart in