In this work, Tobias Wolff, sets the scene logistically. The environment was actively portrayed for the audience. In my opinion it was hard to engage with the scene at first, as it failed to make the literature intriguing. This is because Anders, the character, was overly critical about small issues. However, after getting past the ‘over-explaining’, the scene was presented well. Subsequently, even though the reader did not know exactly what to expect, the mood was set though word choices early on. Wolff used phrases like, “tragic”, “murderous temper”, “damned unfair” and “unforgivable” to, in a sense, foreshadow the upcoming events (34). Wording can make or break a story, and in this case these words became the foundation for the dark turn to come. …show more content…
Although, the clichés were mechanical in this story. With the character we became annoyed, when the robbers used phrases like, “dead meat”, “bright boy” and “capiche” (34-36). As a mechanism it worked to make us feel a sense of superiority to the robbers, as Anders did. The language becomes laughable, until Wolff kills the character so bluntly. We are suddenly drawn into a deeper context. At first the reader is given a superficial look at Anders, but now they see past his almighty