People Like That Are The Only People Here By Lorrie Moore Summary

Reality is often deceiving, and tragic situations can happen unpredictably to people in our surrounding. In Lorrie Moore’s short story “People Like That Are the Only People Here: Canonical Babbling in Peed Onk”, the Mother and the Husband attempt to cope with the situation after they learnt that their Baby has a Wilms’ tumor on the kidney. Through this story, the author suggests that it is difficult for family members to deal with the illness of a loved one. The story’s narration plays an essential role in conveying the general mood of the story. In fact, the narrative pace seems very spontaneous and fast towards the beginning of the story. From the discovery of the blood clot in the diaper to the arrival at the hospital (479), the entire process was narrated under a pace that reflects the stress and the suddenness of the situation. The cleaved sentences as well as very short fragments, like “There,” and “Bladder and kidneys,” successfully create a quick rhythm of narration (479). Later on, when the parents meet the Oncologist, the narrator states that “[h]e knows a lot of studies and numbers. He can do the math. Good! Someone should be able to do the math” (489). This passage implies that even though the doctor has the knowledge and the expertise, it does not change the fact that her baby has a tumor and has to go through suffering. The tone of this passage is sarcastic, and it clearly relates to the

In Lorrie Moore’s “People Like That Are the Only People Here: Canonical Babbling in Peed Onk”, both parents of the Baby with a tumor are going through a difficult time when dealing with the traumatic situation. Their struggle is shown through the narration, the use of characterization, as well as literary techniques, including symbolism and repetition. It would be almost reasonable to say that the people surrounding the ill one are the ones who actually feel a greater