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The Bullet In The Brain By Tobias Wolff

733 Words3 Pages

In the “Bullet in the Brain” the author illustrates the plot with a chain of events that escalate from a stressful wait for service at a bank to recollecting memories of the main character right before his death. The day starts out the same as any other day, as people at a local bank are in line to deposit or withdrawal their money. The introduction to the story grabs the reader’s attention, with strong descriptive words. “Anders couldn’t get to the bank until just before it closed, so of course the line was endless and he got stuck behind two women whose loud, stupid conversation put him in a murders temper” (Wolff). But then, things take a turn for the worst, a bank robbery has begun to take place. Being a critic Anders can’t help himself …show more content…

As the robber puts his attention to Anders, who has made comments that has made him noticeable. Anders character as being a critic can’t help himself and laughs at some of the comments made by the robbers. This gets a gun pushed up against his chin, making him look up at the ceiling. Where Anders even finds time to “scrutinize the painter’s work” from the banks dome ceiling (Wolffs). This results in his last laugh when he criticizes what the robber said, “Capiche?” With “that the man with the pistol raised the pistol and shot Anders right in the head” (Wolffs). This event changes the story as a bullet travels in his head results in the last few second of his live. The narration of the story changed to what is going through Anders mind as he takes his last breath. Wolff has the reader wanting more, to as he continues to grab the reader’s attention, even if the character is rude and disrespectful to the situation. The author has the reader take notes of all the things that Anders did not remember. He also lets the reader know of what Anders does remember, which is not what the reader would have expected. A memory of when he was an innocent kid who knew how to respect other and their feeling. The last memory was of his childhood baseball game with the neighborhood kids as he looked “on as they argued the relative genius of Mantle and Mays” (Wolff). One of his friends Coyle invited his cousin from

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