In “A New Man,” by Edward Jones, the way Woodrow and Rita handle their daughter’s disappearance works as a repeating pattern throughout the story. Whether it is an emotional or physical change, the couple progress and regress throughout the story. Edward Jones does an excellent job at comparing the way two people can experience and interpret a tragic event. The couple’s weight change can easily be seen when reading the story. Before Elaine disappeared, Woodrow’s friends commented on his weight saying, “…if he lost thirty or forty pounds he would be a new man” (Jones 734). Rita was described as a thin, cafeteria worker prior to the incident (Jones 735). However, our perception on their weight completely changes towards the end of the story.