Tobias Wolff's Bullet In The Brain

“Bullet in the Brain” Analysis Essay In the short story “Bullet in the Brain” the main character Anders, a book critic, that is very straightforward and kind of ignorant with no cares in the world, was running last minute to the bank. He gets in one of the long lines and waits. As he is waiting the line that he was in closed. The people immediately start bickering about fussing that they were trying to leave on time. (Wolff, 1995) Everyone then rushed one of the open lane in hopes to get their bank transactions done that day. All of a sudden 2 men in blue suits and ski masks on comes in with guns and restrains the guard then continues to instruct the tellers not to hit the alarm and fill their bags with all the money. The robbers also instruct

As soon as it happens Anders has a flood of memories from his life. Flash backs and tiny memories he didn’t even remember. All a rush within the blink of an eye. All as the bullet is bouncing around in his head. Then for the final moment he remembers 2 words. They is.(Wolff, 1995) In the short story the author Tobias Wolff used a few different types of literary devices such as foreshadowing, irony, and hidden imagery. Wolff also uses the characters words and actions to bring in emotions and feelings on the situation. Wolff starts off the story using irony when he says “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 murderous temper.” (Wolff, 1995 p.1) Almost can be considered foreshadowing since he had a kinda counterintuitive ending. Continuing on here, Wolff brings in hidden meanings in the words he uses. All throughout the story he draws in little bits and pieces phrases you wouldn’t catch till the 3rd or 4th time you read them or when you think outside the box and put the two together. When Anders is in line and the teller closes her window

Anders then insults the robbers. “Oh bravo, “Anders said, “Dead meat.” You can tell Anders did not fear death or dying. Anders felt as if nothing would happen or he was invincible when the robbers were pointing guns and threatening to kill everyone. Although he could this think it is a joke at this point but I doubt it since they pulled guns on the guard and handcuffed him. (Wolff, 1995 p.1) He brings more of his dare devilish and sarcastic comments out later in the story by saying “Justice is done” to the women in front of him when the robber ordered the teller to fill the bag with the money. (Wolff, 1995 p.2) As Anders insults and commentates the whole robbery one of the hostile robbers orders Anders to shut up and be quite. As Anders keeps prodding at the bank robbers one action really gets to Anders and makes him second guess everything he has thought up to this point. “He breathed out a piercing, ammoniac smell that shocked anders more than anything that had happened, and he was beginning to develop a sense of unease when the man prodded him again with the pistol.” (Wolff, 1995 p.2) When