The Short Story Series #2: Haircut

#2: Haircut by Ring Lardner

A simple day, a simple haircut, a story that will shake the town. Could a death really be more than it was thought to be? Don't think this is a serious, morbid, story - it's not.

What I most enjoyed about "Haircut" was the narrator. In the beginning of the story, I could clearly envision myself sitting down for a haircut and the barber doling out the story of Jim Kendall, the comical, somewhat mischievous, and recently deceased town jokester. It was so easy to get lost in the story, and it was such a quick transition back to reality, with the last line - "Comb it wet or dry?" I also appreciated the normal, somewhat comical life story of Jim. The sudden climax at the end was a bit predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless. The first person narration added a special touch to the story, as it was recalled entirely from the memories of the barber, who was purposely unbiased. 

Point of view serves as the perfect complement to Lardner's "Haircut," mostly because it adds a very realistic touch to the story. First person is usually very simple, but I believe it is slightly more complex in this situation, merely because the entire story is memories not in the form of personal anecdotes, but as accounts of the rude and humorous feats of the deceased Jim Kendall. Symbolism was also present throughout the story, through Jim Kendall. He represented the common man, one who has made mistakes in his life, but takes the days as the come, making the most of them, although not always in the most productive way.

My favorite character would probably be the narrator. That barber could be anyone. But he is merely represented as a common man, just passing the time, telling the new man in town of the recently deceased most popular man in town. He was unbiased, simple, and relatable, and that is what made him so likeable. I certainly would not mind sitting down for a haircut with him because he was the type of person who you could listen to all day. I envisioned him as an old man, full head of white hair, somewhat like Ernest Borgnine. His smile lit up the room, his grandchildren loved him. He was just one of those characters that you could read like the front page of the Sunday times. 

The Short Story Series #1: All Summer in a Day

Well, I feel likes it is time to give to the world a new appreciation for the Short Story, a genre that is often looked over and disregarded. The Short Story Series presents to you ten outstanding short stories that have been recommended to me or ones that I honestly accidentally came across.

#1: All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury

Margot once lived on Earth. Now she lives on Venus, where it rains nonstop, save for a couple of hours every seven years. She is depressed and outcast, for no one believes she has seen the beautiful rays of the sun. On the day the Sun is supposed to appear, her life takes a turn for the worst when she is locked inside a dark closet by her classmates.

From the moment the narrator spoke of Margot's previous life on Earth, I realized the story was much more than a fantastical account of what life on Venus could be life. No, I realized that it was about a depressed little girl, bullied because she was different than the others. Outcast because she was labeled as a liar. The entire time the children were outside, thoughts of Margot dwindled in the back of my mind. I understood her, because I too had been bullied and outcast. I knew how she felt, just not to the same extent. I believe that Bradbury was portraying the fact that kids are universally mean when they see differences, on the other hand, he was showing the way people marvel at the wonders of nature. Two totally different messages were wrapped up in this amazing little story. 

The omniscient narrator obviously knew everything, which added this extra passion to the story, especially because it made Margot so much more than a bullied nine-year-old girl. Margot became a symbol for depression, for homesickness, for that longing to belong even though you know you never can. It made her a deep, lovable character, one you couldn't help but feel sorry for, one you just wanted to reach out and help even though she was worlds away.

I think Ray Bradbury purposely made the other characters unlikable, just so readers would feel for Margot even more. If that was his goal, he truly succeeded with me. I loved Margot from the beginning. I felt like I was there, in the classroom with her, upset that I could do nothing to help her for fear of being bullied myself by the other children. As afore mentioned, I could not help but think of her in the back of my mind as I read on. She was just genuinely likeable because she was innocent and misunderstood. 

Overall Rating: 8.5/10