Tandy by Sherwood Anderson, 1919
The magic trick:
Creating an epiphany out of the interaction between two seemingly opposite characters
Another mid-book dud, in my opinion, from the Winesburg collection. The story gives us a stranger from out of town, struggling with drink and a little off his marbles. We also get a young, impressionable girl. The interaction between the two I suppose is intended to feel like a surprising epiphany of sorts. For me, it fell flat, coming off more as just a cheap literary thrill put in the hands of weirdo characters that never were believable.
So where is the magic?
Well, that’s tough. Let’s see. I guess it lies in the idea – taking two seemingly opposite characters: an innocent little girl and a rambling alcoholic and finding a way for them to impact each other in a surprising way.
And that’s quite a trick on Anderson’s part.
The selection:
The stranger touched Tom Hard on the arm. “Drink is not the only thing to which I am addicted,” he said. “There is something else. I am a lover and have not found my thing to love. That is a big point if you know enough to realize what I mean. It makes my destruction inevitable, you see. There are few who understand that.”
As always, join the conversation in the comments section below, on SSMT Facebook or on Twitter @ShortStoryMT.
Subscribe to the Short Story Magic Tricks Monthly Newsletter to get the latest short story news, contests and fun.
Short Story Magic Tricks 