Sucker Literary Essay

Sucker Literary Essay

Here’s the scenario. Two brothers, close in bond, get into a serious fight. A fight so serious it may split them for good. This exact thing occurred between Pete and Sucker in the book Sucker by Carson McCullers. Pete and Sucker had a relatively friendly relationship, so much so that they considered the other one a brother, but tension caused Pete to lash out at Sucker. However, Pete, Sucker’s older adoptive brother, wanted to “straighten it out”, or fix things, with Sucker for several reasons.

The first reason Pete wanted to fix things with Sucker is because Pete genuinely regretted his actions towards Sucker. This is first shown on page 21 when Pete states, “And later when I wanted to apologize as I had planned he looked at me in this new hard way so that I couldn’t say a word.” Here, Pete explains how he was filled with remorse regarding what occurred with Sucker and him, as he claims he had plans to apologize. His regret is shown on page 21 once more

when Pete says “I told myself I would go over to him and try to make it up. But I just sat there in the cold until a long time had passed.” In this quote, Pete shows the same remorse as before. Pete explains how he urged himself to “make it up” or apologize to Sucker, hence he felt bad about what he did. With all this evidence, it is true that one of the reasons Pete wants to fix things with Sucker is because he regrets what he said to Sucker.

Another reason Pete wanted to fix things with Sucker is because Pete misses how him and Sucker were before, when they were friends. This is conveyed on page 22 when it says, “I don’t care a flip about Maybelle or any particular girl for that matter anymore and it’s only this thing between Sucker and me that is the trouble now. We never speak except for when we have to before the family.” In this quote, Pete explains how he misses Sucker’s friendship by saying it’s the only thing he cares about, as he no longer cares about Maybelle or any other girl. On page 22 it also states “I want to be easy in my mind again. And I miss the way Sucker and I were for a while in a funny, sad way that before this I never would’ve believed.” In this quote, he actually comes out and states that he misses how him and Sucker were before and implies that it would make him easy in his mind again. Quite clearly Pete misses Sucker and his friendship, hence it is a valid cause for his desire to apologize.

One final reason Pete has the desire to fix things with Sucker is that Pete wants the room to be his again.

This is first displayed on page 21 when it remarks, “Our room isn’t mine at all anymore. He’s gotten up this gang of kids and they a club. When they aren’t digging trenches in some vacant lot and fighting they are always in my room.” In this quote, Pete explains how his room, which he used to own and kick Sucker out of, now belongs to Sucker and his gang. You can tell he is displeased by this, as he exaggerates by saying that the room isn’t his at all. His displeasure is also shown on page 22 when he comments, “At night, I can’t study with him in the room and I have to hang around the drugstore, smoking and doing nothing, with the fellows who loaf there.” Here, Pete clearly displays his dismay at the situation with his room by stating that he has to leave just because of Sucker. Obviously, a final reason that Pete wants to fix things with Sucker is because he wants his room

back.

With all these reasons shown and explored, there is no doubt that Pete had the intention to resolve the tension with Sucker. He wants this because Pete regrets what he did, Pete misses Sucker’s friendship, and Pete wants his room back. Pete did something wrong to Sucker, which stemmed from his inability to control his anger. He said things that were beyond hurtful and, as a result, the relationship between them was broken. Sometimes, even the smallest slip of self-control can change things forever, even going as far as to separate people for good.