Theme Of Bullet In The Brain By Tobias Wolff

383 Words1 Page

In “Bullet in the Brain,” Tobias Wolff expertly utilizes the underlying banal platitudes that come with an old cliché, watching your life flash before your eyes, in order to craft an engaging and suspenseful story. Furthermore, this reinvention is evident through the plots structure and unexpected twists. Thus, the overarching theme of the story—the perils of continual dissociation and remaining true to oneself—is revealed through the main character’s (Anders) interactions with the larger world. Anders, a seemingly pompous book critic, reviews novels with, “weary, elegant savagery,” but this criticism extends beyond the parameters of literature. Where novels were once the subjects of his critique, the world around him has come to face the same unwavering scorn. By extension, his interactions with people are tinged with unabashed sarcasm. Hence, Anders is deemed to be an unsympathetic and unruly character. However, as the steel barrel of a robber’s gun released a blinding bullet into the mush of his brain, an unexpected revelation is revealed. …show more content…

“They is, they is, they is,” is an echo of these earlier sentiments. This last recollection—in a series of fleeting snapshots—is what Anders experiences before his death. These memories paint an image of a man who was tolerant and compassionate, a stark contrast to the man introduced in the beginning of the story. Anders, instead of clinging to his earlier sentiments, undertook a role that overshadowed the truth of his character. Thus, he developed a deep dissatisfaction with life and harbored contempt for his work. In effect, Anders became increasingly disengaged with the world around him. His disassociation with reality was marked by his unsavory criticism and nonchalance. Therefore, he was unable to fully comprehend the severity of the situation that inevitably led to his rather gruesome

More about Theme Of Bullet In The Brain By Tobias Wolff

Open Document