"End of the Line" can be viewed as a story of hatred and jealousy, but it can also he seen as a story of acceptance. The "big man" in the story would represent a life of loneliness and a more structured life stlye, whereas the the "little man" is more care-free and appears to be on the more socialable spectrum. The little man has a wife and children back in his own home, and does not seem to mind his appearance because he is happy with his life. The big man is not married and is actually envious of the little man's life, because he himself is so alone. It is evident how the big man feels about this, especially when the little man attempts to tell the big man of his life back home. The big man becomes irritated and even throws the little man at the table leg and puts cleaner is his water to watch him hallucinate, which is pretty nasty. The little man has everything that he needs in this world, his worries are so small much like his actual appearance. The big man on the other hand, is alone and frustrated with his life making for big worries and hatred. The big man longs for a life similar to the little man's, but he is insecure about himself. This insecurity could be the reason why he forced the little man to undress himself. The big man wanted to prove that he was infact a bigger man than the little man, but in fact the little man was the real man compared to the big man who was just a giant shell.
The story of "End of the Line" is not unlike that of "Ironhead." Both stories have an underlying emphasis on loneliness with the characters from both stories being unhappy with their lives. The "big man" is alone and is jealous of what the "little man" has and becomes angry with the little man for being so content. He wants to have what the little man has but is unsuccessful at doing so, especially when he asks out the girl from work. He becomes so jealous that instead of torturing the little man any further he decides to let him go, and he wants to actually join the little man's society, but realizes that he can not. The character of ironhead is similar in this nature in that he is different from those around him. His appearance is odd and he is unique in his own way, but he is upset by this. He wants to be accepted by those around him and to have someone to talk to like himself , but he realizes that he is all alone. This sense of loneliness becomes too much for him to handle ultimately killing him.
(David Roberts, Post 12)
Some key questions in regard to "End of the Line" that you touch on here are: 1) Who exactly is the "big" man and the "little" man within the story? Is it the reverse of what we initially think? And 2) Who is the story's outcast?
ReplyDeleteGood comparisons to "Ironhead," but does the Ironhead boy kill himself?