Free Essay Sample - First Day of Winter

Breece D'J Pancake's stories are often based in a rural setting, and the author uses the environment to depict the lives of the most resilient characters who are always under conflict or frustration. Breece D'J Pancake's First Day of Winter gives the reader an insight into the thoughts and frustrations of Hollis, who is the protagonist. Hollis is a farm boy in West Virginia and he is going through a series of internal and external conflicts and struggles. The author's primary purpose is to enable the reader to see what is going on in Hollis's mind and to see how difficult his life is. The reader is taken through the tough decisions that Hollis makes, like compromising and carrying on through tough situations with his parents. Such decisions make his frustrations even more saddening.

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The main conflict in the story is the dilemma that Hollis has regarding his parents. His senile mother refuses to bathe, "her mind half gone from blood too thick in her veins;" his father, "now blind and coughing," is "bent with age, with crying" (Pancake 163). The author explains how the protagonist struggles to make ends meet for him and for his weak and sickly parents who constantly devalue him. The parents continuously praise, treasure, and adore Jake reminding Hollis that his brother "has done well for himself" and that he has not according to their estimation (Pancake 168). Hollis continues to be frustrated since Jake won's take his parents in and care for them since he is already well-off (Pancake 166). Hollis's conflicts continue since Jake refuses to listen to the idea of them putting their parents in a state home since the latter argues that the staff will starve them (Pancake 166).

The primary reason why Hollis feels dead is due to his endless struggles and inner conflicts with his desires. He is almost at a dead end and not sure of what to do with his old parents, who do not even appreciate his efforts. At one moment when hunting for Thanksgiving, he contemplates his dilemma and thinks of a ruthless way out; to kill his parents. "For a moment, Hollis wondered what it would be like to smother them (Pancake 166)." Hollis is bound by kinship obligations since his brother won't help with the parents, and he leads a suppressed life as a result. He does not have the means to take care of his parents, and yet he cannot abandon them on the farm. He has no spouse or hunting and drinking buddies. He is going through all the struggles in solitude, and his thoughts are triggered toward a cruel and final solution.

D'J Pancake uses symbolism to help reveal the protagonist's feelings. The short story depicts various descriptions of the setting to depict Hollis' feelings and struggles. At some point, the author describes the morning as faded and looking scarred. The snow had already melted and covered the hills with a heavy frost that the sun could not melt (Pancake 165). Cold winds are also depicted and blew away the oak leaves, leaving the hills as quiet and gray-brown. The situation can be used to symbolize Hollis' life, which is disfigured, leaving behind a very frustrated man. On another instance, when Hollis is out hunting for Thanksgiving, he returns home while his hands are covered with blood. Earlier on, he had thought of killing his parents. Upon arriving home, his mother looks at his bloody hands with fearful eyes, and his mother knew what her insanity had driven him into (Pancake 167).

In conclusion, Breece D'J Pancake depicts the tough decisions that Hollis makes like compromising and carrying on through tough situations with his parents. The primary reason why Hollis feels dead is due to his endless struggles and inner conflicts with his desires. Hollis's dilemma regarding his parents makes his frustrations even more saddening, and as a result, he feels like he is attending his own funeral.

Works Cited

Pancake, Breece D'J. Stories of Breece D'J Pancake. Hachette UK, 2013.