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Man in the Well

In: English and Literature

Submitted By pookie1996
Words 760
Pages 4
Ethan Carranza
Dr. Kenneth Broyles
English 112-008
9 April 2015
The Man in the Well In the short story, “The Man in the Well” by Ira Sher, the story is about the narrator and friends not helping out a man that they do not know that is in a well. The kids are curious about the man in the well that they interact with the stranger. After many pleas the man has called out, the kids ignore his calls and lie about getting help. Every time he calls for help, they pretend to get help, but really they are just killing time and talk to one another about what they should do about the man. Though they give him food frequently, they avoid looking inside the well many times. They talk about if they should tell their parents, but don’t because the well in the abandoned parking is probably off limits to the kids. And not telling their parents shows that they are not supposed to be there, but they are kids so they are curious about everything. The story itself becomes and dark with the cruelty of the children, the power of names, and identity and responsibility. First, the cruelty of the children is pretty cruel because they do not know the man’s name or the man’s appearance, an absolute stranger in their minds. They have foreseen no clear punishments from not saving the man. What to expect if I save this man? They do not know law and kindness. Since it’s not obliged, then why should I make efforts which sound not so interesting and a waste of time and energy? The man and kids keep their conversation hollow. It’s “unfair” for the man, who is trapped in the deep well with restricted view of the outside. He is expecting help which doesn’t exist actually, all made up from the children. On the other hand, the kids are just curious about the well and the man. They keep asking questions and give him food for life. At least they are making efforts to sustain his life, also irrelevant to themselves. It’s just the nature. The man is confined, eager to catch all the information. When he learns the names of the children, he also starts to figure out the lie. First unconsciously then on purpose, he drives a wedge between this children. Are children born little monsters? Not likely in my mind. The man breaks the balance between the relationships; children are in horror. From that time on, there are few chances that the man would be saved by this group of children. Of course it’s the man’s last resort, but also the worse one, turning the well into hell. Second, everyone is a stranger to the world. Only by names people are able to identify individuals. Identification should be done on both side to keep the relation balanced. People with less information always act aggressively, making a potential threat to the others. And people with more information are acting actively as they are holding the advantageous position in the conversation, just like the children in the beginning. However, after their names are public knowledge, they feel threatened by the man. The problem is, the man who know more names is unable to make any actions. Children decided to quit not because of their cruelty, but because of the broken balance. Lastly, the main themes in “The Man in the Well” are identity and responsibility. The children in the story have no problem being unkind toward the man, telling him that “[their] dad is almost here” (Sher 118), until the man learns the names of the kids, revealing their identities. Small children and even teenagers tend to think it is okay to be crueler to other people if the other person cannot see them or does not know who they are. Small children also have absolutely no responsibility whatsoever. When the man asks the children to “go get a ladder; get help” (Sher 116), they decide to just keep him in there as if he is some kind of prisoner. Sher shows the themes of responsibility and identity in the story through the conversation between the man and the other children. The story itself becomes and dark with the cruelty of the children, the power of names, and identity and responsibility. Their curiosity led to the horror they have experienced with the man, and know now not to talk to strangers. The kids should know now to not be curious of what is restricted from them.

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