Vedica Bhasin- People in Hell just want a drink Of Water

Vedica Bhasin- People in Hell just want a Drink Of Water

To me, this story sheds light on the daily life and sufferings of the down trodden, specifically ranchers or famers, and the stories that shadow their struggle with large scale issues such as the economy as well as their own microscopic issues such as a dysfunctional family; a characteristic that perhaps plagues almost all characters, some which are discussed in greater detail than the other.

The two central themes however went hand in hand- the poor economic state, especially in the Isaac family dictated their family value systems or organization- “ Boys were money in the bank”,  “bought them up to fill his labor need”. These sentences not only expose the urgency or desperation of money but also hint at a stoic attitude towards family. Simultaneously, the writer also makes a subtle comment on the importance of women in such a scenario, while Isaac’s son’s are allotted almost a paragraph each in their description, there is one brief line about Tinsley’s daughter- “The daughter, neglected as daughters are, married a cow boy with bad habits and moved with him to Baggs.”

The reason for this, in my opinion is that perhaps the settings- the farm, where the boys are predominantly the expected labor, doesn’t leave much space for women unless they are cooking “Mother’s made fried chicken” or being harassed for the one thing that men truly need them for.

The writers sharp one liners at the start of the story play a foreshadowing effect of the lives of the characters that are to be revealed- “tragedies of people count for nothing although the signs of misadventure are everywhere”. The writer choice of diction too, largely contributes to offering an insight into the real struggles of the characters, “The wind shrieking along the tracks” .  The imagery that she manages to sustain through the story “listening to the water trickle past their ears.” Keeps the reader engaged in an adequately chaotic story.

The last line in the story, personally for me is of great significance, almost as if the writer is attempting to send a message. Native to a third world nation, I completely realise that barbaric handling of one another and the real struggle for food and income are not just stories of the past. Since Annie Proulx is a journalist, I like to believe she was probably writing from fragments of similar experience.