Analysis of Carson McCullers Story "A Tree, A Rock, A C
Analysis of Carson McCuller's Story, "A Tree, A Rock, A Cloud"
“The man said slowly: ‘I love you.’… ‘I did not mean to tease you, Son,’ he said. “Sit down and have a beer with me. There is something I have to explain’” (126). This is the way in which the old man introduces himself to a young paperboy in Carson McCuller’s short story “A Tree, A Rock, A Cloud.” He later explains what he means by his comments and informs the boy about his science of love. The man’s science of love is the central focus of the story. The story is not expressly opinionated about the stranger’s science of love. However, a close read of the story will yield that the old man’s thoughts on love in “A Tree, A Rock, A Cloud” are chastised by the author and are not meant to be followed. What is clear is that the old man has some very unconventional notions about love. A detailed analysis of the text and of the character of the old man needs to be examined in order to come to the conclusion that his thoughts are not the correct way of thinking about love. The man has done a lot of traveling, but he hasn’t come to the right conclusions about life and love.
The stranger begins his traveling after his wife of “one year, nine months, three days, and two nights” (127) leaves him. However, after reaching a certain point the man begins to deny that he was hurt by the divorce. “When I lay myself down on a bed and tried to think about her my mind became a blank. I couldn’t see her” (129). It is at this point that he begins to formulate his science of love. The man stops chasing his estranged wife around the country although, as Leo implies, she still could be found. He learns to love things that cannot reject or hurt him. Loving this way will keep him from being hurt again. He completely denies that a woman hurt him. The man is a weak character for this reason. Now he is no longer chasing her but the figurative opposite is occurring! “Suddenly instead of me combing the countryside to find her she began...