Contents Of A Dead Man's Pocket Analysis

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Analysis of a Short Story Imagine yourself hundreds of feet above the busy streets of New York. The only thing keeping you from an almost certain death is a foot wide slab of concrete. In “Contents of a Dead Man’s Pocket” by Jack Finney, this horror is a reality for the unlucky Tom Benecke, yet, he chose this fate unto himself, and has to deal with the varying consequences of his actions. I will be explaining how the elements that hold throughout the story, which are irony, cause and effect, and suspense, aide in understanding how Tom ends up on the ledge. The irony of Tom’s situation becomes rather apparent soon after he finds himself on the ledge. Earlier, he states that, “The mental picture of himself sidling along…show more content…
This creates a permanent sense of worry, for if Tom makes one wrong move, he is dead. The reader also feels great suspense upon finding out Tom is locked out of his apartment, and the only way he can back in is to break the window with his fist. Tom explains that there is only a fifty percent chance this will work, since he may stumble if he does not punch the glass hard enough. This adds yet another layer of suspense, for we know as the reader that Tom must choose to break in or not soon. These layers of suspense greatly add in looking into Tom’s head and understanding if Tom can comprehends the peril he put himself into. In the end, Tom brought the entire ordeal upon himself. Had he decided to not be so greedy and selfish, he would have gone out with his wife and enjoyed the night, rather than experiencing one of the most horrific events of his life. Instead, he finds himself on this narrow little ledge, very much regretting the past few decisions he had made. The author does a great job of making this apparent, and chooses to show it through irony, cause and effect, and suspense. Hopefully, this story will teach the reader to not let possessions take priority over one’s

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