Emperor of the Air (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Ethan Canin
- First Published: 1984
- Type of Plot: Psychological
- Time of Work: The 1970's to 1980's
- Setting: A small town in California
- Principal Characters: The unnamed narrator, Mr. Pike, Kurt
- Genres: Psychological fiction, Short fiction
- Subjects: Teaching or teachers, North America or North Americans, United States or Americans, Memory, Yards or backyards, Hope, California, West, U.S., Spiritual life or spirituality, Health, Trees, Insects, Stars, Pests
- Locales: California, New England
The Story
The unnamed narrator announces that he is sixty-nine years old, a high school biology and astronomy teacher, married with no children, and a recent heart attack victim. Vera, his energetic wife, is off on one of her frequent walking trips. Although the narrator and Vera have traveled widely throughout their lives, his failing health has prevented him from any serious strenuous activity. He must keep with him at all times a small vial of nitroglycerine pills in case his chest begins to tighten.
The narrator's next-door neighbor, Mr. Pike, comes to his house to...
[The entire page is 1544 words long]
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