Noon Wine (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Katherine Anne Porter
- First Published: 1936
- Type of Plot: Psychological
- Time of Work: 1896-1905
- Setting: Texas
- Principal Characters: Mr. Royal Earle Thompson, Mrs. Ellen “Ellie” Bridges Thompson, Arthur Thompson, Herbert Thompson, Mr. Olaf Eric Helton, Mr. Homer T. Hatch
- Genres: Psychological fiction, Short fiction
- Subjects: Suicide, Murder or homicide, Guilt, Farms, farmers, or farming, Death or dying
- Locales: Texas
The Story
One day in 1896, Mr. Olaf Eric Helton appears on Mr. Royal Earle Thompson's dairy farm in the southern part of Texas. Helton, who last worked in the wheat fields of North Dakota, asks for a job. Thompson decides to hire Helton for seven dollars a month, even though he is “practically” the first Swede he has ever seen.
Thompson takes advantage of his new status by going into town for groceries and a few drinks. Mrs. Ellen Thompson, his wife, in perennial ill health, is drawn out of the house by the tune that Helton is playing on a harmonica. She assumes that...
[The entire page is 1883 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
