The Old Bird (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: J. F. Powers
- First Published: 1944
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: The early 1940's
- Setting: An unspecified city in the northern United States
- Principal Characters: Charles Newman, Mr. Hurley, Mr. Shanahan, Mrs. Newman
- Genres: Social realism, Short fiction
- Subjects: Love or romance, Depression, economic, Emotions, Unemployment or unemployed workers, Old age or elderly people
- Locales: North (U.S.)
The Story
Charles Newman is an elderly man, a former white-collar worker who was proud of his position but is now unemployed and desperate for work. As he enters the office of the company where he is hoping to be hired, he feels intimidated by his knowledge of his age and his humiliating status as a supplicant who has known better days. His nervousness and forced joviality are met with kindness by the receptionist, and his job application is reviewed favorably by Mr. Shanahan, the personnel officer, who offers him temporary employment wrapping parcels in the firm's shipping...
[The entire page is 1512 words long]
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