At a glance:
- Author: Ethan Canin
- First Published: 1986
- Type of Plot: Psychological
- Time of Work: Probably the late twentieth century
- Setting: Arcade, California
- Characters: Dade, His mother, His father, A shoplifter
- Genres: Psychological fiction, Short fiction
- Subjects: North America or North Americans, Self-discovery, United States or Americans, Mothers, Parents and children, Teenagers, Crime or criminals, California, West, U.S., Fathers, Theft, Stars
- Locales: United States, North America, Arcade, California
The Story
Dade, the sensitive young narrator, recalls how he disappointed both of his parents for the first time the summer that he turned eighteen. Perhaps he has disappointed himself too, for throughout the story he slowly realizes that he does not know what direction his life should take. Dade has been told by his father that if he does not take his work seriously, he will end up poor. The father—who owns the grocery store of the title—is a practical man who works hard, runs a clean, thriving business, and maintains good relationships with the community. When he proposed...
(The entire page is 1455 words.)
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