nightdrive_en140

“Callie Cummings Ann Reichmann ENG 140 September 27, 2007 Continue Teaching “Night Drive” “Night Drive” by Will F. Jenkins may be thought of as an “unworthy” piece to be taught in a college level course; however, though simple in its plot, the story contains several elements that make it a “worthy” piece of literature. Jenkins’ “Night Drive” will have students on the edge of their seats wondering what will happen to Madge, the protagonist of the story. The plot has been called a “simple plot,” but it leaves the reader’s imagination to go along with Madge on the country road. The story will spark a discussion among college students; thus, justifying its place in an Introduction to Literature college level course. In the short story, “Night Drive” Madge is a married woman going into Colchester to pick her husband up from the train station. As she is about to walk out the door, the phone rings. It is Mr. Tabor, a neighbor whose wife had recently been killed, and he asks Madge if he could take his niece, Eunice, to the train station. Madge was already feeling uncomfortable driving to Colchester, and she became even more worried as Eunice slid into the seat next to Madge. She was a little bit angular and a little bit clumsy. Her hat was severely plain. She wore spectacles that seemed to Madge to be tinted, although it was hard to tell in the faint glow from the streetlight up the block. She sat primly, her hands folded in her lap, as Madge turned and headed out of town. This passage reveals Eunice as seen from the perspective of Madge, and almost instantaneously, the reader can sense the tension in the car. The story goes on to reveal that Eunice is in fact not who she claims to be, but instead, it is Mr. Tabor. Jenkins reveals Mr. Tabor to Madge in a series of observations; she notices that “Eunice” does not have a distinctive scent and she does not reveal her eyes to Madge. In the following excerpt, Jenkins reveals Mr. Tabor to both Madge and the reader: In that one glance down at the flame as it was held to her cigarette, she had seen Eunice’s hand closely and clearly lit. The fingernails were innocent of nail polish. Their ends were not rounded, but square, like a man’s. The knuckles were like a man’s. There were short black hairs on the back of the hand. Like a man’s. Eunice was a man! The story goes on to later name the murderer of Mrs. Tabor and another woman traveling the same road to Colchester as Madge is traveling on. The murderer is a character that the reader did not know much about; in fact, Jenkins did not even mention this character until the climax of the story. Bob, the gas station attendant, is the murderer. While he was filling up cars, the victims would tell him they were going to Colchester. He would go ahead of them, and make it look like he had a motorcycle accident. Bob would then tell them to “shut the motor off” and then he would attack. Mr. Tabor figured out what was happening, and that is why he rode with Madge, hoping to catch Bob in the act. Madge escapes, while Mr. Tabor “takes care” of Bob. The plot is a “simple plot;” however the story provides something for most people, a story that has verisimilitude. Through Jenkins descriptions, the reader can almost feel as if he or she is sitting beside Madge as she travels through the one lane, forested road to Colchester. In most cases, the literature that is taught in a college level course will not have a personal effect on the majority of readers. The stories that are generally “praised” and held in high esteem are stories that require the student to look into the story for a “deeper message.” Since “Night Drive” is a clear cut, to the point kind of story, the reader does not have to interpret the “deeper message;” instead, the reader can find all of the information in plain text. “Night Drive” can also be used in an Introduction to Literature course for a reason, other than for the simplicity of text; it can be used as a discussion. Madge has simplicity and truth to her character. She is an average married woman, who would do anything for her neighbors and friends. She was a genuine and true character that the reader can relate with. Unlike some stories, “Night Drive” does not come with stereotypes or prejudices; but rather, a story where the reader can be involved throughout the story. This then provides for a large number of people to discuss the story. Depending on the individual student, not everybody likes to volunteer their opinion during a class discussion; with “Night Drive,” Jenkins does most of the discussion. However, Jenkins left one crucial detail to be discussed, and that is when and where the reader feels the climax happens. Some readers might argue that the climax is when Madge discovered the “truth” about Eunice. Others might disagree, and say the climax happens the moment she sees Bob, and Mr. Tabor reveals what is happening. Still others might say that the story is a series of climaxes. “Night Drive” should be in an Introduction to Literature college level course not only for its verisimilitude or its discussion possibilities, but also for the simple fact that it provides an outlet from the “deep thinking” stories. Reading, in general, has gone by the wayside, due to television, films, video games, music, and so much more. Granted, there are people that do read a significant amount; however, most students are not willing to pick up a book, unless it has been assigned. An Introduction to Literature course should not be the end of students’ reading, but instead, a launching pad into the world of reading. Jenkins wrote “Night Drive” with a “simple plot” and with no “deep thinking,” leaving out these details, does not make this an “unworthy” piece to study in a college level course. Instead, the story is merely a way to dive into harder stories. No one in this world set out to read War and Peace without reading a Cat in the Hat-type book, first. I first read “Night Drive,” I was blown away. I had not read a piece of literature that grabbed my attention so quickly, in such a long time. The text is very cut and dry, but the way Jenkins spins the plot, made for a great short story. When Eunice is picked up by Madge, I felt that there is something wrong, partially because Madge could not see her eyes. To me, that was a huge clue and piece of the puzzle because of the expression “eyes are the windows to/of the soul.” Then, when Eunice makes the mistake of calling Mrs. Tabor, Mrs. Tabor and not Aunt Clara, I knew there was something “fishy” going on. The thing that, to me, made the story was Eunice talking about werewolves. Somehow, after reading that bit of the story, I felt it was not Eunice/ Mr. Tabor that killed Mrs. Tabor, but I was still not totally convinced. The plot is what definitely what kept me reading. Furthermore, the discussion that the class had after reading the story helped me to get to know my classmates and their ideas and opinions. If a group of college students can discuss a story for the full fifty minutes of class, and still not get to everyone’s opinion, then the story needs to be a part of the curriculum, no matter if it contains a “simple plot” or may be deemed “unworthy.” Personal paragraph: The text is very cut and dry, but the way Jenkins spins the plot, made for a great short story. When Eunice is picked up by Madge, I felt that there is something wrong, partially because Madge could not see her eyes. To me, that was a huge clue and piece of the puzzle because of the expression “eyes are the windows to/of the soul.” Then, when Eunice makes the mistake of calling Mrs. Tabor, Mrs. Tabor and not Aunt Clara, I knew there was something “fishy” going on. The thing that, to me, made the story was Eunice talking about werewolves. Somehow, after reading that bit of the story, I felt it was not Eunice/ Mr. Tabor that killed Mrs. Tabor, but I was still not totally convinced. The plot is what definitely what kept me reading. “