Comparison of Modern-American Short Stories

The American short stories, Fun with a Stranger by Richard Yates and The School by

Donald Barthelme from the mid-nineteenth century discuss the topics of children and maturity in

the setting of school. Both stories display the resilience of youth and society’s common

underestimation of children’s capabilities. However, they differ in the lengths of the stories, the

choice of narrator, and the form of the dialogue, among other things. Ultimately, both stories

reflect the American public’s emergent view of children.

At the beginning of The School, the narrator, who is a teacher, describes the numerous

deaths that the children in his class have faced, from tropical fish and puppies to fellow

classmates and relatives. Though death may seem to be the true villain of the story, the children

point out in a discussion with their teacher that, “death…gives meaning to life,” and is, “…the

means by which the taken-for granted mundaneness of the everyday may be transcended.” The

command of language and the wisdom of the children contrast those of narrator, and by the end

of the story it becomes clear that the children are more socially aware of their situation than

either the narrator or the reader had originally thought. Similarly, the emphasis on the education

of American children during the Cold War era shed light on their enormous potential and role of

becoming the leaders of the future. These concepts are paralleled in Fun with a Stranger, though

their presentation is clearly different.

The narrator in Fun with a Stranger is the third-person omniscient, but as the story

progresses the narrator seems to be speaking for the children, and their thoughts are voiced with

more subtlety than through the plot twists of Barthelme. As with The School, Yates’s story does

not have a true villain, because Mrs. Snell simply, “…was pitiful…” and, “…the class was

painfully embarrassed for her.” At that point, it becomes clear that the children are far more
socially aware than one would believe, as feeling embarrassment for another person is mature

emotion not usually associated with children. Even towards the end of the story, the children’s

awareness is highlighted when they receive erasers as a Christmas present, the narrator noting

that Miss Snell, “…looked completely helpless.” The Christmas present debacle shows that,

despite their acknowledgement of her consistent “failures” in creating a fun learning

environment, the children still hoped that Miss Snell, “…had come through,” and, “…the little

pile of gifts made everything all right,” but they were disappointed again, as the children of The

School.

The ambiguity over the nature of the presents was furthered by the whispers of the

children. The children’s disappointment with the tedium and routineness of Miss Snell’s class,

compared to Miss Cleary’s, was paralleled by the death and disappointment experienced by the

children of The School, though there was no ambiguity. Ambiguity in both stories plays a major

role in bring the reader to the realization that children are highly aware of their situations.

Barthelme’s straightforward storyline is contrasted by the realization which is shocking to the

reader, whereas Yates’s ambiguities subtly mask the realization at several points throughout the

story and seems more realistic.

The two stories are most similar in their endings, both of which highlighted the resiliency

of youth. In The School, the narrator’s lovemaking with Helen is interrupted by the new class

gerbil, which, “The children cheered wildly [for],” and in Fun with a Stranger, the children, “…

ran with the exhilaration of escape,” from Miss Snell’s class, knowing that they wouldn’t have to

face it again. Both situations are highlighted by their cheerfulness, which contrasted the previous

disappointments in the stories. Though Yates and Barthelme highlight the overlooked wisdom

and maturity of children, they point out that they’re still children. After World War II, the threat
of an invasion or total war by external forces became a very real concern for Americans. As a

result, measures by the government took place at all levels of society, especially with children in

the form of safety drills in school and media exposure at the home. The focus on children made

people realize the potential of children to grasp complex ideas.

The Modern-American short stories by Yates and Barthelme place a different view on

children in the mid-twentieth century. During this time period the importance of education and

children’s rights increased, and the focus on children made Americans more aware of the

intellectual potential of children. The School and Fun with a Stranger shed different lights on the

predominating view of children at that time: they can grasp complex concepts and emotions, but

relative to adults, they bounce back more easily in the face of disappointment.