A Birthday For Larry

                In the novel Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter the author, Tom Franklin, communicates the interknit lives of Larry Ott and Silas Jones as both children and adults.  The novelist discusses a variety of controversies such as intolerance and racism that seem to follow the protagonists everywhere they go. The book rotates between the boys’ lives as adolescents in the “peaceful” 1970s and their adult stories twenty-five years later. I constantly found myself sympathizing and relating to child and adult Larry; thus, I would jump at the opportunity to present him with two gifts. At the end of the novel, Franklin does not fully reveal how Larry’s story ends and if he can ever fully escape his reputation. The novelist simply narrates Larry’s thoughts of the future and overcoming his alienation: “wondering…if it was really over” (267). Franklin evokes pathos from empathetic readers who have compassion for Larry and want the best for him. As I stand as one of these readers, I would love the opportunity to give Larry the gift of a surprise party. Since his surrounding deprived him of twenty-five years of his life, having the ability to provide him with a normal experience that many people take for granted would bring me extreme joy. Also, the party would allow me to find out if the town of Chabot ever truly overcomes their past unreasonable judgments of Larry. Furthermore, I would like to provide him with a dog for a companion. While reflecting on his past two friendships, Larry feels he “was wrong about the word friend” (236). Through his use of italics, Franklin asserts that after receiving betrayal after betrayal, one becomes skeptical of companions and their worth. I hope that following the novel, Larry learns to regain his trust in people and true friendships; however, in the meantime, I believe a dog would ameliorate his severely lonely life and help protect him from any possible skeptics as well. I constantly empathized with Larry’s feelings of solitude and, consequently, hope to improve his social skills and relationships through my gifts. The author ends the novel with a hopeful tone towards Larry’s future in order to provide those ostracized on false assumptions a sense of hope. I agree with Franklin’s contention and hope my gifts would assist Larry with fulfilling his expectations for the future.