Article Critique: The End of Firpo in the World

The End of Firpo in the World 1. Introduction "If the Stickman thought he, Cody, was good, he must be Firpo because he, Cody wasn 't good, he was Firpo, Mom had said so and Daryl had said so," are some of the last thoughts going through Cody 's mind as he is dying. His entire life, Cody has been the subject of ridicule, leaving him feeling alienated and inferior.
In "The End of Firpo in the World by George Saunders, Cody, a young resentful boy rides around the neighbourhood on his bicycle seeking revenge against his neighbours when he gets distracted and swerves across the street, getting hit by a car causing his death. One of the themes in this story suggests that recurrent verbal and psychological abuse results in alienation and feelings of inferiority. 2. The Setting The details of the houses within the neighbourhood emphasize Cody 's feelings of alienation. Cody lives in a wealthy neighbourhood consisting mostly of two house models;
Monte Vistas and Bueno Verdes, but his house predates the others and is neither Monte Vista or Bueno Verde; it is small and "smelled like cat pee and hamburger blood." The house reflects Cody 's feelings of alienation; just like the house, he is different than everyone else and does not fit in. This setting makes him feel inferior because he does not live in a nice, big house like everyone else so he believes that there is something wrong with him. 3. Symbols The symbol of the nosehole sound is used to illustrates Cody 's alienation. Cody is constantly ridiculed for making the nosehole sound but it is an involuntary nervous response that is triggered by anxiety. Cody is ashamed of the nosehole sound and tries to conceal it from others in order to avoid humiliation. The sound is a direct result of the psychological abuse he endures and it is out of his control, "he couldn 't help it, it made him nervous to think about junior high, and he made the nosehole sound." He wants to fit in