Save As Many As You Ruin, By Simon Van Booy

Analysis
Save as many as you ruin

Sometimes our life can be unkind, with all its difficult choices and we are going to make mistakes for the rest of our lives. Some mistakes that we cannot forget. Some that we are going to regret. But at some point in our life, we will get a chance to make up for our past. That chance, is a chance given to Gerard, the main character, in Simon Van Booy’s short story Save as many as you ruin. The story focuses on Gerard’s’ life, and takes a look on his mind. How does he feel, and how does he think.
In my paper, I am going to interpret and analyze the story, with a focus on the mood, and the use of contrasts throughout the story.
The main character Gerard is a man, who is probably around 40 years old. He lives
Suddenly he starts noticing the footprints in the snow. The most remarkable were his own. “Gerard thinks of his own footprints and how soon they will disappear. He exhales into the world and his breath disappears.” This gives the reader an impression of how his life is. There is not much joy and it seems like it appears to be very meaningless. The only thing that seems to light up his world is Lucy. “He pictures Lucy in their warm apartment perched at the table reading a simplified Black Beauty in large print. Her legs are swinging under the table in concentration. He has never known such
This gives the reader an impression that he does not care, about anyone but himself. However, his only true love in life, was, and is, a woman named Laurel. Even though she is his true love, she is not the mother of Lucy . By true love, you should think that he would be faithful. But love did not seem to be quite enough for Gerard. He started an affair with a woman named Issy. One day Issy got pregnant, and Gerard made a decision. He would confess everything about the affair to Laurel. Even though he managed to keep it all as a secret, until then. When he confessed, Laurel decided to leave him, and it left Gerard with only one choice. He had to move in with Issy. A wile after, Lucy was born and Issy decided to leave them and move to L.A. She wanted to fulfill her dream, and become an actress. Some years after, her body was found, and therefore Gerard had to take the full responsibility of raising Lucy. All by himself. It is clear for the reader to see that Gerard has not forgot about Laurel. “Gerard still has Laurel’s wristwatch at home in his bedside cabinet. […] Sometimes at night, Gerard takes it out and falls asleep as it drips from his