Summary Of The Rich Brother By Tobias Wolff
Tobias Wolff is a well-known American writer, who is famous for his novels and short stories. One of the most popular is the work The Rich Brother. This story discusses the life and feelings of two siblings, whose names are Peter and Donald. The author starts the novel with describing Peter travelling to rescue his brother. During a long trip to this character’s home, Wolff reveals the inner traits of brothers, their past and feelings. From the very beginning, it becomes understandable that they are completely different. They have different appearances, ways of life, and particularly viewpoints. Peter is a rich and worldly-wised Californian realtor, who has a family and material wealth. On the contrary, Donald may be called a lost soul. He
is too kind, careless, and too naive for the earthly cruel life. The detailed analysis of the work reveals that naivety is Donald’s dominant trait.
Discussion
It should be pointed out that from the first lines of the story Donald is perceived by readers as an angel, who has accidentally fallen on this sinful earth. He is naive spiritually, being often compared with Abel. Like the latter, the former is a pristine soul. His heart is open to all people and their troubles. Choosing Donald as the main character for investigation is a serious decision. The point is that while researching his naivety, readers simultaneously start thinking about the human perception of such pristine and sinless souls. Unfortunately, nowadays, people search for material self-satisfaction only and forget about spiritual values. Today, naivety is considered to be foolishness. People do not understand that wealth is not eternal, and that they should take care about their souls. Researching Donald’s naivety is useful, as it gives readers an opportunity to look at themselves, their deeds, greed, and desire for material well-being from the side. It is possible due to the talent of Tobias Wolff to show Donald’s naivety to readers in a number of ways. The work contains various situations that reveal this human feature. Donald’s naivety may be investigated from different angles: as the one displayed in daily life, in social life, a particular trait in his childhood and in relationships with the brother.
is too kind, careless, and too naive for the earthly cruel life. The detailed analysis of the work reveals that naivety is Donald’s dominant trait.
Discussion
It should be pointed out that from the first lines of the story Donald is perceived by readers as an angel, who has accidentally fallen on this sinful earth. He is naive spiritually, being often compared with Abel. Like the latter, the former is a pristine soul. His heart is open to all people and their troubles. Choosing Donald as the main character for investigation is a serious decision. The point is that while researching his naivety, readers simultaneously start thinking about the human perception of such pristine and sinless souls. Unfortunately, nowadays, people search for material self-satisfaction only and forget about spiritual values. Today, naivety is considered to be foolishness. People do not understand that wealth is not eternal, and that they should take care about their souls. Researching Donald’s naivety is useful, as it gives readers an opportunity to look at themselves, their deeds, greed, and desire for material well-being from the side. It is possible due to the talent of Tobias Wolff to show Donald’s naivety to readers in a number of ways. The work contains various situations that reveal this human feature. Donald’s naivety may be investigated from different angles: as the one displayed in daily life, in social life, a particular trait in his childhood and in relationships with the brother.