Theme Of Tension In Up The Coolly

In the stories “Departure” and “Up the Coolly” talk about how each character goes on a journey. Each of these texts builds up mystery and tension. In the story “Departure”, something that evokes mystery is when everyone from the town came to greet George off before he left. “On the station platform, everyone shook the young man’s hand. More than a dozen people waited about...Even Will Henderson... who was lazy...had got out of bed.” (Anderson 7) In other words, George’s departure was so significant to the point that it made the laziest of men move away from his mattress. Something that induces tension is that on the train, he adds up the amount of money he has in secret. “George glanced up and down the car to be sure no one was looking, then he took out his pocketbook and counted his money.” (Anderson 9) That is to say, this story creates tension by making it seem as if someone is spying on George. In the stories “Departure” and “Up the
According to the introduction of “Up the Coolly”, “After being away for 10 years, Howard McLane is returning home to visit his family.” To clarify, this story causes mystery because after not being around for ten years, what would make him want to suddenly come visit just now. Something that incites tension is how Howard’s younger brother Grant, felt jealous compared to Howard. “As they gazed in silence at each other, Howard divined something of the hard, bitter feeling that came into Grant’s heart, as he stood there, ragged, ankle-deep in muck, his sleeves rolled up, a shapeless old straw hat on his head. The gleam of Howard’s white hands angered him.” To rephrase it, this story generates tension by describing that when Grant looked at Howard he faced his harsh reality, how his life is grim, while his brother has a superior life. This is evident by the job Grant works as, the difference in clothing between him and his