Two boys and a girl by Tobias Wolff

I Saw Her First

In Tobias Wolff's "Two Boy's and a Girl," the main character, Gilbert, envies his friend Rafe, wanting what Rafe has instead of accepting and trying to enjoy his own life. His sarcastic way of coping with this self-made problem develops as he looks after Rafe's girlfriend and convertible while he is away. Although not accepted by Gilbert, the reader learns that even Rafe, whose life seems to be perfect, has problems of his own. For example, Rafe possesses the material things and the girlfriend Gilbert hopes for, but not family love. Not understanding of Rafe's problems and too concerned with his own self, Gilbert is depressed about everything he considers wrong in his life; he is overreacting. Just like him, nobody has everything, but in an effort to solve his loneliness, he wants a girlfriend like Rafe's. Gilbert's resolution to betray his friend by stealing Rafe's girlfriend proves his ruthless self-absorption; he puts his own self-entitled needs before the feelings of his best friend. Despite his determination he does not get the girl and thus is faced with the option of accepting the way things are.

Gilbert bitterly compares what he has to what Rafe's life is like seeing this as unfair and wrong that Rafe has more. Rafe has money, looks, brains, and a cute girlfriend that Gilbert does not have, but wants. He is jealous of his good friend getting more and more bitter the more he notices what luxuries Rafe has. For example, Gilbert and Rafe see the same girl at a party, but: "Gilbert saw her first" (102). Even if this makes Gilbert entitled to this girl as he had felt, Rafe makes a move on Mary Ann first. After this first feeling of jealousy towards his best friend again Gilbert compares what Rafe got that he did not. Gilbert, not having a car depended on Rafe to do: "...the driving; his grandfather had given him his immaculate old Buick convertible as a reward for getting into Yale" (102). Rafe has a great car, a great girlfriend, and was accepted into a great school while Gilbert has no car, no girl, and on top of that: "...he hadn't gotten into Amherst" (106). Rafe is even confident and good-looking shown when: "At one point he walked over to the mirror and studied himself as if he were alone and Gilbert was surprised by the anger he felt" (104). It is natural for Gilbert to be jealous of all these great things his friend has, but throughout the story he makes his own life out to be unhappy without having these things. Nobody has everything even though it may seem like that. Such as: "It was true that neither Rafe's father nor his mother took much pleasure in their son" (110). Gilbert ignores this problem of his while making the mistake of comparing lives.

Gilbert begrudges Rafe for having luxuries that he does not have. The well to do is wrongfully and unfairly blessed with their wealth in his eyes. Gilbert: "...made it his business to be elegantly unsurprised at the grossest crimes and follies, especially those of the world's anointed" (103). Gilbert cynically watches Rafe unrighteously spending time with the company of his girlfriend: "...sprawled like a pasha in the back...and made ironic comment on whatever attracted his notice" (102). He feels smart and sophisticated to be able to observe: "the true nature of things" (103). However, as the story goes on Gilbert realizes this quality does not make him strong and manly like a pasha. Instead, "His irony began to sound weak and somehow envious. It sounded thin and unmanly" (108). Although he realized how envious he is, he still is weak to it.

When Rafe goes away to go fishing with his father, he tells Gilbert to take care of his car and his girlfriend, Mary Ann. This allows Gilbert to experience this great part of his friend's life. Even though he gets to drive around in this nice car with Rafe's cute girlfriend: "Gilbert recognized this as what the hero of a war movie says to his drab sidekick before leaving on the big mission" (103). As he spent time with Mary Ann he began to feel that: "They fit perfectly" (109). However, after attaching himself to her romantically the moment is ruined when Mary Ann says: "It's just so unfair, Mary Ann said. Rafe is so sweet" (111). This surprised and angered him to hear her mention Rafe because he wanted this to be about himself with Mary Ann. Involved in his own fantasy of having a girlfriend, he felt: "...it was a strange subject to have boiled up out of nowhere...Don't worry about Rafe, he said. Rafe can take care of himself" (110.) Gilbert thinks Rafe already has so much, enough to be happy, so Rafe does not need to be worried about Gilbert does. Gilbert unhappily wants things to be the way they are when his friend is gone so he can have Mary Ann. That would not be how it goes; instead Mary Ann saw it going with: "Gilbert looking coolly on, hands in his pockets, ready to say the sly mocking words that would tell Rafe that all was as before." (117). Gilbert tried to steal his best friends girlfriend: "And he knew what he was doing. That was why this whole thing was tragic" (114).

Wolff presented trite lives and situations in this story; although his stories involve simplicity, each story ended with a feeling that there was something much greater to be learned. This gnawing feeling at the end of Two Boys and a Girl exemplifies his mastery. He takes timeless story of the conflict that arises when two boys who are friends desire the same girl. It is like sibling rivalry from the perspective of Gilbert. Still, each character has their own story that drives their emotions and actions. This background information is quietly accounted for in the story. Every person lived his or her own small tragedies, and Gilbert had to learn that as he grew throughout the story.