The Collected Stories of Thomas Wolfe Literary Elements

Short story collection

The short stories are written in the context of American culture.

First-person narrative

The tone is colloquial, and the mood is ominous

Eugene Gant in 'The Return of the Prodigal Son, Arnold Pentland in 'Arnold Pentland' and the Engineer in the 'Far and the Near.'

The major conflict is in the story 'The Lost Boy' when Grover mistakenly gives the candy shop cashier eighteen cents worth of stamps instead of fifteen. The shopkeeper refuses to return the excess stamps claiming that Grover had stolen the money.

The climax is in the story 'Of Time and the River: A Legend of man's Hunger in His Youth' in which Eugene leaves home at last after finishing college. On his way to the North, Eugene feels a sense of freedom because he will make his own decisions and live the way he wants.

Dick's ultimate end is foreshadowed by his killing spree in which he killed white people and police officers.

The death of Eugene's father is understated. Despite spending most of the time alone in the hospital, Eugene’s is surrounded by his loved ones when he dies.

The stories allude to American culture, racism and the search for freedom.

The imagery of Eugene's father is vivid in the text. The author describes the conditions of Eugene's father on his deathbed. Similarly, when he dies, the reader sees how his loved ones surround him.

The main paradox is that Eugene is always jealous of his late brother, Grover, praised for intelligence and composure.

Eugene's belief about his abilities parallels his mother's assumptions.

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Death is incarnated as an unpredictable being that causes misery.