Ordinary Boys
Jersey (not Jozefow), 2010 (not 1942)
When asked why he did it, the boy averts his eyes, fidgets. He does not lie, but he cannot face the truth. His lip trembles and he shakes when shown the photos. When asked to describe his role, he employs the passive voice and talks about others: I was told... They insisted….When pressed for an explanation, he refers to a chain of command: I did what they said. He talks about the older boys, the way he wanted to belong, the way he went along. When asked if he pulled the trigger, he nods and shrugs. When forced to talk about what really happened in the woods, he cries at the memory -- the shallow grave, the waste of life. He did not want to shoot the dog, you can tell. There is no hate in his eyes, no fanatical glint. He is not accustomed to such cruelty.
He is an ordinary boy.
When asked why he did it, the boy averts his eyes, fidgets. He does not lie, but he cannot face the truth. His lip trembles and he shakes when shown the photos. When asked to describe his role, he employs the passive voice and talks about others: I was told... They insisted….When pressed for an explanation, he refers to a chain of command: I did what they said. He talks about the older boys, the way he wanted to belong, the way he went along. When asked if he pulled the trigger, he nods and shrugs. When forced to talk about what really happened in the woods, he cries at the memory -- the shallow grave, the waste of life. He did not want to shoot the dog, you can tell. There is no hate in his eyes, no fanatical glint. He is not accustomed to such cruelty.
He is an ordinary boy.
|
13
favs |
1347 views
16 comments |
159 words
All rights reserved. |
Author's Note
written for 52|250's Week # 17: We Are Not Responsible.
A nod to Christopher Browning's Ordinary Men -- which I made all my students read and which I come back to again and again.
But I hope the piece works even if you've never read Browning.
Other stories by Michelle Elvy
Tags
Groups
-
52|250
Public group103 members
Comments
You must
log in
to post comments.
I've not read Ordinary Men, but this is pitch-perfect, Michelle. You managed to make me hold my breath...I think the rhythms and repetitions of this piece, the voice of it, ratchet up the tension and foreboding. Really well done.
"When forced to talk about what really happened in the woods, he cries at the memory -- the shallow grave, the waste of life. He did not want to shoot the dog, you can tell." Those words are a great fit for this, Michelle. Nice writing. Especially like the lone sentence / par. as a closing. Effective.
Heavy in its impact; beautifully done. I too read it like poetry. Great piece, Michelle.
Excellent, Michelle. The writing is tight. The overall work is powerful.
Oh, this works for sure, Michelle. Your short fiction pieces are always a joy to read: never a word wasted, crafted with such a sure hand. Can I join your fan club?
Perfectly measured, Michelle. Every sylable fits right into place.
this reminds me of a great play, can't think of the title, where the playwright edited down the transcripts from the Nuremburg trials, and each person said essentially the same thing, I am not responsible. very powerful.
Chilling! The dark side is there right under the surface. Great piece.
Oh, yes, and *
Very nice story in a small space.
Ordinary boy but no ordinary story. Wow. The voice, the tone, the pace -- pitch perfect. peace *
a lesson this boy will never forget.
Very, very good, Michelle. Wonderfully pointed and a perfectly serious response to the challenge. Absolute fave.
This is quite stunning. The very ordinary "I was told....They insisted...." Well told.
I’ll have to look for Ordinary Men. And I must favorite this. So good, Michelle. Moments, situations, characters like these stay with me long after I’m done reading.
The fact is that society, even a "free" society, doesn't educate children/people enough on how to question authority/conformity without necessary being a "rebel." Learning to never act on command without questioning if this fits with one's desires and morals is overshadowed by learning to fit in and be like everyone else. I used to be a teaching fellow for a course at Harvard on Moral Dilemmas in a Repressive Society: Nazi Germany and the goal was to teach our own students, future leaders of this country, to question authority.