The Rich Brother by Tibias Wolff
17 Feb. 2012
The Rich Brother
The Rich Brother is a story about two brothers, Pete and Donald. Pete, the older brother, is an American middle-class guy with the success story of having plenty of money from real estate, a wife, two daughters, nice home, and a sailboat. Donald, the younger brother, is a loner, paints houses, and sometime lives in an ashram in Berkeley. Although raised in the same household, the two live two totally different lives. Their display of sibling resentment, jealousy and utter disgust are evident. (Waxler) The brothers really do need each other, but Pete seems to be dependent upon Donald just a little more.
Pete, the older of the two siblings, is financially stable and much more successful. He exemplifies the American middle class dream of having everything that money can buy you. His hard work and dedication that he has put into the real estate business has paid off for him. He really does to seem to have any real care of the world, well except for his brother. Donald, being the younger of two is just his opposite. He lives alone and survives out of painting houses because of his large financial debt. He has a spiritual life or new found faith but yet seem to be the more unstable of two. Donald is often drifting from one job to the next so his dependency on his brother for support is vital. It seems as though the non-stability seems not to bother the younger brother at all. He goes thru his life as carefree as allowed. (Hawley)
The story proceeds as Pete comes to rescue Donald out of his difficulties. As the two are driving along the road in a car Pete gives Donald $100. However, they fade back into memories of their childhood when the two boys were much younger. Donald reminds Pete how as a kid he wanted to kill him, but Pete just simply replies, children always do such things as to show his brother that it was of no concern.(Wolff) Pete never seems interested to speak about his personal life with Donald, yet Donald asks him if he
The Rich Brother
The Rich Brother is a story about two brothers, Pete and Donald. Pete, the older brother, is an American middle-class guy with the success story of having plenty of money from real estate, a wife, two daughters, nice home, and a sailboat. Donald, the younger brother, is a loner, paints houses, and sometime lives in an ashram in Berkeley. Although raised in the same household, the two live two totally different lives. Their display of sibling resentment, jealousy and utter disgust are evident. (Waxler) The brothers really do need each other, but Pete seems to be dependent upon Donald just a little more.
Pete, the older of the two siblings, is financially stable and much more successful. He exemplifies the American middle class dream of having everything that money can buy you. His hard work and dedication that he has put into the real estate business has paid off for him. He really does to seem to have any real care of the world, well except for his brother. Donald, being the younger of two is just his opposite. He lives alone and survives out of painting houses because of his large financial debt. He has a spiritual life or new found faith but yet seem to be the more unstable of two. Donald is often drifting from one job to the next so his dependency on his brother for support is vital. It seems as though the non-stability seems not to bother the younger brother at all. He goes thru his life as carefree as allowed. (Hawley)
The story proceeds as Pete comes to rescue Donald out of his difficulties. As the two are driving along the road in a car Pete gives Donald $100. However, they fade back into memories of their childhood when the two boys were much younger. Donald reminds Pete how as a kid he wanted to kill him, but Pete just simply replies, children always do such things as to show his brother that it was of no concern.(Wolff) Pete never seems interested to speak about his personal life with Donald, yet Donald asks him if he
Cited: Hawley C. John. "The Rich Brother." Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition. Salem Press, 2004. Web. 2006. 12 Feb. 2012. Waxler, Robert. “The Rich Brother.” Changing Lives Through Literature. U of Massachusetts, 2003. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. Wolff, Tibias. “The Rich Brother” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X.J Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 11th ed. New York: Longman, 2010. 613-624. Print.