A Drop in the Bucket

“What Cousin Tryphena did not know about the way the world outside of Hillsboro was run would have made a complete treatise on modern civilization. (Fisher 1195) In the short story, “A Drop in the Bucket”, by Dorothy Fisher, one of the main characters Tryphena lives in the town called Hillsboro. She has lived in this town for fifty-five years, and is overall shutout to the rest of the world. Jombastine another character moves into the town and he is somewhat of a socialist. He has a great influence on the life of Tryphena, teaching her the manifestation of the elite toward the less fortunate people. The point that Dorothy Fisher is trying to demonstrate to the readers is that even though a person cannot help the entire world economically, there are plenty of ways just to make a difference. Even, if it means just helping one person out. Cousin Tryphena has never realized the pain and suffering of those impoverished in the United States of America. To her knowledge a person who is poor, is that way because of their lack of work. “She knew what made people poor. It was shiftlessness.” (Fisher 1195) Jombastine would always try to educate Tryphena and make her aware of the problems that existed in the outside of Hillsboro, but she never paid him any mind. He decided to try a new approach to elicit some sort of reaction from Tryphena. Jombastine started telling her a story of a woman and her two children who were left homeless and hungry. He also told her of a young boy who was put in an asylum. Who has tried to commit suicide several times, after the loss of his parents, and his older sister. These tragic stories affected Tryphena like nothing has ever before. Which stirred up a sad spirit inside of her. Leaving her determined to help these poor souls. Jombastine after inquiring the news of her plan was very upset. He felt she was doing this just to please herself. . “You are planning only to please yourself, you coward.” (Fisher 1200) He told her there are