Horseman

In Horseman by Richard Russo, the overall tone is resonate. The way that Monroe is haunted by her past is much like that of any other human being. The constant footsteps per-say of the song pulls together her fear of the: wild blind man, Bellamy's accusations of her shortcomings, Bellamy's admittance of tapping out a tune that keeps his father alive, and the tapping of the rain. The haunting that reminded Bellamy of his father- is what keeps Bellamy alive in her memory.

The constant what if's of Monroe's ventures show how caught up she is in the past, making me want to shout, "if you're dunna dit in, dit in." The way Russo ended the short story made me wonder (if not aloud) "what gives, where's the ending?" Although, leaving the story on a note where there is complete uncertainty is in itself a parallel of Monroe's life.

If I had to, I don't think I would read this story again. It was somber, morose, and the ending left me feeling gipped just like Of Mice and Men. On the other hand, the story had something to gain- where there is a general relation point because most if not all people have someone or something in their past that haunts them.