A Critique on Hobo by Robert Bloch Essay Example

A Critique on Hobo by Robert Bloch Essay Example A Critique on Hobo by Robert Bloch Paper A Critique on Hobo by Robert Bloch Paper The story opens with a man called Hannigan on the lam again, leaving a town he calls Knifeville for reasons which are later revealed. From the offset we realize that this man is a Hobo, as suggested in the title, traveling from town to town to find refuge and avoid the so-called Knifevilles. As soon as he hops into an empty, the smell and the lighting reflect the mood and ambience of the boxcar. The word musty resonates in ones mind as being a smell closely related to death, although not relating to smell but to darkness, also touching on the idea of death. He feels the perspiration trickle down his body, as if already frightened. Thats what Sneaky Pete did to a man. At this point we think that Sneaky Pete is a person and is what is making Hannigan perspire; we become wary of the boxcar and Hannigans surroundings. As the train picks up speed and moves on we see the lights as a solid neon chain. Again Sneaky Pete is mentioned but by now we realize that it is most probably alcohol as he mentions it several more times in the story and every time it is more and more closely related to alcohol rather than a person. Hannigan shrugs, trying to convince himself that he drank to celebrate his leaving town. The shrug unexpectedly becomes a twitch and the twitch became a shiver. He then admits to himself, he drunk because he was scared, he had to get out of Knifeville. He turns his gaze away from the light outside and focuses his vision in the dimness of the empty boxcar. The difference between the light and the dark in this story is very significant; the light represents the known and the darkness the unknown. The word empty becomes ironic as shown in the next few lines. The lines become short and quick reflecting the mood, beating like Hannigans heart: Then he froze. The boxcar wasnt empty. He sees another man against the opposite side of the boxcar. Here Robert Bloch uses the definite article the, rather than the indefinite a. This makes the reader wonder why it is the man rather than a man as Hannigan is not even acquainted with him yet. As the story continues, Hannigan keeps asking the man questions and he keeps seeing nods as flashes of light pass by. This is quite a coincidence that each time Hannigan asks him a question a flash of light shows his nod. Hannigan is only aware of the mans whereabouts by his hoarse breathing. Toward the end Hannigan quite rightly asks you a dummy or something? and leans closer forward to see the man. The man topples forward and Hannigan is shocked to see him dead and says to himself that he heard the breathing, and hen he hears the breathing from behind until he feels it on his neck.