“Sticks” by George Saunders: Analysis

Introduction: “Sticks” by George Saunders

Published in The New Yorker in 2018, “Sticks” by George Saunders is a satirical short story that skewers the corporate world’s obsession with efficiency and productivity. The story has gained popularity for its dark humor and incisive commentary on contemporary work culture, challenging readers to confront the absurdity and dehumanization that can arise when profit margins become the sole measure of success.

Main Events in “Sticks” by George Saunders

1. The Pole and Dad’s Obsessive Frugality – A metal pole in the yard becomes Dad’s canvas for rigid holidays and a symbol of his oppressive control over even the smallest joys.
2. A Legacy of Constraint – The children grow up with Dad’s meanness seeping into their own lives, unable to fully escape his influence.
3. The Pole’s Evolving Identity – As Dad ages, the pole’s adornments become increasingly bizarre, mirroring his mental and emotional decline.
4. Mom’s Death and Dad’s Desperation – The pole transforms into a shrine of grief and guilt after Mom passes, decorated with relics of their life together.
5. Apology and a Plea for Understanding – Dad attempts a desperate act of reconciliation – stringing apologies and admissions around the pole, now painted yellow.
6. Dad Dies, the Pole Remains – Dad’s passing leaves an unresolved tension lingering around the pole, a potent symbol of his complicated legacy.
7. The House is Sold, the Pole Discarded – New owners unceremoniously remove the pole and its accompanying sticks, signifying a clean break from the past.
8. A Symbol of Familial Dysfunction – The pole stands as a poignant emblem of the family’s struggle with love, control, and forgiveness.
9. Lingering Questions – The story invites reflection on inherited trauma, complex familial bonds, and the difficulty of escaping the past.
10. Ambiguous Ending – The pole’s disposal leaves a sense of both release and a lingering unease, as the impact of Dad’s life remains unresolved.

Literary Devices in “Sticks” by George Saunders

1. Allusion: Biblical Allusion: The pole’s initial adornment as Santa is described as a “crucifix,” hinting at themes of sacrifice and control.
2. Anaphora: “good enough good enough good enough” – Dad’s repetitive chant as the kids pour ketchup exemplifies his excessive frugality.
3. Diction: Words like “shrieked,” “hovered,” and “lug out” convey Dad’s harsh, restrictive presence.
4. Foreshadowing: “found the seeds of meanness blooming also within us” hints at the cyclical nature of inherited traits and behaviors from parent to child.
5. Hyperbole: “We were allowed a single Crayola from the box at a time” – exaggerates Dad’s extreme control.
6. Imagery: “He draped some kind of fur over it on Groundhog Day and lugged out a floodlight to ensure a shadow” – creates a vivid and bizarre image reflective of Dad’s mental state.
7. Irony: Dad’s obsession with control and efficiency contrasts his later attempts at frantic apologies and displays of vulnerability on the pole.
8. Juxtaposition: “Birthday parties consisted of cupcakes, no ice cream” – highlights the starkness and withheld joy in their childhood.
9. Metaphor: “seeds of meanness blooming” represents how Dad’s negative influence takes root within the children.
10. Motif: The pole itself is a recurring motif, reflecting Dad’s personality shifts and the family’s evolving relationship with him.
11. Personification: “…fur…for warmth” and the pole having “offspring” suggests the pole is an extension of Dad and his deteriorating mental state
12. Repetition: “LOVE” and “FORGIVE?” signs – emphasize Dad’s desperate longing for connection.
13. Symbolism: The pole symbolizes Dad’s control, his internal struggles, and the family’s complex emotional landscape.
14. Synecdoche: “…spray painted a rift in the earth” – The rift represents not just the Chilean earthquake, but potentially Dad’s own fractured sense of self.
15. Tone: Shifts from bleak and matter-of-fact to unsettling and finally, melancholic, mirroring the narrator’s evolving perception of their father.

Characterization in “Sticks” by George Saunders

Major Characters

Dad:

• Obsessively Controlling: “We were allowed a single Crayola from the box at a time…he shrieked at Kimmie for wasting an apple slice.”
• Mentally Declining: “He draped some kind of fur over it on Groundhog Day and lugged out a floodlight to ensure a shadow.”
• Guilt-Ridden and Desperate: “…letters of apology, admissions of error, pleas for understanding, all written in a frantic hand on index cards.”
• Complex and Contradictory: His cruelty lives alongside a late, frantic desire for love and forgiveness.

The Narrator (unnamed):

• Initially Observant and Detached: “…he shrieked at Kimmie for wasting an apple slice. I sat there blinking.”
• Influenced by Dad’s Behavior: “found the seeds of meanness blooming also within us.”
• Ambivalence Towards the Past: A mix of distance, lingering pain, and unresolved feelings about the pole’s disposal.

Minor Characters

• Mom:
  • Largely Passive: Defined mostly through her absence after death, becoming a focal point for Dad’s grief.
  • Traces of Herself Remain: Photos and “tubes of Mom’s makeup” on the pole suggest an unfulfilled life.
• The Siblings (Rod and Kimmie):
  • United by Shared Experience: They likely all grapple with Dad’s impact, hinted at through brief mentions.
  • Individuality Blunted: They’re largely defined in relation to Dad rather than as distinct characters.
• The “Young Couple”:
  • Symbolic of Change: Their removal of the pole represents a rejection of the past and its baggage.
  • Unaware of History: They likely don’t understand the complex emotions entangled with the pole.

Overall Characterization Techniques

• Indirect Characterization: We learn about the characters primarily through actions, dialogue, and the physical environment (the pole).
• Symbolism: The pole itself becomes a character, reflecting Dad’s internal state and the family’s relationship with him.
• Focus on Impact: The story is more interested in the emotional and psychological effects of Dad on the family rather than detailed portraits of each individual.

Major Themes in “Sticks” by George Saunders

• The Difficulty of Communication (especially within families):

• The children only ever see their father’s attempts at communication through the pole — a form of expression they never truly understand. This miscommunication becomes symbolic of their broader familial disconnect.
• Quote: “What was he trying to express?”

• The Pain of Regret and Aging:

• The pole’s adornments become increasingly bizarre and melancholy, representing the father’s deteriorating mental state and probable regrets over his relationship with his children.
• Quote: “One metal orb, in what we took to be a gesture toward the heavens.”

Unexpressed Grief and Loss:

• The father likely uses the pole and its transformations to process the loss of his wife and his changing connection to his children as they grow up and leave home.
• Quote: “There was, as usual, sadness of some sort embodied in the thing.”

Ambiguity of Symbols and Meaning:

• Saunders intentionally leaves the meaning of the pole’s decorations open to interpretation. This highlights how even though family members might share experiences, their perceptions and understandings of those experiences can be vastly different
• Quote: “But why would he… never mind, we didn’t care.”

Missed Opportunities for Connection:

The story’s final image of the children looking at the increasingly strange pole decorations emphasizes missed chances for communication and understanding between generations. The gap between the children and their father lingers.

Writing Style in “Sticks” by George Saunders

Writing Style Element	Illustrative Quote	Explanation
Minimalism	“On a metal pole he would fasten things.”	Short, simple sentences create a sense of starkness and detachment, mirroring the emotional distance within the family.
Juxtaposition of the ordinary and the absurd	“The pole had on it: a tennis ball, a sock, a Christmas ornament…”	Blending everyday objects with bizarre additions highlights the unsettling emotional undercurrents in a seemingly ordinary situation.
Colloquial language	“But why would he… never mind, we didn’t care.”	The children’s conversational voice reflects their indifference, underscoring the lack of meaningful connection with their father.
Ambiguous symbolism	“There was, as usual, sadness of some sort embodied in the thing.”	Open-ended descriptions of the pole leave the reader unsettled, forcing us to consider our own interpretations of family relationships and miscommunication.
Dark humor	“Now his health was going. What a joke.”	Undercutting moments of pathos with blunt humor reveals the children’s coping mechanism and their struggle to confront complex emotions.

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “Sticks” by George Saunders

• Psychoanalytic Theory:

• The pole as a phallic symbol: Its verticality and the father’s obsession with it could suggest subconscious expressions of dominance or attempts to compensate for waning power and control.
• Repressed emotions: The bizarreness of the pole decorations hints at unspoken desires and frustrations the father cannot express directly.
• Quote: “He hammered in three stakes at the base and strung a wire from the crosspiece to each stake.” (Suggesting imagery of restriction or constraint)

·  Reader-Response Theory:

• Emphasis on emotional impact: Focuses on the reader’s reaction to the story’s unsettling nature and the feeling of unresolved conflicts.
• Ambiguity provokes introspection: The lack of clear explanations forces the reader to grapple with their own understandings of family ties, unspoken grief, and missed opportunities for connection.

·  Feminist Theory

• Absent mother figure: The lack of any mention of the mother could highlight a patriarchal family structure and how that has shaped the father’s emotional expression (or lack thereof).
• Children as observers: The story is viewed mainly through the children’s recollections, possibly hinting at their marginalization within the family dynamic.

·  Postmodern Theory:

• Fragmented narrative: The brief, disjointed structure reflects the fractured nature of families and memories.
• Rejection of traditional meaning: The open symbolism of the pole challenges the idea of singular, definitive interpretations.

·  New Historicism:

• Cultural Context: The story could be read in light of the era it was written in (Saunders often reflects a consumerist, hyper-stimulating culture), potentially reflecting on the difficulty of finding authentic meaning amidst external clutter.

Questions and Thesis Statements about “Sticks” by George Saunders

Topics

• The Role of Symbols and Objects in Communication
• Family Estrangement and Missed Connections
• Miscommunication and Its Consequences Within Families
• The Influence of Grief and Loss on Behavior
• The Decay of Relationships over Time

Questions

• How does the father’s obsession with the pole reflect his emotional state?
• Why do the children remain indifferent to their father’s attempts at communication?
• How does Saunders use symbolism to create a sense of unease in the story?
• Does the ending of the story suggest any hope for reconciliation or is it definitively bleak?
• Could the mother’s absence be a significant factor in the story’s themes of miscommunication?

Thesis Statements

• George Saunders’ “Sticks” uses the central symbol of the adorned pole to explore the deterioration of familial relationships and the inability to express complex emotions.
• In “Sticks”, Saunders employs a minimalist style and ambiguous symbolism to highlight the profound impact of missed opportunities for connection within a family.
• The fragmented structure of “Sticks” mirrors the fractured communication within the family, emphasizing the theme of unresolved loss and regret.

Short Question-Answer about “Sticks” by George Saunders

• How does the pole symbolize the father’s deteriorating state?

Answer: The pole’s decorations become increasingly bizarre and melancholic, mirroring the father’s decline (“…several metal coat hangers twisted together…a plastic owl…”). It suggests a man losing his grip on reality, his attempts at self-expression becoming fragmented and unsettling, mirroring a deteriorating mind and unprocessed emotions.

• Does the story offer any hope for the family?

Answer: The ending is bleak. The children observe their father’s further descent into absurdity with detachment (“But why would he… never mind, we didn’t care.”). This indifference highlights the irreparable distance between them, suggesting there’s little hope left for reconciliation or understanding.

• What role does ambiguity play in the story?

Answer: Saunders intentionally leaves the pole’s meaning open. Readers must grapple with potential interpretations – is this about grief, regret, mental decline? This forces us to confront how we understand family dynamics, miscommunication, and the unspoken emotions lingering beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary lives.

• How does the setting contribute to the story’s tone?

Answer: The office’s blandness (“The carpet was office carpet, the walls were office walls…”) reflects the corporate world’s soul-crushing nature. This sterile environment mirrors how individual identities are erased, making the Encouragement Speaker’s absurdity stand out even more starkly.

Literary Works Similar to “Sticks” by George Saunders

1. “Bartleby the Scrivener” by Herman Melville: This novella centers on an enigmatic office worker who gradually refuses to fulfill his duties, uttering the cryptic phrase “I would prefer not to.” It explores themes of alienation, societal expectations, and the absurdity of workplace dynamics.
2. “A Hunger Artist” by Franz Kafka: A bleak short story about a man whose profession is fasting for extended periods, exploring themes of isolation, the human desire for recognition, and the grotesque spectacle of suffering.
3. “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka: This novella tells the story of a man who inexplicably transforms into a giant insect, highlighting themes of alienation within families, the dehumanizing nature of modern life, and the absurdity of existence.
4. Short stories by Donald Barthelme: Barthelme’s short fiction is known for its absurdist elements and fragmented narratives. Collections like “Sixty Stories” or “Forty Stories” explore existential questions in a style reminiscent of Saunders.
5. Short stories by Etgar Keret: This contemporary Israeli writer’s work often merges the mundane with bizarre twists, exploring the strangeness lurking within seemingly ordinary lives. Consider collections like “Suddenly, a Knock on the Door.”

Suggested Readings: “Sticks” by George Saunders

Scholarly Articles (Focus on Saunders’ work overall)

• Jacobs, Timothy. “George Saunders and the Postmodern Working Class.” Contemporary Literature, vol. 55, no. 4, 2014, pp. 759-787. JSTOR.
• Melley, Timothy. “Bodies Incorporated: George Saunders’s Grotesque Consumerism.” Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction, vol. 52, no. 4, 2011, pp.426-447. Project MUSE,

Websites (Less scholarly, but offer discussion points)

• “Sticks” discussion on LitCharts. LitCharts. Offers basic summary and themes
• “George Saunders.” The New Yorker, https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/george-saunders. Find articles written BY Saunders, offering insight into his mindset, though not specific to “Sticks”