Response to "Sea Oak"

“Sea Oak” is one of the strangest stories I’ve ever read, aside from a Flannery O’Connor or William Faulkner story. This had the same grotesque characteristics: an aunt coming back from the dead, falling apart in pieces. Each of the characters is a bit odd and unbelievable; however, the situation they are in is very real. The speaker opens the story with a description of the restaurant/strip club Joysticks. He doesn’t exactly explain the physical characteristics, but the overall attitude of the employees and the essence of the establishment. Through relationships and dialogue with the employees and boss, the reader gets a sense of the sleazy setting. The speaker then describes his home, Sea Oak, as “not safe. There’s an ad hoc crackhouse in the laundry room and last week Min found some brass knuckles in the kiddie pool.” The description comes after a shooting at the apartment complex. Clearly, the complex is rundown and in disarray, much like each of these character’s lives- especially the main character. The setting gives birth to many depressing and almost unrealistic situations. Each instance of violence is magnified in this story: taking great detail in explaining the shows such as How My Child Died Violently. Also, the reader gets the sense of crushing isolation and hopelessness. The background characters do not much care about the shoddy life of the main character. Mr. Frendt, the boss, does not care about the loss of the main character’s aunt; he only cares about revenue. Lobton, the funeral parlor director, cares more about focusing on his muscles during the funeral process than his customers or the death of Bernie. Even Ma and Freddie do not care enough about the family to take care of them. The only character that seemingly cares for the family is Father Brian. I feel as though this is because there is some sort of religion in the story: the only caring character is a religious man. The “priest” hints Catholicism, which echoes Flannery O’Connor to me. Lastly, I like the touch of the career of the main character. One always hears the story of a woman stripping to make money for her family and can never crawl her way up from that low job in life. In this story, it’s switched. The main character is a hopeless man, using his body for money.