THE ELOPEMENT OF ALLEN POOLE by Willa Cather

This is a great story. I’m finding that I’m enjoying reading Cather more than I thought that I would. Growing up in the Nebraska, O Pioneers and My Antonia are required reading to indoctrinate young Nebraskans. I never read any of her shorter works in grade school. This is a shame. Her short stories are as wonderfully rich as Flannery O’Connor’s, but because Cather is known more for her novels her short stories are over looked. This is most likely because her short stories are not all set in back drop of the Nebraskan landscape.

In “The Elopement of Allen Poole,” Cather uses local dialect to its full glory. As a modern reader, dialect can slow the pacing of the story, but it still adds an extra audio flavor to the setting.

Allen Poole and his wife to be begin this story auguring about how much they love each other (icky). Allen put an ultimatum to his would-be wife, run away with me or leave me. The relationship stuff in the story is sparse and not worthy of a second glance, but again Cather proves that she is a master of characterization. I come out of reading this story feeling like I know the person, Allen Poole.

The tricks that Cather uses to characterize Allen Poole are simple. She shows his hopes and dream though his lazy daydreaming. Cather then uses the omniscient point of view to round out his life thought his past and present deeds. Allen is mountain man and a bootlegger. He is hounded by the revenue men. But the strongest tool is that Allen seems to talk to himself, in his head and out loud. We learn a lot about Allen Poole as he thinks and speaks; and though what he thinks about and speaks about.

The story takes an exciting turn when the revenue men find Allen’s still and bust it up. A chase ensues ending with Allen being shot in his good clothes, the ones he had intended to marry in. Then like a wounded dear, he runs through the woods escaping the revenue men to die in the arms of his wife-to-be. The death scene is several paragraphs and is a little fun, being more than over dramatic.

Still, I’m enjoying Willa Cather much more than I thought that I would. This is a good quick read! The story is online for all to read: HERE.

Cather, Willa. “The Elopement of Allen Poole.” 24 Stories. New York: Meridian Classic, 1988. p. 18 - 24