What Do Fish Have to Do With Anything?

Matt Kaizer is the subject (but not the narrator) of “The Goodness of Matt Kaizer.” Matt is initially portrayed as the “bad kid” in class because he tells vulgar jokes, picks up dead animals, takes dares at a moment’s notice, and plays pranks on others. Because he is skinny, pale, and blond, his physical appearance contrasts with his tough persona. Much of his identity is based on his need to resist the influence of his father, who is a reverend. Faced with the constant pressure to be “good,” Matt chooses to rebel against the standard of piety that his family represents.

Ironically, however, Matt maintains a strict personal honor code around dares; he will always accept a dare and always sees it through. This sense of obligation makes him vulnerable to manipulation, as others exploit his desire to prove himself. His reputation as “bad” is reinforced externally by the admiration of his trouble-making peers, and this dynamic motivates him to continue his misbehavior. However, when he encounters Mary Beth Bataky’s dying father, Matt’s self-image begins to shift. Mr. Bataky envisions him as an angel, and this misconception recontextualizes Matt’s “bad” persona and reframes the connotation of his pale, blonde appearance. When his father uses Matt’s own code against him and dares him to continue visiting Mr. Bataky, Matt’s commitment to the dare represents his steadfastness, proving that he is a person who remains true to his word. When Mr. Bataky’s confessions of past wrongdoing cause Mat to reflect that he himself is not quite so “bad” in comparison, he begins to improve his behavior and act more sensitively toward others. This shift in his behavior catalyzes a personal transformation as he remains true to his promise to keep Mr. Bataky’s secrets and continues to visit with him. These philosophical changes allow Matt to relinquish his image of being “bad.”

Maria O’Sullivan is the viewpoint character of “Talk To Me.” Maria is a sixth-grader whose life is deeply affected by her brother’s absence. Maria’s 16-year-old brother Brian has left home, and her parents refuse to talk about this festering family issue. As a result, Maria feels profound loneliness, and she is perceptive enough to recognize that the taboo against mentioning Brian has filtered into her interactions with her broader community as well. When her peers mention Brian, she distances herself from them and perpetuates the taboo that her parents initiated. Maria’s isolation and the atmosphere of shame cause her to find ways of Overcoming Obstacles to Human Connection.

When she receives the mysterious 4 pm phone calls, she fancifully constructs a narrative that allows her to imagine that her brother is the one who is calling and listening to her various confessions. Faced with intense silence on the topic of her much-loved brother, she finds a form of release by expressing her thoughts and worries to an imaginary, listening presence on the other end of the phone line, which she imagines to be Brian himself. Her response reflects the fact that children often fill emotional voids with their own stories, especially when adults offer inadequate support or explanation for life’s harsher developments. 

Notably, Maria shows much greater empathy than her parents, who villainize Brian rather than dealing with their part in the conflict that caused him to leave home. Unlike her parents, Maria remembers and cherishes a far more nuanced portrait of her brother, focusing on his kindness to her. Even when she learns that the 4 pm phone calls were merely an automated error by a telemarketer, Maria does not withdraw from the world entirely. Instead, she vows to be a supportive sibling to her new little brother and promises to create an environment where they can talk openly and honestly about any family issues that may arise.

Gregory is the main character in “Teacher Tamer.” Gregory is short for his age, heavyset, with dark hair and a dark complexion. Because he is the new student, his presence initially disrupts the classroom dynamics as the other students resent him for his intelligence and tease him. However, when the teacher, Mrs. Wessex, starts victimizing him in class and blaming him for misbehavior, Gregory’s social status rises. Being highly attuned to social dynamics, Gregory knows that his position is precarious and that he needs to continue to impress the other students in order to maintain his new status. Publicly vowing to get revenge on his teacher for her unjust punishment, he discreetly purchases illegal fireworks and boldly enters his teacher’s modest house to enact his plan.

Despite his rash actions and his desire for belonging, Gregory has already done the work of Developing an Internal Moral Compass, and he immediately feels guilty about breaking into Mrs. Wessex’s house. Even so, his need to fit in with his peers pushes him to continue. When he overhears Mrs. Wessex explaining her reasons for her treatment of him, he realizes that her behavior is counterintuitively designed to raise his social status and indirectly protect him from potential bullies. He also gains a more mature appreciation for her suffering, her loneliness, and her desire to be loved by her students. In this moment, he finds himself using Empathy as an Antidote for Cruelty, and rather than going through with his revenge plan, he abandons the prank and later reaches out to explicitly praise her talents as a teacher. This reversal completes his moral arc.

Eve Hubbard is the viewpoint character in the story “Pets.” Eve is defined by her deep empathy and caretaking personality, which is expressed through her devotion to her pets. Though she has multiple pets that die, she continues to care for each new animal that joins the household. When she adopts two kittens, Angel and Shadow, she pours all of her energy into ensuring that her cats feel loved, and her efforts demonstrate her sensitivity and her need to provide comfort.

When her cats begin to suffer from distemper, Eve doubles down on her efforts to care for them. She overlooks Shadow’s aggressive, dominating behavior and tries to take equal care of both cats. However, when they die in quick succession, Eve is left with an overwhelming sense of sadness and guilt. Soon, the boundary between Eve and her pets begins to blur as she begins to perceive that they have returned as ghosts to haunt her. Her emotional intensity is mirrored in her physical illness as she falls into delirium and must face the ghosts of the cats and come to terms with the transactional nature of their relationship to her. Eve’s character therefore represents the dangers and burdens of empathy that becomes excessive; because her love for her pets dominates her entire worldview, her guilt over their deaths transforms into a physical illness, and only by relinquishing her guilt, honoring her many deceased pets, and finding a sense of detachment from all that has happened does she finally manage to recover and move on. (The question of whether Eve’s pets were really haunting her is left deliberately ambiguous.)

Danny is a major character in the story “What’s Inside.” Danny is the narrator’s cousin and comes into the story in a state of emotional crisis. Unbeknownst to the narrator until this point, Danny has been struggling with feelings of isolation and worthlessness. He believes that he has no friends and has internalized a sense of hopelessness, and when he comes to the narrator’s house, he is already actively entertaining thoughts of suicide. Only his small sense of connection with the narrator compels him to share his plans. Danny tells the narrator of his true feelings and involves the narrator in his dangerous game of chance.

When Danny outlines his plan to place the gun in one of two boxes and then choose which box will decide his fate, the narrator recognizes that he is looking for a way out of his despair. By putting his life in someone else’s hands or leaving it up to chance, Danny insinuates that he is not fully convicted in his desire to die. He seeks some kind of higher purpose or some act of care that will give his life meaning. The narrator tries to encourage him to seek help, and ultimately, the narrator’s choice to hide the gun creates an opening for Danny to express his feelings to his family and finally get the help that he needs.