No One's a Mystery: A Response

As I read through this short story, Jack's condescending voice led me to a host of questions. How old was this man with an 18 year old mistress? How long had he and his wife been married? Was this is only mistress? The author's description of him led me to believe that he is older, established per se, and perfectly content in his dirty laundry of a truck. Tallent did an excellent job at invoking a emotional response after Jack finally lets the girl back into the seat. The parental tone that Jack initially takes in their conversation provided a level of frustration and sorrow for the young girl, who is wasting her first love on a man who is in no position to reciprocate her feelings. It also further aided in my belief that Jack was much older. I also found it very intriguing that out of all of the names mentioned his mistress was never named. That added an additional element of mystery that I would like to incorporate into my own writing.