How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #7
"I'm terribly sorry I brought you along, Nickie," said his father, all his post-operation exhilaration gone. "It was an awful mess to put you through." (47)
Now we have a noticeable shift from "the doctor" back to "his father," who calls his son "Nickie" and apologizes. It's a complete 180 from the boastful, unfeeling doctor. But the question is: is it emasculating?
Quote #8
"Do many men kill themselves, Daddy?"
"Not very many, Nick."
"Do many women?"
"Hardly ever." (52-55)
Suicide appears to be gendered in this story. Nick's dad may be sugar-coating things a little bit here for little Nick: it's not that women "hardly ever" commit suicide, but that the perception is that such an act of violence against oneself isn't very feminine. It may be that Nick's dad genuinely thinks this, or that he doesn't think that Nick will be able to handle the idea that a woman might do the same thing as what he just saw the Indian man do.