Emergency - Denis Johnson

I really enjoyed reading Emergency by Denis Johnson because it was unexpectedly different from other short stories I have read.

I think that most important part of a story the characters within it. As a reader I like to become emotionally invested with the people I am reading about. In this story, I was very curious and I felt for them.

I've never met a Georgie in my life. He was unique and struggling. The guy is highly sensitive and cared about life. The story ends with him saying, "I save lives." Because of this deep compassion, I became invested in learning more about him. Despite his attachment to drugs, he just seems lost to me. For example, Georgie is crying over mopping the floor because he can't seem to wipe the non existent blood away. He is overwhelmed by the pain and grief surrounding him. What makes him curious though is how he pulls a knife out of a patients eye with no fears, yet is distraught over the floor and a run over bunny. When faced with death, he looses it unable to control the outcome. I think he was so calm with the bloody patient because he knew that in the face of life or death, he'd choose to save the man's life.

The narrator Fuckhead, in my opinion, is very detached. He accesses the by just stating the facts of what he is witnessing without any emotions attached. Because of this, the tone of the story is very undramatic and detached. The scenes are full of heart tugging moments, like dead bunnies and drug use, yet the narrator talks about them without excess energy. This allows the reader to form his or her own opinions about the scenes and it also gives insight to the kind of character the narrator is.

 The dialogue was great in this story. It flowed very naturally and matched well with the characters. Georgie's dialogue was frantic and overwhelmed where as Fuckhead's tone was detached. There was a dramatic difference in the way each spoke, yet the use of colloquial language makes the text more inviting and developed.

FAVORITE IMAGERY:
"Daylight knocking against our eyelids"
"Fragrance thickening on our tongues"
"Knuckles of my spine"
"Curtains of snow"

Denis Johnson write with beautiful precision that paints a vivid landscape. I feel inspired by his diction and command of language!