Incarnations of Burned Children

Wallace’s vague characters are a particularly interesting element of “Incarnations of Burned Children.” He only ever describes the father in loose terms. He rents out his property. He loves his infant son. He resents his wife for allowing him to be injured. None of this gives the reader a complex or in-depth examination of his character; however, the father’s feelings are profound, even if they are not unique. Even though we know very little about him, his memory of his son clutching his thumb was genuine, and he seemed truly horrified by the accident. Wallace creates and maintains an emption connection between the characters and the reader without giving much in the way of sundry detail.

The setting is likewise sparse, which reflects the focus of the characters. While there is value in having a powerful sense of place in a story, it is not always necessary; in this case, describing the house or the kitchen or the physical appearances of the mother and father would have felt forced. However, “Incarnations” never felt like faceless characters acting in an empty void; Wallace gives just enough details to have the story make sense.

            “Incarnations” contains a small span of time. This contributes to the atmosphere of distress; the reader knows that the characters were in pain before the story started and know that they will be in pain for some time after it has ended. The father went from possessing some form of domestic tranquility to having a horrifically injured son and a damaged relationship with his wife. He discovers the pain that is intrinsic to raising children. This realization takes up most of the story; Wallace demonstrates that the changes a character goes through can be brief temporally and long in relation to the structure of the story.

The narrator of “Incarnations” stands out, as well. The lengthy sentences, coupled with simple diction, lend the story an atmosphere of breathy panic, which alternately complements and contrasts with the father’s thoughts. The length of “Incarnations” makes this possible; if the story were much longer, it would be grating or wearying.