Carter, and Other People

In Short

A collection of twelve short stories and a one-act play, this book examines the quiet hypocrisies, hidden despairs, and absurd turns of fate that shape early twentieth-century American lives. From a deeply conflicted man burdened by the racial prejudices of his era, to an old man who outlives the patience of both God and the Devil, to a vagrant searching endless rail lines for a lost friend, the entries move between stark tragedy, whimsical fantasy, and biting satire. The collection endures for its sharp human insight, warm humor, and unsparing look at the gulf between public fronts and private truths.

The Story

The book opens with "Carter," a bitter exploration of racial division and internal agony in which a man carrying both Caucasian and African lineage finds himself torn apart by the warring hatreds within his own blood. From this stark, tragic beginning, the narratives pivot through an eclectic assortment of American scenes and situations.

In "Death and Old Man Murtrie," a surreal comedy unfolds as God, the Devil, and Death sit together on a pharmacy counter watching an elderly, drug-addicted, yet ostensibly pious man who simply refuses to die. Death frets over his ruined statistics, while God and the Devil squabble over who must take him, each insisting his mixed virtues and vices belong to the other.

Other tales plunge into urban isolation and existential desperation. In one story, a ruined man named Mr. Gooley methodically prepares to end his life by plugging the gas leaks in his rented room, only to have his landlady interrupt him to scold him over unpaid rent and ungentlemanly conduct. In another, a young man out of money in New York gives the city a deadline: if someone does not invite him to lunch within the hour, he will open fire on prosperous passersby before turning his gun on himself.

The collection also visits the shattered landscapes of World War I in a story following McDermott, an extraordinarily cautious and heavily intoxicated American who stumbles through a ruined French town, finds a machine gun, and slowly decides whether he cares to participate in the conflict raging around him. A gentler sadness threads through the story of Looney, a homeless man who wanders the nation’s railways, perpetually misled by cruel pranks as he searches for a vanished companion named Slim.

Moments of lighter caprice emerge as well, such as a man who spends a quiet evening in his bathtub blowing red-tinted soap bubbles while recalling his bleak upbringing under a tyrannical uncle, or an unwitting intruder who poses as a wealthy butler's guest and enjoys the high life in a globe-trotting millionaire’s mansion. A dark crime narrative follows a burglar who breaks into a home only to find himself embroiled in a lethal love triangle and framed for murder.

The book closes with "Words and Thoughts," a theatrical short piece using a split stage. On one side, a husband and wife utter polite, loving platitudes to one another and mourn the passing of their burdensome old relative; on the other side, their physical doubles speak the raw, hostile, and mercenary thoughts they actually feel, revealing the delicate lies that keep society intact.

How It Unfolds

Internal division takes root Carter struggles against the harsh realities of a society that classifies him by a single drop of African blood, setting a tone of sharp emotional conflict.

Cosmic bureaucracy stalls God, Death, and the Devil debate the fate of Old Man Murtrie, unable to agree on whether his piety or his drug habit determines his ultimate destination.

Interrupted tragedy in a boarding house Mr. Gooley attempts to seal his room to end his life, only for his landlady to knock on the door and reprimand him for his failure to act like a gentleman.

A stray wanderer encounters war McDermott drinks leftover French brandy in a shelled town and casually teaches himself to operate a machine gun while deciding if the war outside is worth joining.

An endless search along the tracks Looney travels from city to city across the country, constantly tricked by casual jesters who claim to have seen his missing partner, Slim.

Masks stripped away on stage In the closing one-act play, the polite speech of a husband and wife is contrasted directly with their hidden, mercenary thoughts as an unwanted relative dies.

The People

• Carter wants peace of mind, but he is trapped in a bitter internal conflict where the white and black aspects of his identity harbor mutual hatred, leaving him with an unavoidable sense of inner torment.
• Old Man Murtrie is an extremely elderly, frail man who wants nothing more than to continue his quiet existence, completely unaware that his drawn-out survival frustrates Death, God, and the Devil.
• Mr. Gooley wants an immediate escape from his agonizing memories and poverty, but his attempt to end his life is interrupted by a landlady who cares more about proper decorum than his impending doom.
• McDermott wants to observe the European war on his own cautious terms, but after consuming several drinks of brandy, he finds himself drawn directly into the fighting behind a machine gun.
• Looney wants to reunite with his lost friend Slim, but his gullible nature and fear of missing a clue keep him endlessly wandering the country's train lines.
• Merriwether Buck wants a sign of human connection in an unfeeling city, leading him to set a desperate, violent ultimatum for the people of New York.

In Its Own Voice

"Wherever Carter went he carried his own hell along inside of him."

A quiet opening sentence captures the central burden of a man torn apart by the racial prejudices of his era.

"Quibble, quibble, quibble!--while Old Man Murtrie goes on and on living! He's lived so long that he is affecting death rates and insurance tables, all by himself..."

Death complains to God and the Devil about an elderly man whose stubborn persistence breaks the natural order of things.

"I dunno phwat the devil it is, the Frinch booze bein' so close to me, inside, or that war so close to me, outside, but I'm gittin' slapey m'silf."

McDermott muses over his liquor as battle rages just outside the windows of a damaged inn.

What It's Really About

The collection centers on the painful space between an individual's private reality and their public presentation. Throughout the stories, characters struggle against social expectations, tragic misunderstandings, and their own hidden motives. The text questions whether human society could survive if absolute honesty replaced polite pretense, while also highlighting how isolation drives people to strange, desperate choices. Through absurd situations—like heavenly figures arguing over a frail drug user or a man putting a city on trial over a meal—the book explores the fragile nature of human connection and the random, unfeeling forces that govern daily life.

Why Read It Today

This collection will appeal to readers who appreciate classic American short fiction that balances sharp social observation with dark, unexpected humor. It offers a vivid glimpse into early twentieth-century life, moving effortlessly between urban boarding houses, rural memory, war-torn Europe, and surreal fantasy. Reading it feels like listening to a perceptive storyteller who sees straight through social posturing yet views human flaws with clear-eyed sympathy.

Readers should be prepared for period-specific elements that reflect the era in which it was written. The opening story addresses early twentieth-century racial attitudes and uses archaic, offensive terminology to highlight the protagonist's profound alienation. Other stories feature phonetic representations of working-class and immigrant dialects, as well as vintage slang that captures the speech of vagrants, soldiers, and city dwellers. Despite these dated elements, the book's core themes—loneliness, identity, and the absurdity of social conventions—remain intensely recognizable today.