Written from a first person viewpoint, and set in early twentieth century Ohio, the story revolves around the summer and fall working experiences of a nineteen-year old boy working with horses in the racing business. The plot specifically hinges on an encounter with a girl attending a race.

After getting a Saturday off from work to attend a race, the character treats his ego. His level of pride had been building in the description of the events leading up this point in the story, and seems to indicate that his pride will be a focus of the conflict. The character recognizes genuine potential in himself, but this slowly grows to an inflated self-analysis. The conflict in the story begins with an encounter with a man who repulses the protagonist with a reflection of pride: "In the bar there w

At the race the protagonist meets a girl who is out for the day with her brother Wilbur and his date. As the protagonist toys with the attentions of the group, they invite him to join them and end up spending the rest of the day together. The protagonist sets up the conflict by lying about himself and his background to appeal to the strangers. Though spinning extended yarns about his genealogy and socio-economic standing, he doesn't fear any consequences since he expects the acquaintance to last only an afternoon. Only when his interest in the girl Lucy is returned does he begin to regret his lies. Tension builds through the afternoon and evening. The protagonist feels even more uncomfortable as he comes to realize and think about character qualities in his companions. The companions seem to represent a moral and social standard that the protagonist wants to attain, but cannot, having thrown away his chance because of his deception. He cannot redeem his honesty until he tells the truth, but chooses to maintain his pride instead.

After reading how much he enjoyed his job in the opening of the story, one wonders exactly what that last sentence means in a practical sense. Is he going to let this hard lesson tear him down, or will he learn from it and move on? Or is he simply overstating himself as a warning to others? The author leaves the answers to these questions t

Some common words found in the essay are:
I'm Fool, Gee I'd, Sherwood Anderson's, windsor tie, i'm fool, girl lucy, day protagonist, events leading,
Approximate Word count = 926
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)