Edison, New Jersey

            The story Edison New Jersey fits the contemporary realism genre perfectly. This story is about an average man who delivers pool and card tables to peoples homes. He works with a man named Wayne, and together they go to people’s homes and assemble pool tables. At times when a customer is unfair or doesn't tip, they take a walk around the house and try and find little things to steal. Most of the time it is something like a cookie or bathroom supplies. The main character is a thief yet he is still a likeable character. Since we see the story from his perspective we learn why he steals and what he does with the money.

            He steals from the store he works at by pocketing the money that he gets when the customers purchase something. A lot of times he stole this money to pay for useless stuff for his ex-girlfriend. Somehow it would take the main character two and a half years to buy his own pool table if he saved; yet he still spent all of his money on his ex-girlfriend. This tells us that although the main character doesn't have a lot of money he enjoys spending the money to make him feel like the people who he works for.

            This story has an interesting perspective for precisely this reason. It shines light on how people who can’t afford to live a luxurious life have to abide to those that do. Also it shows what it is like watching the ultra rich live this life. How do people give value to themselves in a scenario like this?

“Most people don't realize how sophisticated pool tables are. Yes, tables have bolts and staples on the rails but these suckers hold mostly together by gravity and by precision of their construction. If you treat a good table right it will outlast you. Believe me. Cathedrals are built like that. There are Incan roads that even today you couldn't work a knife between the cobblestones. The sewers that the Romans built were so good that they weren’t replaced till the 1950’s. That’s the sort of thing that I can believe in.”

This passage has a lot of meaning because it shows how a person who has the simple job of putting pool tables together gives value to his life. He thinks that he his job has a lot of meaning because of well he does it. For him its not just building a pool table, it's a masterpiece. This could even be the same for someone who works at a subway. They can create the perfect sandwich and feel accomplished just because of how well it’s constructed.