The Important Things in Life

In “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pockets”, Jack Finney uses characterizations, internal conflicts and settings to show how some things are important enough for one to risk their life for, while others are not.

The characterization of a person is very important to everybody who interacts with people on a regular basis. In “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pockets”, the main character, Tom Benecke is portrayed to be a person of a very specific character. When his wife, Clare, was leaving the house, “he walked to the front-door closet to help her on with her coat. He kissed her then, and for an instant, holding her close, smelling the perfume she had used, he was tempted to go with her…” (8)

This scene portrays Tom to be a very loving husband. Since he loves his wife so much, so much as a chance to see her would be something Tom would be willing to risk his life for.

Internal conflicts, as well as character, are a big part of every person’s life, from as small as deciding what shirt one should, to deciding whether or not to kill oneself. Tom Benecke, has many conflicts, all beginning with the conflict of whether or not to climb out the window. Then, “by a kind of instinct, he instantly began making his intention acceptable to himself by laughing at it.” (11)

Tom, in this case, was trying to reason with himself to decide whether or not the paper was important enough to risk his life for. Soon, he made it outside and to the paper, but then he looked down and saw the ground. He became paralyzed with fear and cried for help, but “if anyone heard him, there was no sign of it, and presently, Tom Benecke knew he had to try moving; there was nothing else he could do.” (16)

At this point, Tom Benecke had not yet reached the paper, nor did he care about it anymore. All he cared about was safely returning to his apartment. Receiving the paper at this point presented more risk than it was worth. Soon afterwards, Tom finally made it to his window, but he jammed it to the point that he couldn’t open it again to get back inside. He wanted to hit the window to break it, so “he waited, arm drawn back, fist balled, but in no hurry to strike…Then with full power, with every last scrap of strength he could bring to bear, he shot his arm forward toward the glass, and he said “Clare!”” (25)

Tom knew when he punched the glass that if it didn’t break, he would die, but Clare was important enough to risk his life for.

While setting may not seem like it, it is important to many situations to set the mood. When Tom Benecke looked 11 stories down, “in that instant, he saw the Loew’s theater sign… the miles of traffic signals…the lights of cars and street lamps… countless neon signs; and the moving black dots of people. And a violent, instantaneous explosion of absolute terror roared through him.” (14) In that moment, Tom realized how important his life was, compared to the paper.

If something important was put at risk, there is no definite way to decide how to go about the situation. It all depends on the person. A good idea would be, however, is to think if the thing one is trying to accomplish is more important than what one is risking