Short stories: Himes and Simenon

Georges Simenon writes in statements. Reading the first page of the short story, “Maigret’s Pipe.” that is what comes to mind first. That each sentence stands by itself, a confident man, no need for back up or questioning or movement. This is that and that is this. It feels distance. I read it as a story, not as anything real… is that it? No, not quite. It feels that this is looking back. Written from comfort. Is it possible to sense the writers comfort through their writing? Of course it is. This story also starts by describing the favorite inanimate objects of Maigret, his pipes. And this in itself is a statement of comfort, isn’t it?

Chester Himes’ short story “Head Waiter” starts with a character entering a scene, w/out knowing anything about him yet, he tells us quickly. Himes includes more of the emotional state and his writing seems to be happening now. Or is it how racism pervades in this short story. I am tense and worried for the head waiter, black, having had the job for so long that this story must end with his destruction. These lines are written from a head on position to the world. The protagonist here has a lot on their plate, a lot to deal with. There is very little rest and relaxation in their life and this comes across in the way they are formed.

The characters that have the power in Himes’s short story are not the characters that we are seeing through. Himes’ characters continue to be shaken, and shaped by the forces of white supremacy. It is hard for these characters to feel like individual in the worlds Himes puts them, but Himes affirms their individualism while at the same time he shows these characters daily breaks, or those breaks that are always on the edge of happening.

Right now it is easier for me to compare, back and forth, two authors rather than figure out how to talk about only one. Having the two to compare allows for realizations of what both are doing.