Symbolism, Setting, and Objects from Tales of Ordinary Madness

Object Descriptions

This section provides a short description of all the major objects in the book. This can be printed out as a study guide for students, used as a "key" for leading a class discussion, or you can jump to the quiz/homework section to find worksheets that incorporate these descriptions into a variety of question formats.

Objects

An Apartment in Los Angeles - This place is the backdrop of many of the stories of this collection.

Prison - This place appears a few times in the story, sometimes because of Bukowski's belligerent drinking.

Shiv - This object is a homemade knife usually made from a toothbrush or some other scavenged material in prison.

Panama - This object is a type of broad-brimmed hat. Mad Jimmy obtains one and is immensely proud of his appearance because of it.

College Campus - This is a place where Charles Bukowski gives readings sometimes.