In the following excerpt, Winther discusses reasons for reading "Redemption," including the forcefulness of Gardner's writing, the autobiographical nature of the writing, and the opportunity to see the effect of Gardner's personal tragedy on his writing.

"Redemption" also belongs to this group of stories which describe and explore the vulnerary function of art. The theme of this story differs somewhat from that of the other three, but the subject matter is the same: the protagonist seeks consolation in the world of music after the death of his brother. Jack Hawthorne, the protagonist, was driving a tractor when his younger brother, David, fell off and was run over and killed by the cultipacker the tractor was hauling. Driven by guilt and self-hatred, the young boy tries to deal with his confusion caused by the accident by perfecting his skills on the French horn; he uses the horn as...