The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories Chapter Summary & Analysis - Minor Heroism by Allan Gurganus Summary

Minor Heroism by Allan Gurganus Summary

Minor Heroism is a story divided into three parts: "At War, At Home," "My Elder Son," and "Addendum." All three parts address the relationship between a father and son. In the first part, the son, Bryan, discusses his father's early life and marriage. His father began his life as a farm boy, but then enlisted in the Second World War, where he served well. His grandmother met Eleanor Roosevelt, and his father met Betty Grable. After the war, he began a career as an insurance salesman, and married a girl he met before the war, finally setting into life as a dull family man. In this section, the narration shifts from first-person of "my father" to third, "he," and finally to second, "you." In the second section, the father describes his son Bryan as a disappointment. He finds him effeminate and wimpy,...
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