The Thinker Summary

Seth Richmond watches wagons full of berry pickers drive past his house. The men are chattering, boisterous and making crude jokes. He is irritated by them and regrets that he cannot act in such a manner. Seth's father, Clarence, was killed in a street fight with the editor of a newspaper in Toledo. He tried to shoot the editor because his name was mentioned in the paper in regards to a woman schoolteacher. Upon his death, it was discovered that he had squandered money in speculative investments. Despite this, Seth's mother, with whom he lives, speaks highly of his father and hopes that Seth turned out like him.

Seth's mother cannot understand why Seth does not react like other children do. He simply looks her straight in the eyes when she scolds him, rather than trembling and crying. She doesn't know...