Burn Summary and Analysis

In "Burn," Goolrick describes the environment he grew up in during the late 1940s and early 1950s. To Goolrick, the era is represented by hairdos and cocktails, both of which were widely discussed and a major part of each day. The ability of men to make a perfect cocktail was vital during the endless stream of parties held in the neighborhood, and the wittiness and charm of all the guests was as important as their clothing. The people Goolrick remembers lived life as though they were taken out of New Yorker magazines at the time. There were constant cocktail parties and dinner parties, and Goolrick's mother and father dressed and acted as though they had money, as everyone did, even though they did not. Goolrick and his siblings would work at the parties, passing food and drinks, as they listened to...