In both these stories, individuals try to understand their parents' ethical choices. In Nathan Englander's "Free Fruit for Young Widows," Etgar tries to make sense of his father's kindness to Professor Tendler, whom he judges to be a bad person. In Edwidge Danticat's "The Book of the Dead," Ka tries to take in her father's revelation that in his past he was "the hunter" and "not the prey." Interestingly, Englander lets us (and Etgar) hear the details that explain why Tendler elicits Shimmy's empathy, while Danticat gives us (and Ka) much less to work with in our attempt to understand Mr. Bienaime's dark past.
Why do you think the authors made these choices to reveal or not reveal more of the character in question's past? What is the effect of that choice in each story? How does that choice contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole?
PS. Here are links to both stories:
"Free Fruit for Young Widows"
"The Book of the Dead"
