Subscribe in a reader

Tin House: Uncertainty
by Joshua Ferris

Uncertainty, a short story by Joshua Ferris, explores themes of powerlessness and the prospect of bleak futures over which we may have no control.

He does this through the eyes of two main characters, a young, married couple, living in New York. Nate is a climatologist, who teaches and researches global warming. His wife, whose name we don’t know is a lawyer, early in her career, still paying off student loans. Interestingly, it is the woman’s first person view that Mr. Ferris chooses to write in. In this, he does an admirable job.

Nate’s field of research has filled him with a sense of hopelessness, that the world will inevitably end, and there is nothing he can do about it. His wife begins to feel this same hopelessness about the future of their marriage. Although Nate feels free to express his despair, his wife does not. Any expression of her despair will have much more immediate consequences.

The outlet for the feelings that Nate & his wife share comes in the form of a downstairs neighbor, and his dog. The neighbor, Fat Archie, seems to mistreat his dog in a way that reminds Nate of the carelessness of man toward the environment. They soon discover the dog is sick, and will die, but Fat Archie seems to accept this eventuality with little or no concern.

This sets Nate and his wife on a reckless course of action, each of them motivated by their own despair. In the end they must make a decision to save themselves - for Nate, his sanity, and for his wife, their future.

While Uncertainty is well written, the metaphors are too obvious. It would have been more entertaining as a reader to discover a particular metaphor on ones own. As written, Fat Archie and his dog are highlighted in yellow marker.

Themes of despondency and powerlessness can be interesting, but here they are overwhelming. We know exactly why Nate is upset because he literally tells us why, instead of the reader discovering his motivation in some part through his actions. His wife’s character is shaded more delicately, and it takes a bit of work to understand her. To me, that’s part of the fun of a good story.

Read Uncertainty for yourself and tell us what you think.

About the Reviewer
I’m Ed. I’m a smoker, a social drinker, and I can knock out a New York Times crossword Monday through Friday. I’m ambidextrous when it comes to brushing my teeth, and I can parallel park in a way that makes some people weep at the very beauty of it. I can tap a keg, catch a fly ball, change the oil, and cut a straight line every time. I can make you laugh when you’re feeling down, and I can tell when you’re lying. I’m old enough to care, and young enough to do something about it. I’ve seen the Burning Man burn. I’m urban, I’m old school, and I’m Midwestern. And I know when it’s time to shut up.

Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts