Thom Jones's "Mosquitoes"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how Thom Jones uses double meanings and symbolism in "Mosquitoes" to convey his message. The author points out that, at first glance, the story seems to be normal enough: a doctor telling his experiences when he visits his brother; but the constant references to mosquitoes in the story mean more than meets the eye. The paper concludes that Jones, through his character, "Bob", states that humans are no better than animals and may be even worse. The worst of all are not the criminals, junkies, or prostitutes, but rather, the worst are the prosperous, upper-class people.

From the Paper:

"Toward the beginning of Jones's story, Bob is making his way to his brother Clendon's house in Middlebury, Vermont. When he got there, he was surprised to find, what looked to be a mosquito infestation throughout the entire area. The infestation was intended by Jones to take on two different meanings. One was the obvious literal meaning of an infestation by mosquitoes and the other was an infestation by the people in the world that represents all that is evil in Bob's mind. The symbolism here is perfect for a comparison. Not only do mosquitoes annoy and bother people but also they spread disease."

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