During the night, Hensch performed a series of impressive knife throwing acts that left his audience in awe... What is the genre of "The Knife Thrower"? After a series of throws, the assistant tells the audience to be very quiet as the master knife thrower is going to mark her with a knife. The crowd takes a deep breath as the hoops are tossed again, and suddenly, he fixes three hoops against the wall with a single knife. Young women particularly have willingly let themselves be wounded by him, and the townspeople acknowledge that without this hint of the forbidden and sadistic, they would not have been drawn to the performance. The Knife Thrower by Steven Millhauser. The only knife throwers any of us had ever seen were in the circus sideshow or the carnival ten-in-one, along with the fat lady and the human skeleton. In what ways is it alike or different? So fast that the audience almost does not see him do it, Hensch throws his knife and perfectly impales the innocent and beautiful butterfly against the boards. Tension begins to grow in the crowd as the audience wonders why Hensch ignored the hoop. The first-person plural narrator, “we,” begins by recounting when the townspeople first learn that the renowned knife thrower, Hensch, would be giving a single performance at 8 p.m. on Saturday night. Whether priority is placed on independence or community vigilance also seems to be a primary concern for this story. His followers are "many, young women especially, who longed to be wounded by the master and to bear his scar proudly.". 1. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines satire as “a literary work holding up... eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Millhauser also focuses on one night and one performance by Hensch to tighten the focus of the story. The fact that Millhauser does not name the assistant although he names each of the volunteers makes Hensch and his assistant seem to be a single, outside unit, in contrast to the volunteers, who are members of the community. The language used in the story is deceptively plain and simple and thus underlines the mounting horror and wonder. Although the townspeople know that Hensch is a knife thrower, they are not certain exactly what he does. Why or why not? The community leaves the scene affirming the need for making a living but blaming Hensch for going too far. The ambiguity of the townspeople’s response to the news is based on the reputation of Hensch, who is a skilled artist but is surrounded by strange rumors. Why would they each want to be marked? His beautiful female assistant, wearing a flowing white gown, releases six hoops that his knives catch against the wall in a complicated pattern. The knife throwing takes an increasingly dangerous and suspenseful turn as Hensch’s assistant stands against the wall while he throws the knives, one after the other and they strike nearer and nearer to her flesh. About The Knife Thrower and Other Stories; The Knife Thrower and Other Stories Summary; Character List; Glossary; Themes; Read the Study Guide for The Knife Thrower and Other Stories… The story is built around the white of purity, the black of the master and the initiated, and the red of the blood that is the process and effect of transgression. The genre of the short story “The Knife Thrower” by Steven Millhauser would probably most aptly be described as satire. Should Hensch be held responsible for those that he harms? The knife thrower can be seen as a cult figure for this community, a momentary visitor who incites strange and deeply felt emotions. From these "unnatural" pleasures comes a sense of identity, for those participating and for those just watching. 3. For example, should his act be stopped? Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Knife throwing is an art, sport, combat skill, or variously an entertainment technique, involving an artist skilled in the art of throwing knives, the weapons thrown, and a target. See our A-Level Essay Example on The Knife thrower, Other Criticism & Comparison now at Marked By Teachers. Then they see the trickle of blood down her neck, and they applaud as she takes her bow. Millhauser uses color as a manifestation of the sides that the community is battling between and to demonstrate the rite of passage that the initiates must go through. Although the townspeople know that Hensch is a knife thrower, they are not certain exactly what he does. Why or why not? Hensch places his own hand, palm up, on a table. ), the resources below will generally offer The Knife Thrower chapter summaries, quotes, and … Like many cult figures, part of his appeal is the offer of an identity of sorts from association with him. Thus begins a tale that explores the deep recesses of desire, the formation of identity and the fascination with controlled (and sometimes not so controlled) danger. When she returns after leaving the stage for a few minutes, she is dressed in a long black gown with... Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this The Knife Thrower study guide and get instant access to the following: You'll also get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and 300,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. Hensch successfully completes a number of throws but he ignores one hoop that she releases. Following this act, the assistant brings out a live fluttering butterfly in a bowl. © 2020 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Comprehensive Guide to Short Stories, Critical Edition). In the short story "The Knife Thrower," the last candidate is a young girl named Laura. What is Hensch's appeal? This, in addition to his choice of narrative voice, emphasizes the community and the emotions and difficulties it experiences as a result of Hensch's performance. (Comprehensive Guide to Short Stories, Critical Edition). This is reiterated during the performance itself as many offer themselves to be marked: "then there were other hands, young bodies straining forward, eager." It must, we imagined, have galled Hensch to feel himself a freak among freaks; he must have needed a way out. She removes her long white gloves and stands against the wall. He gives out identifying marks that can be used by the receiver as a testament to their belonging somewhere, that they are brave and willing to … Millhauser explores the odd fascination that some societies seem to have about things with which they are not supposed to be fascinated. (Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction). Depending on the study guide provider (SparkNotes, Shmoop, etc. Like many cult figures, part of his appeal is the offer of an identity of sorts from association with him. In the short story "The Knife Thrower," the last candidate is a young girl named Laura. The knife thrower can be seen as a cult figure for this community, a momentary visitor who incites strange and deeply felt emotions. She releases the butterfly, and it ascends. He tosses a knife in the air, and the audience cries out as the knife lands, tip down, on what appears to be his palm. "The Knife Thrower" begins with a community puzzled and bewildered with the knowledge that the infamous Hensch, the knife thrower, is coming to town. The audience, the narrator says, feels a twinge of disappointment—had the master missed his mark? Why or why not? Hensch is an outsider, a transgressor; he has crossed the boundary of his professional code. Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer, Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race. Guilty pleasures seem to be the best kind for many people. The knife strikes the wood beside her neck. Likewise darkness and light are used as examples of the differences between what the community knowingly becomes involved with, what they do not know or expect, and what they wish to ignore in the service of their own excitement. Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer, Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race. 2. What this last line reveals is that the audience, even after such a terrifying performance, refuses to accept that Hensch himself does not go too far; rather, the audience not only encourages but also needs Hensch to perform for them so that they may be reaffirmed in their provincialism and may persist in their righteousness. If it was real and not a setup, how would that affect the community's opinion of the performance? He begins with simple knife throwing and the pinning of objects that have been tossed in the air. The title story examines what happens when a performer possessing almost supernatural skill in his craft feels driven by his own need to excel and by the desires of his audiences—to transgress, using his knives to explore the boundary between art and life, with fatal consequences. The genre of the short story “The Knife Thrower” by Steven Millhauser would probably most aptly be described as satire. The story bears a resemblance to Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” in its mythic yet specific setting.

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