23 pages 46 minutes read

Denis Johnson

Emergency

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1991

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Essay Topics

1.

What does Georgie say to Fuckhead that causes Fuckhead to recognize the difference between them? What is the difference, and why does this realization matter to Fuckhead?

2.

What are the various meanings of the story’s title? What is the emergency of the story? Are there multiple emergencies?

3.

Analyze the exchange between Georgie and Fuckhead about how Fuckhead got his name. How does his name characterize the narrator, and why is his dialogue with Georgie important to understanding the story?