Американские боги

           Withoutindividualsweseeonlynumbers:athousanddead,ahundredthousanddead,"casualtiesmayrisetoamillion."Withindividualstories,thestatisticsbecomepeople—buteventhatisalie,forthepeoplecontinuetosufferinnumbersthatthemselvesarenumbingandmeaningless.Look,seethechild’sswollen,swollenbelly,andthefliesthatcrawlatthecornersofhiseyes,hisskeletallimbs:willitmakeiteasierforyoutoknowhisname,hisage,hisdreams,hisfears?Toseehimfromtheinside?Andifitdoes,arewenotdoingadisservicetohissister,wholiesinthesearingdustbesidehim,adistorted,distendedcaricatureofahumanchild?Andthere,ifwefeelforthem,aretheynowmoreimportanttousthanathousandotherchildrentouchedbythesamefamine,athousandotheryoungliveswhowillsoonbefoodfortheflies’ownmyriadsquirmingchildren?

           Wedrawourlinesaroundthesemomentsofpain,andremainuponourislands,andtheycannothurtus.Theyarecoveredwithasmooth,safe,nacreouslayertoletthemslip,pearl-like,fromoursoulswithoutrealpain.

           Fictionallowsustoslideintotheseotherheads,theseotherplaces,andlookoutthroughothereyes.Andtheninthetalewestopbeforewedie,orwedievicariouslyandunharmed,andintheworldbeyondthetaleweturnthepageorclosethebook,andweresumeourlives.

           Alife,whichis,likeanyother,unlikeanyother.

           Andthesimpletruthisthis:therewasagirlandherunclesoldher.