Accident
It’s rare a piece written in second person works. Most of the time it’s awkward, or cluttered, and more often than not, we’d prefer authors avoid it all together. Dave Eggers is a rare exception with his (very) short story, Accident.
Eggers uses second person (addressing the reader as “you”) as a way of making a simple story— the stress of a car accident, into an emotional journey. He picks apart the situation in such detail that you can easily follow the progression of the protagonist’s (your) reaction. From the Camaro, to the attitude of the teenage boy, you’ve seen it all before. Eggers draws you in with a relatable story, but shapes it into a much deeper revelation. The last sentence, seemingly a wild digression from the story’s content, sums up that emotion you can’t quite put your finger on. It’s not a story about a car accident anymore. It’s everything you’ve ever felt about loneliness and panic and being alive. It’s why soldiers, who could burn the skin off their enemies with mustard gas one day, could come together in truce on one WWI Christmas Eve. It’s why people give a damn about Fight Club (though Brad Pitt’s abs get an honorable mention -Taylor). It’s why Mama Pugs can overcome her hate for Dave Eggers and appreciate the story.
“In a moment of clarity, you finally understand why boxers, who want so badly to hurt each other, can rest their heads on the shoulders of their opponents, can lean against one another like tired lovers, so thankful for a moment of peace.”
- Taylor Anderson B. and Walter Ernest W.
