The word “Savagery” may only find its way into Tobias Wolff’s text once, however the feeling of the word itself and the themes that align themselves with the word are prevalent throughout and are the key to the story in many aspects and areas (Wolff pg. 200.) This will be done by showing and explaining how Anders and his savagery are a major key to the plot of the short story by examining the words that associate or are by products of his savagery, by showing situations or dialogues that contains this and then how these things relate to the story and its tone, themes or plots overall. Wolff as well as his characters’ relationship to savagery itself goes into what the overall meaning is, even though it really is double sided. The relationship between Anders and Wolff is also an important part to the story and is something that the Author wanted to be very prevalent throughout. These amongst all the other topics contribute to Bullet in the Brain and its plot as well as the analysis of the writing itself.

Anders is created to be the antithesis to Wolff and in doing this Wolff can describe his own life in a backwards way but can also indirectly show his fears and towards life and how truly savage he believes it to be. This reflection theory is backed by the painfully obvious polar opposites between Wolff and his character Anders. Such as Anders being a “Book critic” compared to Wolff obviously being an author or with Anders getting “his ribs kicked in by three police men at an Anti-war rally”, in contrast Wolff a military man, a Vietnam veteran who seemed to be very willing and ready to fight based upon his seemingly frustrated attitude towards being “marooned in the Mekong delta, more of a spectator than a combatant in a war where his skill and heroism were meaningless” (Wolff pgs. 200, 205, 207.)However one thing that you could point out to fight this claim that there opposites is that both have this savagery to them a no holds barred attitude, with Wolff described as someone who possesses “pitiless candor and mordant wit”, which does sound an awful lot like Anders (Wolff pg. 207.) But It becomes very apparent that Wolff can hone it and exclusively use it in writing, while Anders let this seemingly positive trait in his writing consume him, leaving him with no on or off switch with the ability which had a powerful and negative impact his life, literally. 

This then leads us back to what we began with, savagery, and its place within the fabric of the text itself as well as the effect it has on main idea behind the text. Specifically, savagery in relation to Wolff himself and his attitudes, his life and the unpredictability of life as a whole and the lack of control that exists in this world. This, in turn, brings out what Wolff’s fears or maybe even thoughts are towards life, all of which is expressed through Anders and his story. Anders first real example of his beyond controllable tongue is page 202 where he makes a comment about the cashier who shut down early to the women in from of him when he says, “There you go… Justice is done” (Wolff.) The reason why this is important is because it’s the first real time you can see Anders doing continuing on and not letting something go he really should. It comes back to the main point in Anders being the Antithesis of Wolff in terms of the use of his character traits. This then leads into the after math of the “Capisce” incident, however “Capisce” isn’t the important quote here (Wolff pg. 203.) The importance is what comes after in the gruesome description of killing, “The bullet smashed Anders skull and ploughed through his brain and exited behind his right ear, scattering shards of bones into the cerebral cortex”

(Wolff pg. 203/204.) Wolff’s description of the events is what make the quote important and relate back to the main ideas that he was an extremely detailed writer as well as to the fact that without the pure savagery at laughing in someone’s face the real story would have stopped before it even began. The savagery isn’t only lying however with the words but the action themselves. Like the ending of Anders life, savagery provoked and ended the situation entirely, the robber and his actions lead to what is truly the most savage spectacle within the entire book.

Beginning with the start of the first paragraph on page 204 the cards that Wolff has been holding are now beginning to be seen. The lack of control or knowledge past death take over which means Anders begins his descend past many seemingly more important memories then the last. These are the memories Wolff himself wants to have, the fear of not being able to realize or remember things like his daughter “Lecture(ing) to her bear about his naughtiness”, things that in everyday life Anders didn’t appreciate or even think about but now through these last milliseconds and won’t get experience ever again (Wolff pg. 204.) Showing the authors fear of losing his family, turning into Anders and forgetting forever. These proud moments, Anders’ shining accomplishments, everything in his life is gone, because of a lack of composure because of his inability to control his what he thought his largest asset in life was which was his mind and what come from that through his pen or from what he says. “Mercy” (Wolff pg. 205) Even though the quote is out of context due to it being something he said in the past it’s something that is still applicable due to the fact he essentially just did the same thing to himself. Anders is the one falling through time and space or whatever death may be. Anders mercy is the one memory that came to mind while dying, the only memory that he has because he was truly at peace in those days. He wasn’t concerned or judgmental like the Anders that was just shot, he was curious and interested. Something a small child only which is what makes the ending of what Wolff is getting at so important. It is that there is no control over fate, and that there is always an unknown. Back then when he saw someone do something that wasn’t right or something that just made them different like Coyle’s cousin saying “they is”, it brought him joy and he took it for what it was and let it go. The old mean worn down Anders wasn’t that way. Any opportunity given he tore someone down and would belittle them simply because he could not help it and obviously someone enjoyed it. Whether or not you believe in Heaven or god or gods, or if you believe it just ends and fades to black. Nobody will ever know, I think the ending take away from Wolff is just to move on and stop worrying and critiquing because we will all die one day and this savagery that is the world will get you and break you down every way possible. Everyone will have good memories and not so good memories, and coming back at life with as much savagery as it gives to you will not work out so do whatever make you happy. Even though Anders made thing miserable for himself sometime he still loved the misery itself. The child like enthusiasm for vernacular always excited him, which is the real reason why I think that is why it was his final memory. Where his real life really started is the same place in which it ended, happily. 

Whether it be the narration and details behind Anders or Anders directly speaking himself the savagery and bluntness is something that helped mold the plot and the themes of the story throughout. The parallels between Wolff and his main character Anders is the most important thing that Wolff puts in his paper because his true purpose and why he wrote the story itself is that relationship. Savagery and its presence throughout the short story is the constant theme that made the story what it was.  “Bullet in the brain” by Tobias Wolff isn’t a type of story that gets told that often. By that I mean the real reason and meaning aren’t there and it a story that you will truly get out what you put in. 
