The Listener

Set against a backdrop of poverty in rural Texas, the narrative explores the impact of a father's illness on a young boy, Wheelis. His father's tyrannical control fosters Wheelis' insecurities and dependence on his mother. As he attempts to write a novel, he falls ill, realizing he has subconsciously sabotaged himself. This self-discovery leads him to medicine and psychiatry, where he confronts his past. The story delves into the complexities of analysis and the bittersweet nature of understanding one's own life, revealing that insight does not always equate to happiness.