Analysis of the Idea in "Haircut" According to the writings of Hugh H. Paschal, "The idea is often equated with the theme, the central meaning of a literary work " (67 ). To reiterate, it can be said that the idea is the central focus of thought that the author tries to impress on his reader through his writings. The importance of the idea in literature is that it usually goes beyond a single statement as it might be found. in an essay to include many provocative insights in a diverse number of areas.... It is not unusual for a single literary work to simultaneously present ideas in several categories covering various topics. (Easter 70) The idea is often linked to the formation of new social movements. This in itself could be considered a potential cause for social change. Given that "ideas are one of the things that distinguish serious literature from everyday literature" (Pasquale 86), it can be said that the idea in literature is a harbinger of social revolution. To illustrate this point, one can examine the idea put forward in Ring Lardner's "Haircut"; for, when a man loses his sense of human perception and feeling, playing brutal pranks as a way to inflate his own ego, he will be caught in the destructive consequences of a prank whose destructive nature to other people he could never have understood or cared about (Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren 145). Among numerous choices to manifest that idea, Lardner employs the use of direct first-person statement through the character of Whitey, He is the one who recounts Jim's relationship problems and failure as a provider to his family (Easter 203). Next, Lardner uses the actions of his character, Jim, to represent this idea, having him send postcards to random people in hopes of bringing at least a small amount of stress into their lives. Finally, Lardner uses the episode in which Jim seeks revenge on Julie Gregg by leveraging his affection for Doc Stair to develop this theme (208). It is through the employment of these techniques that Lardner is able to portray Jim as the tortured comedian, who seeks refuge from his personal mistakes by exploiting the weaknesses of others and revealing his self-destructive intentions. The first method of presentation of ideas employed by Lardner in his story is Whitey's monologue about Jim's relationship with his wife. Often a person's personal problems can weigh heavily on their life, and Jim can be understood as trying to relieve the stress that his failed marriage has brought him...