In the assigned reading of "The Kool-Aid Wino," we were asked to decide whether the boy making the Kool-Aid was to be regarded as a positive or a negative character. My first initial reaction to the story was that I was undecided. After the first classroom group discussion, I still felt that I was undecided; however, I moved more toward the negative perspective. To date, I am just as undecided as I was when I first reviewed the reading.

   I have taken it upon myself to continue to learn more about Richard Brautigan personally and his other works. The insight that I discovered about Brautigan lead me to believe that the boy in the story could be interpreted as a more positive character. Brautigan's childhood was an intensely difficult one, and it can easily be recognized that the boy in the reading is directly related to the author himself as a child. The actual Kool-Aid and the boy's attitude become fairly irrelevant on these premises. The core basis is that the boy is using the ritualistic Kool-Aid scenario as an escape and a protection from the outside world. A world that has hurt a small child who does not know of an alternative way to deal with his feelings.

   To understand a glimpse of why one would conclude that Brautigan is indeed the boy in the story is to also review his works. In Coffee, the story appears to be written as if he is pondering. In other words, as thoughts and ideas come to him. He may take time to think about his thoughts before he puts pen to paper, but he did not seem to write, rewrite, or rethink his work. This is also apparent in the work Surprise. Although the content of both pieces do not appear to be related, the style is very recognizable. Brautigan expresses his thoughts and feelings as they appear to him at that particular time and place and what I think appears to be with little regard for how society and others will interpret his work. Because of this, I interpret "The Kool-Aid Wino" as Brautigan telling of his past and possibly offering us insight into why he is who he is. Further, I am the opinion that this piece shows how Brautigan could appear to be cold and selfish to the world, but there are deeper reasons for his actions.