Analysis of Eli

A drug addict, set-up for something he has not done is brought to the hospital for a “quick fix”. In the story Eli by Vincent Lam many different devices are used. Irony, Stereotypes and theme are all relevant parts of the story. The irony of the characters, how they are stereotyped as well as the main theme, all have important roles to play.

“Police stand and talk and lean on things as if they belong anywhere.” (pg 166, Doctor Fitzgerald) Police are stereotyped to all be good people who follow the law due to the fact that they are ‘the law’. In this story the police officers take a different route and the darker side is shown. There is evidence in the story that leads to show that police officers are not all that they seem. The reader is lead to believe that the officers are outrageous people who have no moral for the law. In the midst of trying to ‘cover up’ their tracks by saying their convict, “slipped and hit his head while getting into the cruiser.” The officers, besides lying so blatantly about their convict, care not for the safety of the doctor. Eli, a rogue drug addict, comes up and bites the doctor all due to the officers’ hands ‘slipping’. Police normally would not do these acts, yet in this story they are shown true. The police officers are ironic and stereotypical characters.

Drug addicts are always portrayed as the bad guy. In Eli the convict is a hardcore drug addict, but is set-up for something he has not done. The convict is asked for names he doesn’t have and this results in his forehead being split open. Rowdy as he is during his time in the hospital screaming “Set-up, it was a set-up! [Pulling and rattling] the metal bands tight on both wrists,” (pg 168) has in all actuality, innocent of any wrong doing he was convicted of. The doctor tries to ‘throw him a lead’ by getting him to pretend to be crazy, but being testy as he is trashed that idea and left Eli to fend for himself. This drug addict backwards as it may be is another ironic and stereotyped character.

A theme within the story is the illustration of human nature. Within the story all of the characters have their own idea of how the situation should play out but it never goes according to plan. The doctor, in the beginning timid but aware of what is happening, the police officers self absorbed and suffering from lack of moral, and Eli the poor soul who got caught in all of this mess. Each character wants out of the hospital and away from each other but the lack of cooperation and truth keeps everyone in the hospital longer than need be. The doctor unhappy in the situation retorts to the officer “Your boy too strong for you?” (pg 177 Doctor Fitzgerald) adding to the frustration and angst in the room. The officers snickering and laughing at everything, all due to the fact of the doctor’s frustration and the drug addicts pain. Poor Eli, wound into this series of unfortunate events, yells and screams all because he was set-up. Human nature stops people from doing what is morally right, and in this story that theme is predominant.

After all the trouble that the Doctor, the Officers, and the Convict went through, theme, irony and stereotypes are all very large roles within the story.