In the story “The Wallet” by Andrew McCuaig, a woman named Elaine works in a toll booth, which she takes a co-worker’s money and hands it to a woman whom Elaine believes is in need. I believe Elaine’s actions were justified, though not by the court of law. Elaine had been harassed by a co-worker at her job named Troy, who had left his wallet, only to return half an hour later and “deliberately rubbed his body up against hers as he retrieved the wallet instead of just standing at the door and asking her to hand it to him”. He then made awkward small talk, and he “raised his wallet in a salute, said good-bye and good luck, and rubbed past her again”. It appears as if Troy is making unnecessary advances toward Elaine, who is clearly not interested in him. Many would agree that Troy is …show more content…
It appears as if Elaine wanted to help this woman out, but she “killed two birds with one stone” by helping her using Troy’s money. Because Troy was very lecherous, Elaine wanted payback. But it is obvious, in the woman’s description in paragraphs four and seven, that she was in need of help. The woman “looked straight ahead, her face hidden by strings of brown hair, both hands locked tight on the wheel”. This could possibly be how the woman reacted to a situation which caused her grief, anger, shock, or distress. And in paragraph seven, when the woman turned to face Elaine, she noticed her “bleary eyes and splotched face”. She also had “an ugly gash below one eye and the skin around it had swollen up and turned purple”. There also seemed to be “an older scar on her nose, and dried blood in the corner of her mouth”. I believe that the woman had been beaten more than once, and she was recently beaten before she arrived at Elaine’s toll booth. This may be the cause of her distress, and perhaps the reason Elaine wanted to help once she saw the woman’s