Under the Sky

In the introduction to the story, "Under The Sky," Bowles introduces Jacinto and establishes him as a character at odds with the world- Jacinto is reproachful towards the townsman, distant from the people off the train, critical of the locals for never "looking up" and resentful of the "yellow haired" travelers, to whom he experiences a kind of rage. This resentment that he has could be very much due to his economic status, as when the traveler smiles at him she sparks a rage within him for "thinking he could pay her enough money," with the simple gesture of hospitality. Jacinto is at odds with humanity and seems like a loner. In Bowles' description of the setting it lacks the flowery writing he sometimes employs and instead describes a dusty landscape that adds to the image of Jacinto's solitude.

In the closing, though depicting rape, Jacinto offers the woman a sort of "kindness," by laying down his shirt and walking her back to the hotel. I think this scene coupled with the image of him crying thinking about her because this is one of the few examples of contact we see Jacinto have. He has a longing for human contact but also the resentment of the people he comes into contact with.