Summary of Canins Emperor of the Air :: essays research papers

RR - â€Å"Emperor of the Air† Connections Our traditions are what keep families together. From a gold locket to an old photograph, these items are irreplaceable. What they hold to them are memories of those before us and moments in history that have passed. In the story, â€Å"Emperor of the Air† by Ethan Canin, an elderly man is forced to give up the one thing that his family has left behind: a two hundred year old elm tree. It holds the memories of his childhood and still shows signs of life that may still last for years to come. As the story begins, the narrator, introduces himself as â€Å"sixty-nine years old, [who] lives in the same house [he] was raised in, and [has] been the high school biology and astronomy teacher† (3) in the same town. Though he is married, he has no children which gives both he and his wife Vera opportunities to travel the world. However, due to a heart attack, his wife now travels solo because his body has weakened from the occurrence. He often feels lonely because his wife travels for weeks and his only entertainment are stars. A sudden situation erupts between he and his neighbor, Mr. Pike. His neighbor informs the man that he must cut down the old elm tree because it is infected with insects that may cause the tree to fall on his home. However, the man is reluctant in doing so because it is over two hundred years of age and holds value to him. It is considered a family heirloom. In an attempt to preserve the tree’s life, the elderly man combines several poisons and spreads it around the tree. For a short while it actually works, but soon the insects reappear causing the situation to escalate. Mr. Pike with no other alternatives, contacts the authorities and the request to cut down the elm tree is granted. In order to save his tree, the old man decides to take some insects from his tree and spread it to his neighbor’s elm trees.