A Bottle of Milk for Mother by Nelson Algren
"A Bottle of Milk for Mother" is a short story by Nelson Algren that explores the dynamics of power and guilt in a tense interrogation setting. The narrative centers on a young Polish hoodlum named Bruno, who finds himself facing off against an experienced and jaded police captain named Kozak. Throughout the story, Bruno struggles to maintain his composure and protect his friend Benkowski while being subjected to Kozak's relentless questioning and psychological manipulation. The captain's presumption of guilt leads to a series of attempts to break down Bruno's defenses, including undermining his self-worth and challenging his pride.
The story captures the themes of loyalty, identity, and the harsh realities of life for young men in urban environments. As the interrogation unfolds, it becomes evident that Bruno's determination to shield his friend may come at a significant personal cost. The title, underscoring the innocence of a simple act intended for a mother, contrasts sharply with the darker elements of crime and survival that permeate the narrative. Algren’s work ultimately reflects on the complexities of human experience in the face of authority and societal expectations.
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A Bottle of Milk for Mother by Nelson Algren
First published: 1941
Type of plot: Naturalistic
Time of work: The 1930's
Locale: Chicago
Principal Characters:
Bruno "Lefty" Bicek , the protagonist, a hoodlum and boxerCaptain Kozak , his principal interrogatorSergeant Adamovitch , an older police officerA newspaper reporter , the witness to the interrogation
The Story
"A Bottle of Milk for Mother" is an interrogation story that pits a young Polish hoodlum against an experienced, cynical police captain. From the time that he is brought into the interrogation room until he is led to his cell, Bruno struggles to maintain his composure, to use his street knowledge of law, and to avoid implicating his friend and accomplice Benkowski. Unfortunately for Bruno, while he succeeds in shielding Benkowski, his case is "well disposed of," and he is left to tell himself, "I knew I'd never get to be twenty-one anyhow."
Rather than have his men tell their story about the robbery and shooting of the drunk, Kozak insists on Bruno telling his own story. From the start, Kozak assumes Bruno's guilt, as well as Benkowski's, and Bruno is quickly reduced from denying knowledge of the drunk to explaining how the one shot must have "bounced." Kozak dismisses out of hand the "just getting a bottle of milk for Mother" explanation, and then he attacks Bruno's ego. First, Kozak breaks Bruno's valuable spring-blade knife, a symbol of his manhood, and Bruno winces "as though he himself had received the blow." Then Kozak calls Bruno "Lefty," thereby appealing to his vanity, for he is proud of his pitching prowess, but also encouraging him to talk. Just as the appeal to motherhood fails, so do his appeals to identification ("I'm just a neighborhood kid"), to political interference (he "innocently" refers to his ties to the "alderman," Kozak's brother), to ethnicity (he claims that he spoke Polish to the drunk and tried to make him a better Polish "citizen"), and even to patriotism (his gang is not the Warriors but the "Baldhead True American Social 'n Athletic Club").
As Bruno continues his story, Kozak abruptly intervenes with questions that assume Bruno's guilt. When Bruno talks about his pitching arm, Kozak interjects, "So you kept the rod in your left hand?" When Bruno inadvertently mentions that "we" saw the drunk, Kozak notes the reference and asks, "Who's 'we,' Left-hander?" When Bruno declares that he does not know Benkowski very well, Kozak catches him in the lie. By the time that Bruno finishes his rambling story about what "possessed" the gang to shave their heads, there is no question about his guilt. After he refuses to implicate Benkowski, only the sentencing remains, and he receives no mercy.
Perhaps because Benkowski has advised him, Bruno assumes that he will be able to escape relatively unscathed. He considers acting "screwy," weighs the chances of having a conviction overturned because of the newspaperman's presence, figures that the "bouncing bullet" will mean manslaughter instead of murder, and believes that because "this is a first offense 'n self-defense," he will receive only "one to fourteen" years as a sentence. Kozak asks, "Who give you that idea?" He appears to know that Bruno has been counseled, probably by Benkowski, and when Bruno again fails to cooperate, he explains that, in fact, he will not be able to "lam out" of the death penalty for first-degree murder. Bruno's fate is sealed when Kozak asks, "What do you think we ought to do with a man like you, Bicek?" While Bruno notices the change from the familiar "Lefty" to the more impersonal "Bicek," he does not notice the significance of "man." Bruno has referred to himself as a "kid" to win sympathy—and to avoid the "adult" murder charge—and Kozak has called Bruno and his gang "boys." Although it is true that Bruno does not want to be considered a "greenhorn sprout," he is not ready to be treated and tried as an adult.
Bruno passes from boyhood to manhood and then to a state of nonbeing. Once Kozak has "disposed" of his case, Bruno ceases to exist for the authorities. Kozak studies the charge sheet "as though Bruno 'Lefty' Bicek were no longer in the room" and looks at Bruno with "no light of recognition." Bruno implores the police officers, "Don't look at me like I ain't nowheres," but no one listens to him. At this point, Bruno is not a person but a "case" for Kozak; for Adamovitch, the traditionalist, Bruno is a sinner who must be made to feel his guilt. When he sees Bruno go down on his knees, he is satisfied that the unrepentant sinner has turned to God. Bruno, however, is only groping for his hat. The image with which the reader is left is not one of the repentant sinner or even of a defiant young man; it is one of a man "on all fours" like an animal, certain only of his impending death.