The Day They Took My Uncle by Lionel G. García
"The Day They Took My Uncle" by Lionel G. García is a poignant narrative that explores the complexities of mental illness and familial relationships within a small-town Texan setting. The story is narrated by a young boy who reflects on his uncle, a man troubled by madness and alcoholism, whose erratic behavior has become a source of both embarrassment and fascination for the townsfolk. The uncle's episodes of anger and delusion often culminate in public outbursts, creating a spectacle for the local community.
The boy's recollections reveal a deep bond with his uncle, juxtaposed with the discomfort caused by his uncle's actions, which affect the family’s social standing. García vividly portrays the societal attitudes towards mental health during this time, emphasizing the stigma and the often harsh measures taken to manage such conditions. The narrative unfolds as the authorities, prompted by the uncle's increasingly disruptive behavior, decide that he must be institutionalized. This decision leads to a climactic scene where the boy witnesses the sheriff’s search for his uncle, culminating in a poignant moment of fear and helplessness.
While the uncle is eventually returned home, he remains unchanged, holding a card that declares him "not a menace to society," leaving the reader to ponder the implications of mental health care and the heartfelt ties that bind families even in difficult circumstances. The story invites reflection on how communities navigate the complexities of love, shame, and vulnerability in the face of mental illness.
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The Day They Took My Uncle by Lionel G. García
First published: 1992
Type of plot: Domestic realism
Time of work: The 1940's
Locale: A small Texas town
Principal Characters:
The boy , the narrator of the storyMercé , his uncle, a local madmanHis parents The sheriff , who takes away the uncle
The Story
The narrator recalls a moment during his childhood in Texas when he and his young girlfriend played under the house, and she gave him his first look at female genitalia. He then remembers his uncle, a man he recalls as "insane, crazy." The uncle's madness manifested itself in bouts in which he would yank his earlobes violently and curse at people obscenely while remarking on imaginary scandalous events of their past. The narrator particularly remembers the moment when his uncle called the town mayor "a sonofabitch and a son of a whore, plus a bastard" and then accused the mayor's wife of being unfaithful by taking up with the mayor's cousin.
As the uncle's favorite relative, the boy often saw his disquieting episodes. In addition to being mad, the uncle also had a drinking problem. According to the boy's grandmother, the uncle's madness began when he drank the remains of a bottle of beer "that had been laced with a special potion, a potion so powerful it would cause insanity." At the local bar, which was the uncle's favorite hangout, the townsmen enjoyed watching his episodes, hooting and hollering as he paced back and forth screaming his insults. Unable afterward to recall what he had done, he quickly became gentle and docile. The man's behavior naturally embarrassed the boy and his sister—who lost her first suitor because of his lunacy and because the young man "would never call on a girl who had heard so many curse words in her young life."
The narrator reflects on the joys of small-town life, when things were simple. Even when his uncle died, there was no need to learn the cause. In a small town, people die: That is all one needs to know. While the uncle was alive, he had only one set of tasks to perform each day: milking the cow in the morning, taking her out to pasture, bringing her back before sunset, and milking her once more before putting her up for the night. When he had maniacal episodes or got drunk, however, he would forget his responsibility, leaving the boy and his father to search for the cow, which the uncle never left in the same pasture twice.
One day the uncle cursed the mayor one time too many and the town leaders—including the local priest and sheriff—decided it was time to put him away in a mental institution in Galveston. Selected to perform this task, the sheriff arrived at the house at the same moment at which the narrative begins—with the boy under the house with his girlfriend.
From this hidden vantage point the boy sees and hears everything. The sheriff doubts the boy's mother when she says that the uncle is not home. After searching the house, the sheriff turns his attention to the toolshed. As he approaches it, the boy's mother and grandmother plead for the uncle, who they know is hiding there. The sheriff keeps his hand on his revolver, expecting the uncle to become violent when he is discovered, but after hunting with his uncle many times and never bagging anything, the boy knows that his uncle is incapable of hurting any living creature.
The sheriff enters the toolshed and causes a great commotion as he searches it. From under the house, the boy knows that his uncle planned to hide there, but then he detects the faint smell of stale beer: His uncle is now under the house also. As the uncle confesses his fear of being sent away, he enters another maniacal episode, crawls out from beneath the house, and begins tugging his earlobes violently and loudly cursing about the sexual antics of the priest and the nuns who live across the street.
The sheriff tackles the uncle and handcuffs him. As the madman gets into the sheriff's car, his relatives tell him to behave himself in the hospital so that he can return soon. When the car pulls away, the boy's father chases it calling to the uncle to tell him where the cow is pasturing.
A year later, the uncle returns home. Although he is not cured, he carries a card stating that he is "not a menace to society."