Sheri in "Good People"

 Good People But It's Narrated For Sheri

    Sheri sat on the picnic table with her elbows bent atop her knees, attempting to inhale the tranquil air of the park. The willow trees swayed as the cool breeze ruffled her clean-pressed shirt, and swayed her clean, blonde hair. She was surprised she could still smell the faint scent of shampoo in her hair, she couldn’t remember when she last washed it. Lane Dean always liked the way she smelled. Sheri knew this, and never forgot about it. On this day too, she knew he was searching for that smell. Searching for something sweet, and familiar. Something he could hold on to while his world shook. He was subliminally inhaling harder than one would to simply breathe. Maybe he was just trying to slow his heart down. Sheri couldn’t tell, and she knew this was a problem. 

    She closed her eyes and bowed her head, attempting to rationalize and pray at the same time. She was “good people”, as Lane Dean’s mother had put it once. Sheri could not bring herself to agree or deny, especially now. She was simply a person- a person with a choice. The problem was that God wouldn’t have bonded her and Lane, just for her to act on her own. Sheri knew this, and cared about Lane- but she knew he wasn’t as used to the ways of the world like she was. They had sinned, and no matter how hard they repented and prayed and rationalized and reflected, nothing would be the same. Sheri knew this, but couldn’t tell if Lane did.

    Sheri began thinking of her final exams for her nursing program. She mourned the loss of the now-insignificant pile of problems that had once seemed like a mountain. How could the career she had such a firm grasp on turn to dust and slip through her fingers so fast? It doesn’t have to be that way, she thought. But what would Lane think? She could barely decipher his body language- his lack of movements that were simultaneously reassuring and unnerving. Sheri thought to herself about Lane Dean as a father. She had always enjoyed his company, and the way he made her laugh. But how could they both follow their dreams and raise a child whilst being mere children in their hearts? It doesn’t matter, Sheri thought. In the eyes of the world, they’re old enough to account for their sins. Sheri wondered if Lane was thinking about their sin, or if their problem was a blessing in disguise. She thought of both.

    How many more times could she pray for clarity before her self-turmoil no longer blurred her vision? Sheri would have to make a choice. For once in her life, a decision will not be calculated. She will take a gamble on both her and Lane’s hearts. She will realize that it is okay to not have a solution to every problem. Her pure strength shall manifest when she tells Lane to meet her eyes, and trust his heart. 

I decided to write about Sheri's perspective because I did not like how the story focused on Lane and his internal monologue. Given the situation of an unwanted pregnancy and everything that could and would result from that, I found it interesting that David Foster Wallace showed little to no insight into the female character, Sheri. Sheri is the most important character in the story, because not only is she physically carrying the child and the individual to which the situation would affect more, she is the individual Lane looks up to.

My alternate ending changes the meaning of the story through the means of offering a perspective reader's lacked when reading the original. My ending in itself is not far from the original ending. The only difference really is that Sheri finds her own strength and realizes she does not have to bear this situation alone.

The original message in the story was that internal conflict can be resolved when you trust in your heart, and that finding hope in another individual only works when you have the faith to do so. I believe my ending offers this interpretation, while also emphasizing trust. In my ending, Sheri trusts herself to basically trust Lane.