Lopsided Tannenbaum Analysis

On December 23, 2016, This American Life originally aired Act One: Lopsided Tannenbaum, which was a piece of fiction read by the author, Maile Meloy. The story begins with a husband and wife, along with their four year-old daughter, Anne Marie, returning home from collecting a lopsided Christmas tree when they happen upon a couple stranded in the snow, one of which is holding a broken ski. Everett, the husband, stopped to assist the couple and see what they needed, Bonnie and Clyde. As Everett drives his family and Bonnie and Clyde to where the couple’s car is parked, Bonnie reveals enough of the complexities of the couple’s relationship to both trouble and intrigue Everett. When they arrive at the turnaround where the couple had parked their car, they discover the couple’s car has been stolen, which extends the time that the two couples had together. After Everett drives the couple to the police station, he chauffeurs his family and their lopsided tree home. There was romantic tension between Bonnie and Clyde and Everett and his wife, Pam. The couples seem to find attraction to the opposite sex partner in the other relation opposite from …show more content…
In Lopsided Tannenbaum, it appears that empathy is a major motivational factor for Everett to help Bonnie and Clyde. In reference to Everett helping the couple, the author states, “…it seemed perfectly natural to do what [he] did at the time.” Those who either are born with and/or are taught empathy, are more likely to participate in prosocial behavior than those who are not empathetic. The decision to help is almost instinctual for Everett and others who are empathetic. Thus, a case can be made that Everett is engaged in altruistic helping behavior at first; however, if we consider the romantic tension between the two couples, his altruistic helping behavior appears to become more egotistic as act one