Tragedy In Richard Van Camp's Short Story 'Mermaids'

Tragedy is intended to expose humans of their fallibility and hubris. In the short story “Mermaids”, Richard Van Camp illustrates a young man, Torchy forgets his grandfather’s warning to him after giving Torchy a bless to win in the gamble. Torchy’s lust for money and sex leads himself to his own tragedy. “Mermaids” is a tragedy because Torchy’s tragic flaw undermines his judgment that leads to his misfortune; however, it elicits fear and pity in the end that enables readers to experience catharsis.Ultimately, the readers learn the essence that money cannot buy happiness.
Torchy’s hamartia, the lust for money and sex deprives him of his moral judgments, and contributes to his downfall. Torchy’s lust for money blinds him from realizing that gaining money from gambling does not overcome adversities. For example, after winning eighty thousand dollars, Torchy surmises that “the old man’s medicine could win [him] more” (Camp 4). He becomes delusional. His indulgence in gambling, indicative of his obsession with money deprives him from realizing that gamble is a game of luck. Luck, unfortunately will not last long. Besides the lust for money, Torchy’s lust for sex is also another flaw that undermines his poor judgment. After winning a very large sum of money through gambling through the help of his grandfather’s blessing, he still …show more content…
Torchy’s lust for money and sex deprives him from making a moral judgment. When his reversal of fortune takes place, fate turns against him and take away the fortune that he attained earlier in gambling. In the end, the catharsis show how he gains an insight from realizing his tragic flaw when he decides to visit his grandfather again. It is imperative to understand that tragedy is powerful because it allows humans to approach their shortcomings with caution and