Significance of Gary

In “The Man in the Black Suit,” Gary is an old man who writes about an experience he had as a nine-year-old boy. Gary believed he had been confronted by the Devil during a childhood fishing trip. The Devil told Gary that his mother had died of a bee sting, the same way Gary’s older brother died earlier. Gary believed the Devil was telling him the truth and did not believe she was alive until he had seen her himself. As an old man, Gary did not believe he had escaped from the Devil because God was protecting him, but because he was able to outrun the Devil. As an old man, Gary fears that he will not be able to outrun the Devil if he confronts him again.