Summary and Analysis

In "Cinnamon Shops" we return to the narrator's memory of the city he grew up in. Like "August" it indulges in the senses that are so influential to memory and childhood, but the tone is much more sinister. The father is so far gone from reality that his senses are heightened. This is an instance in which the narrator blurs the lines of reality and fiction. Jacob has a superhuman sense of smell and hearing and is compared to a fox and a cockroach. Jacob and the cat look at each other as if they know things that the humans cannot hear or smell.

The story begins with the family going to the theatre. Jacob believes he has lost his wallet and the narrator is sent home to find it. The story then takes a fantastical turn. The narrator...