55 Miles to the Gas Pump

Consider Rancher Croom’s suicide. Why does Proulx choose this method of death for Croom? How does it contribute to his characterization and/or the story’s themes?

Conduct a bit of research on the Bluebeard legend. To what extent does Proulx draw upon the legend in “55 Miles to the Gas Pump”? What modern spin does she put on the fairy-tale motifs of villainous man, innocent woman, and justice served?

The brevity of the story and its stream-of-consciousness style make for a fast-paced read. How does the writing style affect the reader’s experience of the story? What might be lost/gained if the story were longer and more developed?

How would you characterize the story’s narrator or narrative voice(s)? In the first two paragraphs, are readers deep in the minds of Rancher Croom and Mrs. Croom, respectively? Is the narrator a separate entity? Is the narrative voice of the final sentence the same narrative voice as before?

Read another story in Close Range: Wyoming Stories and discuss a theme or symbol at play in both that story and “55 Miles to the Gas Pump.” Do the two stories handle the theme or symbol in the same way? In a different way? How does putting the two stories side by side enhance your understanding of the theme or symbol?

Select two images from the story. What do they contribute to the story? What role do they play in your interpretation of the story?

The story mentions newspapers twice. What is the role of the newspaper in the story and in the minds and actions of Rancher and Mrs. Croom?

Does the story hold Croom accountable for his crimes? Why or why not? Is accountability fundamentally at issue in the story?