Abstract
Charles Bukowski’s book “the Devil was Hot” is a short story concerning business and friendship with the devil. As the writer begins, he seems to have had wrangles with his wife called Flo before he decides to drive off west towards the beach. At the beach, he is exposed to a roaring sound from the nearby building. A barker claims to have a devil in the cage, and he shows him to the public at a costs of 25 cents. The writer then pays for the penny so as to glimpse the devil who later starts talking to him like had known him before. This leaves the other men wondering how the devil could talk to the stranger. The devil had one intention; he wanted the man to aid him get out of the cage where he was detained and fed with dog meat. He supplicates the writer to cut the wires cage and free him. The author goes back home to bring the wire cutter so as to release the devil showing an act of sympathy. Once the devil is released, he goes to the writer’s home and he takes over the writer’s wife, replacing him on his bed. Because of his supernatural powers he poses which can make one vanish without a trace; he becomes authoritative as he points people and parishes instantly as seen in Ernie Jamestown and Old bones case. The author goes to Ernie’s house, finds his wife and shows some acts of seduction despite being her friend’s wife.
The essay “the Devil was Hot” reveals the devil as hot. When the author was trying hand over the wire cutter to the devil, he feels his warm hands and suggests that he might be having some fever. The devil is also being described as being warm as a heater. In real life situation, people with the illness usually encounter high-temperature bodies making them hot. In his method of vanishing people, the devils hands are said to be producing a line of flame running up to the target finishing them instantly. The essay poses three themes from the parties’ interactions and acts. First, there is an element of deceiving creating the theme of betrayal in the story. The writer is betrayed by his wife, Flo. This is clearly seen when the author first comes into his house with the devil that he had released from the cage and gives him whiskey. Despite Flo being a married woman, she involves in sex with the devil in their matrimonial room. Flo is seen to be praising the devil saying he was such a handsome man who took her to heaven and hell. Another aspect of betrayal is evidenced between the writer and the devil. Initially, the devil requests the writer to come with the wire cutter in the night and release him from the cage. The author takes the opportunity of going back home to bring the wire cutter with an intention of releasing the devil from the cage. The wire is thick that the writer can’t manage to cut it, and the devil is given the cuter and manages to cut it off getting free. He then goes with the writer to his house where he kills the dog and takes his wife away despite all the favor done to him. Ernie also betrayed the devil, according to the article, Ernie and the devil once shared a drinking tank with the baker and even bailed him out. Ernie then got the devil drunk and put him in the cage for business purpose as people who wanted to view the devil had to pay, and he fed him with dog food and peanut butter sandwiches. At last the devil uses his supernatural powers to finish Ernie, who had put him in the cage despite his pleas to let the past be the past. The devil is portrayed in the essay as being a womanizer and alcohol addict, the two are said to be the devils weakness. Flo, the writer’s wife, is also betrayed by the devil. The arrival of Edna evidences this, and the devil and Edna get cozy after some whiskey making Flo feel jealous and wants Edna off the devil. Eventually, Flo is eliminated from the vicinity with the devils supernatural powers. The writer also betrays Ernie by going to his house and getting cozy with Ernie’s wife knowing that Ernie had been eliminated by the devil. Other themes depicted in the essay include lust and deception. In the case of lust, Ernie’s desire for money led him to cheat the devil, gave him alcohol and puts him in the cage where he couldn’t leave for business purpose. Lust for sex is rampant in the cases of sex shown in the essay, sex between the devil and Flo, the devil and Edna and the writer and Ernie’s wife. The results of deception and acts are seen between the devil and the writer. The author applies the use of symbolism in the essay that is an element of literature. In the article, the hotness of the devil is a symbol of destruction. This is seen as later the devil reveals his supernatural powers which he uses to make people vanish as he points at them. The devil symbolizes the destruction and the ugliness of the world; the Barker describes him as the loser and enemy of all the time. His acts in the articles are ugly such as drunkenness and sexual acts. The metaphor that is a device of literature is used in the essay by the writer to shape the imaginations of the reader. The devil says he would screw a cat’s ass if he isn’t the real devil. The metaphor is used as the devil stresses that he is the real devil and assures the writer. “Don’t lay any shit on me?” the devil said to the writer showing his seriousness and telling the writer not to kid him or not to take him for granted. The author describes the devil as warm like a heater suggesting the topic of the story the devil was hot. The writer tells the devil he is some nut meaning he was too dumb to be getting drunk and locked inside a cage. Flo describes the devil as taking him through heaven and hell. This shows that Flo enjoyed having sex with the devil as was very interesting.
Reference
The Devil was Hot. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25th, 2015, from The Devil was Hot web site: http://iate.oac.uncor.edu/~mario/devilhot.html
