Gratitude

"Gratitude" by Roy Norton is a tale woven around themes of gratitude, morality, and justice in the unforgiving backdrop of early 20th-century Alaska. It portrays the tight-knit community of miners, the "Competents", as they grapple with the consequences of choices made in their remote mining camp. The story focuses on Shakespeare George, a man driven by a strong moral code, and his complicated relationship with Laughing Jim, a gambler whose charm hides a lack of scruples. After George saves Jim's life and demands he quit gambling, Jim repays the kindness with betrayal, stealing George's gold dust. As poetic justice would have it, after George and his partners find out about this, they learn that Jim is fatally wounded after a confrontation with Mahoney, full circle.