The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote. Short summary

5 seconds

Buddy’s boy Buddy is constantly bullied and beaten by the bully Odd Henderson. Aunt Sauk decides to reconcile the boys and invites Odd to Thanksgiving dinner. But it doesn’t turn out as planned.

1 minute

Nine-year-old Buddy is living with his aunts due to family turmoil. The youngest of three sisters, Auntie Sook is the boy’s best friend. Everything in Buddy’s life would be going well if not for the juvenile bully Odd Henderson, who constantly humiliates and beats the boy. It comes to the fact that the boy because of the daily blows and bruises refuses to attend classes. Auntie Sook finds out about this. She decided to remedy the situation, and invited the offender to visit, for a Thanksgiving dinner.

The day of the holiday came. Buddy was happy until he saw Oddo’s face among the guests. Aunt Sauk tried to reconcile the boys, but Buddy escaped and hid in the closet. Through the hole he saw Odd go into the bathroom and steal the cameo brooch that Auntie kept in a box.

In front of all the guests, Buddy reported the theft. Auntie went to the bathroom, and when she returned, she reported that the brooch was still there. But then Odd couldn’t take it anymore and confessed to the theft. Later, Sauk explained that she shouldn’t have humiliated Odd. The bully hasn’t touched Buddy since.