What Makes George Saunders’ “Sticks” Great?

George Saunders’ “Sticks” is a story about a Dad and his odd hobby of decorating a pole in his front yard. But, what the story is really about is a Dad’s struggle with his relationships with his kids and his struggle with his inevitable death.

The story is also an awesome example of how to craft a meaningful, well-told story by focusing on the periphery of a character — the importance and symbolism of a single object (a pole) and how it reflects the journey of a character (the Dad).