Of the poems in the Spoon River Anthology I’ve read so far, Robert Fulton Tanner’s poem stood out to me the most. We discussed in class what this poem was trying to say, and after re-reading the poem a few times, I agree with Nicole’s argument that this poem talks about God or (if not,) some other supernatural existence whose decisions we humans have no control over. I think this poem relates to the idea of the American dream (although not really directly). Robert Fulton Tanner’s opening statement “If a man could bite the giant hand/ That catches and destroys him,/ As I was bitten by a rat/ while demostrating my patent trap,/ In my hardware store that day” shows his torment and misery for the aspects of life that he cannot control in any way, while also revealing his strong desire to better his life and live the life that he himself chooses to lead by defying that supernatural power (although knowing that this would not be possible).

This poem also relates to Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston in that the main conflict in both Robert Fulton Tanner’s and Janie’s lives was their struggle against God: no matter how hard Janie tried to improve her life through her three marriages, God always seemed to make things difficult for her by arbitrary taking the things she held dear and keeping her from being happy for a long time. God (or the ogre Life in his case) controlled Robert F. Tanner’s life as well, and thus prevented him from being satisfied with his life.