Have You Seen Sukie?
By Robert Penn Warren, first published in The Virginia Quarterly Review
A deputy warden gives a tour of a prison.
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Plot Summary
Mr. Budd, former Airborne, is now the deputy warden of a prison. He is giving a tour of the facility to Yasha Jones and Brad. The group walks around the empty cell block noting the various attempts by the inmates to make their living conditions more “homey” by either furnishing it with pictures and various items or by leaving their cell bare. Mr. Budd believes that the cell block should be torn down because of its antiquated design. Mr. Budd takes the group to the shops that the prisoners have established, the gym where Mr. Budd used to offer boxing matches in exchange for ice cream if the challenging inmate won, and to the mess hall. Mr. Budd also shows the group the hospital and the resident doctor who is too afraid to perform more rigorous duties. Mr. Budd then explains that the ground level guards do not have guns but instead carry clubs. Mr. Budd then takes the group to the guntower which is manned by a rifleman named Lem. Lem replaced the previous rifleman who failed to prevent an inmate from killing a guard. Mr. Budd then takes the group to a man named Pretty-Boy who was convicted for murdering an old woman shopkeeper and is scheduled to be executed via electric chair. Pretty-Boy plays a song for the group. Mr. Budd then takes the group to the electric chair and tells them that it is named Sukie. He also explains that he is also the executioner. Each member of the group then sits in the electric chair.