John M Mulligan

A Little Pain John M Mulligan

A Little Pain is a fictional account of a murder and a trial in the small Minnesota town of Plainview. However, it is more than a tale of a crime and its aftermath. It is a detailed account of coming of age in a small town in the Midwest in the 50's and 60's. The book illustrates the effect of the returning World War II veterans on their attitudes and values, their relationship with their family members, and on small town life. Some of the veterans have been damaged by the war, and they in turn inflict damage on their wives and children. America's post-war prosperity had not yet arrived in Plainview, and most people have to deal with limited resources. The book covers the coming-of-age of two boys who are friends in the small-town culture of that era. One is an outstanding high school athlete. In their senior year, the boys are influenced by a new and charismatic football coach, who guides the team to success on the field, and attempts to give his players useful life lessons. The culture of the era is recalled in detail, including the limited opportunities for girls and the awkward introduction of teens to sex given the limitations of that era. After high school the paths of the two boys diverge. For various reasons, the athlete is not successful at college football, and he is ultimately drafted and sent to Vietnam. He survives Vietnam without physical injury but returns with problems, including addictions and lowered self-esteem. Due to a series of misfortunes, he finds himself in a loveless marriage and struggling with addiction. Thirteen years after graduating from high school, he kills his wife in a rage while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. The book concludes with the murder trial with the athlete's old friend from high school, now a lawyer, attempting to provide a defense for him. The problem of defending a Vietnam veteran after his exposure to military life and war is explored, including the difficulties of dealing with the jury's negative attitudes towards America's Vietnam misadventure, and those who fought in it.