America's high incarceration

Mr. Sweet is a neighbor of the narrator, who is initially a little girl summoned with the rest of her siblings whenever Mr. Sweet is threatening to die. The narrator describes how she and her brothers loved Mr. Sweet, despite the fact that he was an indifferent cotton farmer, a frequent drunk, and an inveterate smoker. Somehow the faults of the old man, including his falling-down bouts of drunkenness and his slovenly personal appearance, are …

…this time, after a brief return to consciousness, Mr. Sweet dies. Commentary Although catalogued as a children's book, this story is moving and thought-provoking for both children and adults. The tolerance of the children for the old man seals the bond of affection that, in turn, allows their healing to work. The power of relationships in promoting long life has been documented in the scientific literature, but not so poignantly as in Alice Walker's story.