There's No Place Like Home

            “The Auction of the Ruby Slippers” is another short story by Salmon Rushdie.  This short takes place within an auction house.  The narrator gives us in depth descriptions of the people around him, both within the walls of the auction house as well as on the outside.  The narrator describes a strong love that he possesses for his cousin Gale.  He feels that if he is able to give Gale the red slippers as a gift, he can somehow become worthy of her love. 

He describes the red slippers as something from the gods, they are described to own an extreme amount of power.  The slippers could stand for all things unachievable, this would explain why so many different people find them valuable.  They also could represent an escape pod, tiny orphans entered the auction house with hopes the slippers would “transport them back through time as well as space” (Rushdie 93).  The slippers offer to most an affirmation of a lost state of normalcy in which they had almost ceased to believe and to which the slippers promise them they can return.  The slippers power, whatever it is, is not desired by all however, the fundamentalist within the auction house had shown interest in purchasing the slippers with the intention of burning them, destroying the power. 

In the end the narrator decides not to purchase the slippers.  I think his change of heart comes due to the rapid increase in price, due to the numerous other bids.  It showcases and example of how everything has a value, and within this value comes limitations.  The slippers were the key to love, but even so at too high of a price the risk of the slippers not bringing the narrator love becomes to high.  This auction of items such as love, family, pasts, and futures is representative of the different values different people place on different aspects of their lives.  To some people, such as the narrators former employer, he tells the narrator to buy a certain item no matter what the price, the narrator does not buy the item because he feels the price is too high, I believe that the employer was disappointed he did not receive the item, but understood how the narrator would make the decision concerning the price.  I think the main illustration being made in this short story is that everything has a price and with prices come limitations.  I also enjoyed all the Wizard of Oz references in the story, from lions and tin-men, to wizards and an actual name drop of the film.