Summary

Here, we give you a summary of the short story "In Hiding" by American author Joyce Carol Oates.

The short story presents the story of a white female protagonist whose name is unknown to the reader. The protagonist is a typical middle-aged woman struggling with low self-esteem. She is a divorced single mother, writer and college professor who starts a pen-pal relationship with an African- American convict in a Kansas prison.

Woody, the prisoner, initiates their correspondence by sending her some of his poetry. Soon, he starts to get more personal by asking her questions about her life and sharing personal details about him. Reluctantly, the protagonist tries only to reply with comments on his texts, avoiding too much familiarity. Feeling self...