A major theme that is present in Jennifer Egan’s “A Visit from the Goon Squad” is destruction and recovery, it coincides with each other as the characters recognize themselves devastated by their egocentric and secluded way of life that deteriorate by the changes in American culture. Throughout the book, the main characters witness themselves striking rock bottom. For instance, Sasha observes herself gliding profoundly in destruction because of her stealing; “Hastily, mechanically, she reassembled the wallet, keeping the slip of paper in her hand, I’m just going to hold this, she was aware of telling herself as she tucked the wallet back into Alex’s pocket. I’ll put it back later; he probably doesn’t remember it’s in there (Egan, 18). Sasha …show more content…
Upon recognizing that Bennie Salazar, Scotty’s old friend had climbed himself to the top and became one of the most influential man in the music industry, Scotty sensed a feeling of insecurity regarding his current situation. He is a divorced man living in a tiny apartment in the city of New York, with no permanent job. However, he reasons his way out of the resentment that he feels by convincing himself that identity and authenticity has little to do with a person’s social status. “…that there was only an infinitesimal difference, a difference so small that it barely existed except as a figment of the human imagination, between working at a tall green glass building on the Park Avenue and collecting litter in the park. In fact, there may have been no difference at all.” (Egan, 93). The East River is a symbol of destruction in the book; the River is polluted, and this represents the corrupted lives that these characters are navigating through. The people in their lives has a significant impact; these people can potentially influence the choices that they make. Nevertheless, the big fish that Scotty caught symbolizes the hope, that one day he will recover from all the unfortunate events that happened in his
Music served as an escape for Josh, because, as Hunt vividly describes, being a 15 year old, in the Great Depression was not an easy task. Josh, and his best friend Howie would produce beautiful music, temporarily losing themselves in the exquisite music they created. Josh and Howie were talented past their age, and they were given a role to play for the school assembly. Though their rehearsals were beneficial, they both dreaded the thought of returning home. Sadly, Stefan, Josh’s father did not feel the love he once felt toward music anymore, so he believed Josh should not spend time on luxuries such as music.
In the poem “Fear and Fame by Philip Levine, readers gain insight into the struggles of a blue collar worker. The intimate description of the worker not only highlights the dangerous and monotonous work he performs but also accentuates how the worker takes little pride in his occupation. Levine’s use of meter and rhythm, irony, figurative language, and tone provide an understanding of the difficulties faced by blue-collar individuals both at work and in society. The majority of the lines contain a sort of syllabic meter, which evokes a lulling sense of monotony as the speaker describes his work.
The next symbol was the corpse that the narrator encountered in the river after the events with Bobby transpired. The narrator encountering the corpse in the lake was significant because it was a visual representation of not only the river but also death. The corpse was a representation of the river; Greasy Lake was a place filled with death, danger, and destruction. Additionally, his encounter with the corpse drew him to the realization that “…life and sin inevitably lead one to: the corpse, death” (Vannatta). The narrator’s encounter with Bobby and the woman he was with, display the sins of: pride, lust, and greed. During his submersion in the lake, the protagonist was able to perceive and understand that these sins cannot accompany him towards his path to adulthood. One can notice that the narrator is not necessarily a “bad” guy, rather he is one who is confused and wants to relate to his friends Digby and Jeff. The realization of his true character was revealed whenever he was glad that Bobby was alive. The narrator could understand that there would be trouble and repercussions had he actually died from the tire iron. His true feelings were displayed when he said, “...I suddenly felt a rush of joy and vindication: the son of a bitch was alive!” (Boyle 574). The narrator felt the sudden rush of vindication because he was now clear of any blame or suspicion that would later impact
There are many factors that lead to the development of an individual’s identity. Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” illustrates an extreme change in Gregor Samsa’s external identity and the overall outward effect it has on the development of his family. While James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” illustrates a young man struggling to find his identity while being pushed around by what society and his family wants him to be. Both of these characters exhibit an underlying struggle of alienation but both also demonstrate a craving for belongingness. This conflict of trying to belong to something as well as satisfying the needs of society, has directly impacted their own individuality and the lives of the people around them.
Many people in show business are viewed as role models in our society. Many of these people are just regular men and women that are placed high on a pedestal simply because they can sing or act, hence, becoming all the more famous. Although he was famous and popular in the entertainment world for almost four decades, Frank Sinatra was a singer and actor that had a side to him that not everyone knew. He hid behind the facade of an entirely happy, successful performer, when, in reality, he had many problems that the public was not even aware of. Some of these problems are the same that the average person faces day to day, but many went far deeper than trivial troubles. Some of these specific quandaries had to do with hidden aspects of his personal relationships, hidden connections with criminal elements, and other unknown aspects of his life.
When first reading “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, it may initially seem that the relationship between musicians and drugs is synonymous. Public opinion suggests that musicians and drugs go hand and hand. The possibility lies that Sonny’s passion for jazz music is the underlying reason for his drug use, or even the world of jazz music itself brought drugs into Sonny’s life. The last statement is what the narrator believes to be true. However, by delving deeper and examining the theme of music in the story, it is nothing but beneficial for Sonny and the other figures involved. Sonny’s drug use and his music are completely free of one another. Sonny views his jazz playing as a ray of light to lead him away from the dim and dismal future that Harlem has to offer.
Willa Cather’s “Paul’s Case” is a story about a young 16 year-old man, Paul, who is motherless and alienated. Paul’s lack of maternal care has led to his alienation. He searches for the aesthetics in life that that he doesn’t get from his yellow wallpaper in his house and his detached, overpowering father figure in his life. Paul doesn’t have any interests in school and his only happiness is in working at Carnegie Hall and dreams of one-day living the luxurious life in New York City. Paul surrounds himself with the aesthetics of music and the rich and wealthy, as a means to escape his true reality.
“Sonny’s Blues” is a short story in which the author presents a view on the realities of suffering in Harlem, New York in the 1950’s and how the presence of drugs can greatly impact not only the users, but the ones who care about the users as well. This can be shown through the literary use of setting, character, and theme. Throughout the story, the narrator struggles with trying to reason with the life his brother has chosen and the choices he has made. Sonny struggles to find an identity for himself having to live under the shadow of his brother his entire life. Sonny however finds solace in music which seems to become an escape for him and help him find meaning within himself. The narrator realizes at the end of the story why Sonny had chosen this life for himself.
Environments can influence life choices, actions, emotions, along with much more. Those influences can be positive or negative. Two people can grow up in the same environment but can prevail in different ways. James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” takes place in Harlem, NY. The short story shows the narrator, who remains nameless, experiencing numerous of emotional struggles. It is an unquestionably poignant story, presenting countless endeavors. In specific, the narrator’s brother suffers from drug addiction, there multiple family deaths, as well as deteriorating relationships. Though there are troubling times, “Sonny’s Blues” is a genuinely heartwarming story.
John Cheever’s The Enormous Radio depicts the story of Jim and Irene Westcott’s discovery of their neighbor’s daily conflicts through a newly purchased radio. The significance of the radio being “newly purchased” is because the Westcotts do not seem to have financial issues; they live a comfortable, middle-class lifestyle off of Jim’s income. Cheever exposes the idea of social classes and their negative effect on the Westcott family, by encouraging comparisons between individual’s tranquility status and endorsing social status.
“Sonny’s Blues” revolves around the narrator as he learns who his drug-hooked, piano-playing baby brother, Sonny, really is. The author, James Baldwin, paints views on racism, misery and art and suffering in this story. His written canvas portrays a dark and continual scene pertaining to each topic. As the story unfolds, similarities in each generation can be observed. The two African American brothers share a life similar to that of their father and his brother. The father’s brother had a thirst for music, and they both travelled the treacherous road of night clubs, drinking and partying before his brother was hit and killed by a car full of white boys. Plagued, the father carried this pain of the loss of his brother and bitterness towards the whites to his grave. “Till the day he died he weren’t sure but that every white man he saw was the man that killed his brother.”(346) Watching the same problems transcend onto the narrator’s baby brother, Sonny, the reader feels his despair when he tries to relate the same scenarios his father had, to his brother. “All that hatred down there”, he said “all that hatred and misery and love. It’s a wonder it doesn’t blow the avenue apart.”(355) He’s trying to relate to his brother that even though some try to cover their misery with doing what others deem as “right,” others just cover it with a different mask. “But nobody just takes it.” Sonny cried, “That’s what I’m telling you! Everybody tries not to. You’re just hung up on the way some people try—it’s not your way!”(355) The narrator had dealt with his own miseries of knowing his father’s plight, his Brother Sonny’s imprisonment and the loss of his own child. Sonny tried to give an understanding of what music was for him throughout thei...
The two rivers that are part of the Devon School property symbolize how Gene and Finny grew up through the course of the novel. The Devon River is preferred by the students because it is above the dam and contains clean water. It is a symbol of childhood and innocence, because it is safe and simple. It is preferred to show how the boys choose to hold onto their youth instead of growing up. The Naguamsett is the disgustingly dirty river which symbolizes adulthood because of its complexity.
Throughout the course of the twenty or so pages of “Sonny’s Blues”, the characters are revealed through dialogue to have traits, motives, and fears just like any other human being. For example, Sonny’s revelation to the narrator that he intends to become a jazz musician (Baldwin 1737) and subsequent descriptions of his piano practicing habits (Baldwin 1740) let the reader know that he is not to be thought of as merely a pathetic recovering drug addict. On the other hand, when Sonny says that heroin makes him feel “in control” (Baldwin 1744) and subtly protests the systemic prejudice that often makes black people feel helpless, one can determine that he did not likely take up the drug simply or on a whim or on account of mere peer pressure. Further, when the narrator seems to understand that Sonny is on the path to redemption (Baldwin 1749), the reader once gets the impression that Sonny is more than a druggie. The narrator, too, is a round character, and not just an older brother figure to Sonny.
The gang members in Graham Greene’s “The Destructors” are catastrophic young children and teenagers who are unfortunately being greatly affected by their surroundings. Placed in wartime London, their town is in rubble from bombings. Peer pressure is no help when a destructive surrounding and vulnerable ages are strongly influencing the instinctive human behavior of the members, which causes many of their horrific actions.
Myra, in My Mortal Enemy, chooses to forsake a life of affluence so that she can marry Oswald Henshawe. As the ramifications of her decision set in, Myra increasingly displays her discontent for her reduced social standing and disposable income. She flaunts her wealth to a significantly poorer family by telling Oswald she got rid of his new dress shirts, because she didn’t like the way they looked on him. Oswald's expression shows “bitterness”(Cather, 8) towards his wife for acting superior to the people of Parthia, Illinois. Myra's actions expose her lust for wealth, and her regret in disobeying her uncle's wishes. By marrying Oswald, Myra broke the socioeconomic barrier and escaped the enclosed space of world that her uncle confined her