Comparing Community in Elizabeth Bowen’s The Demon Lover and Edward Fields' A Journey

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The Importance of Community in Elizabeth Bowen’s The Demon Lover and Edward Fields' A Journey

It is important to relate and be a part of ones community. When we are able to identify with the people around us we are able to find out who we really are and the difference we make in others lives, as well as, the difference our community makes in our lives. In Edward Fields' poem, A Journey, he relates to his community as he is leaving. It is obvious to the reader that the author feels strongly about his community from the emotions that he displays throughout the poem, the details of the town that he notices on his way to the train station and the way he feels once he gets to his final destination.

In the poem A Journey, Edward Field shows great emotion toward his community as he is leaving. The person in the poem is trying not to cry as he walks to the train station and tells us "men didn't walk around crying in that town" (Field qtd. in Schwiebert 41). The man then has to repeat the alphabet over and over at the train station to keep from crying (Field qtd. in Schwiebert 41). I believe that the character in the poem relates to his community the most when he finally begins to cry on the train and feels the reality of leaving. This shows that he has taken in the complete picture of what he is leaving behind and how much it means to him.

As the man in the poem continues his journey, he takes time to notice things in detail. This I believe is a way of cherishing what you might not see again. This also shows us that he cares about the community to notice the little things one last time. For example Edward Field describes the "magnolia trees with dying flowers" and the "bright spring day" (qtd. in Schwiebert 41). The man even picked up the local newspaper before he left, this shows that he cares what is going on in the town and feels enough apart of the community to find out what is in the newspaper that day.

The author shows us that our communities contribute to who we are as adults through the actions of his character at the end of his journey. It seems that the man in the poem didn't really consider himself a man before he got off the train.

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