Where There's A Wall Analysis

Compare and contract ‘Where there’s a wall’ and ‘Paxis’

What will you do when you meet a wall that block your way? There are only two ways, either finding a way to go through the wall or staying still. In fact, this is life, when a barrier cut down the road, there comes to two choices, taking an action or doing nothing. In poems ‘where there’s a wall’ by Joy Kogawa and ‘Paxis’ by Sharon. They both talk about the ‘walls’ in their life. On the one hand, in ‘where there’s a wall’ Joy tells about her experience inside the internment camp where there is no freedom. On the other hand, Sharon in ‘Paxis’ observes how human being act meaninglessly under control of outside world. He expresses his sorry and wants to encourage people to fight their own future. Joy and Sharon try to tell people, life can be full

with obstacles and difficulties. however, things can be different if people can keep a positive attitude and never stop trying. Eventually, they can find solution and jump above the walls.
Firstly, people have to know life is not a straight line started from beginning to the end.

There will come different problems and difficulties that keep him or her from moving on. According to two poems, two main characters are facing difficulties in their life. For example, the little girl in ‘where there’s a wall’ is sent to Japanese- Canadian internment camp. She loses her freedom just because she is a Japanese- Canadian. She remembers ‘there are zeppelin, helicopter, rockets, bombs, battering rams, armies with trumpets whose all at once blast shatter.’ Inside the wall, she doesn’t see or know anything. However, she can hear the bombing, killing and crying from the war. She and other Japanese are forced to do things they don’t want to. Her life is stopped by this wall. Likewise, in ‘Paixis ’, the author observes human behavior. He describes ‘us creature/ weeping in the abettor. Only make noise and do, not transform a single fact.’ These obstacles like cages, many people are locked down and lose their future. Without a doubt, difficulties can occur in anyone’s life in any time and any place. It’s impossible to avoid them. All people can do is to accept the

situation.
Secondly, these two poems show readers how fragile human beings are. Emotion can be easily affect by outside world. In commonplace, people are afraid of failure, so they are not willing to take a risk to change their situation. Instead, they stay still and complain. Take a look at ‘'underground passages’ in ‘where there’s a wall’. They are suffered from torture. Even so, they decide not to take any action to change this situation. Their fear makes them believe there is no future for them, so they give up trying to escape and live in meaningless life. In the same way, people in ‘Praxis’ are like ‘creature’ rather than a human-being. All they can do is ‘weeping’ and ‘making noise and do’. When facing difficulties, people lose their independent thought. Without thinking, they simply follow the orders and rules set by society. Although, it is the safest and easiest way to live. There is no future for them. In addition, when author finds this realities, his emotion is influenced. He shows his desperate and says ‘unable to imagine a future, imagine a future better’. Thus, people’s emotion can change dramatically. Sadness, anger or fear can make people desperate.
But future is not determined by present situation. If people can be brave enough to keep their faith, they will eventually overcome obstacle and succeed. For instead, in ‘where there’s a wall’ the little girl doesn’t let her bad situation overtakes her emotion. Every time she says ‘where there’s a wall’. She continues saying that ‘there’s a gate or door’ ‘a ladder perhaps a sentinel who sometime sleep’. Also, she says ‘words whisper by loose bricks’. All these words represent opportunities to escape and chances to connect with outside world. Even she is in her worst situation in her life, he has never lost hope of regaining freedom. Her positive attitude diminish sadness and desperation from the war and interment camp. What’s more, it transforms good energy to readers. Similarly, in ‘Paxis’, the author directly calls out ‘stop crying. Get up a. go out. Leap….’ He encourages people to be brave to overcome their difficulties. Although it is risky and there will be cost that ‘the case may be crash’. Even so, it is better than do nothing like a creature.
As conclusion, when facing difficulties, people can change their situation and solve problems if they keep a positive attitude and take actions instead of doing nothing. Just like two characters in ‘where there’s a wall’ and ‘Paxis’ optimism make their future possible and delight. There are always solutions for any kinds of problems, as long as people keep trying and seeking, they will eventually break through their barriers.