However, if one looks through the mist perpetually hindering his or her sight, ne can see that those are merely depictions of happiness that the media gives and that many would find truer to life. We see a world of darkness and soot portrayed in the poem "The Chimney Sweeper" by William Blake through the eyes of indentured children longing to die. Then a world where the fulfillment of dreams is based upon material wealth, the Younger family strives to overcome their hardships as they search for happiness.
As money has never been a way of life for the family, the insurance check''s arrival brings each person to see the chance that their own dreams an become reality. Whether in taking a risk through buying a "little liquor store" as Walter wishes to do or in -" wanting to cure" as Beneatha dreams, the desires of the family depend upon the fate of Mamas check. In the mind of Walter Lee Younger, the check is the pinnacle of all, dominating his thoughts, as he does not wait a second before "asking about money "without" a Christian greeting. He cannot see beyond the fact that he "wants so many things" and that only their recently acquired money can bring them about. Walter is too obsessed with money and believes it is one of he most important things in life. Mama and Walter discuss Walter''s preoccupation with money: Mama: Son—how come you talk so much ''bout money? Walter: Because it is life, Mama! Here, Walter shows how much he cares about money and to what extent he thinks it is important and how much of a necessity it is.
Once Walter says that money is life, he implies that without money you''re nothing and that the other things in life aren''t important such as your family or your friends. Mama does not want a son who thinks this way to corrupt the rest of the family. The idea of money and being able to hold it "in his hands" blinds him from the evils of society, as he cannot see that the Willy Harris''s of the world will steal a person''s "life" without a word to anyone.
When money becomes nothing but an illusion, Walter is forced to rethink his values and his family''s future, realizing that there does more to living than possessing material riches. Is it better to be rich and miserable or poor and happy? How many times have we heard of famous actors and musicians committing suicide, when they have all the money in the world. Money sure is powerful, but is it powerful enough to take away the passion for life that is deep inside your heart? People die every day over money, robberies, debts, on the Job and ect.
What if there were no such things as money? Would the world be a happier and a more peaceful one? So why is it that we live to work when we should work live? There is sometimes a darker side to money. The British Industrial Revolution child labor was next to free. Mothers were killing Sweeper by William Blake, the country was going through the industrial revolution, amilies sold their kids to work in some of the worst conditions, like chimney sweeping, one of the dirtiest and most dangerous Jobs, and that''s why it was so dangerous.
As a result of daily inhalation of these particles, many kids die early and never given the chance to grow up into adulthood. In this poem, by using symbolism and heavenly images, Blake emphasizes the naiveté of the kids and the faith and hope that they hold in God, that whatever pain and suffering they experience here on earth are nothing compared to the Joys that await them in heaven. He writes this poem to let the reader knows that many kids'' lives are being exploited in the cities of England.
He expresses his disgust about the plight of the majority of the chimney sweepers and how the society and church turn a blind eye of their sufferings. In the society they live in, innocent children are in anguish because of the harsh treatment of the adult population and greed for money. Happiness can only be now because that is the only time it can truly exist. Everybody only has a certain amount of time on earth. Society doesn''t want you to know that we can disappear any minute.
As one watches the sunset they can realize that tomorrow will always come, but today will never happen again. Believe it or not there are things money can''t buy the dreams of Walter Lee or the lives of the children Chimney Sweepers. One can only see these when they are able to pierce the veil laid up on us and push past all these things that they tell us what happiness is. The little things that life offers are truer to life compared to societies depictions of happiness.
No comments:
Post a Comment