In the two short stories “Circus in Town” by Sinclair Ross and “ ‘Happyness’ for Sale” by Jia Lynn Yang. Both passages display the personal and emotional hardships that the two main characters must face whilst living a destitute life style. However, both characters have a solution to their misfortune by embracing an optimistic view about their future lifestyle. While Jenny uses a more childish and imaginative way to escape her lifestyle, Chris merely uses his spiritual energy to change his outlook of his impoverished life. In the short story “Circus in Town”, it depicts the life a young girl named Jenny who grows up in the improvised section of town. Despite her poor lifestyle Jenny stays positive through her use of imagination and clear mind. All it took to change her perspective of her life was a simple piece of paper from the circus. Despite her family’s circumstances, she does not try to avoid her lack of money or social status but rather creates her own ideal lifestyle she believes is perfect. Her life would be filled with horses that wore “silver bells on reins and bridle”(para 24) and her very “own circus”(para 22). This shows how Jenny is trapped in the fabricated …show more content…
Unlike Jenny, Chris uses his internal drive not to create a fictional world but rather something that he can use everyday to improve his lifestyle. He uses that very same drive to forge a better future for himself and his family. His internal desire to “do something with [his] life”(para 10) suddenly results in many amazing achievements, including an interview on “ABC’s news-magazine 20/20”. (para 12). Furthermore, Chris’s ability to turn his internal drive to reality has allowed him to “mov[e] forward” (para 17) with his life. He is now a wealthy, famous person who did not imagine what his life would be like but used his internal aspiration to led him to the life he is now
Chris refused to confront his mother and father and instead repressed his emotions. Krakauer shows his influence with this comment, “Children can be harsh judges when it comes to their parents, disinclined to grant clemency, and this was especially true in Chris’s case” (Krakauer 122). He makes it very clear that Chris is really just a kid, and therefore, liable to make decisions that are rash or immature. Krakauer makes it clear that he thinks Chris’ opinions on his parents might have changed over time, had he lived. Chris was simply a kid who had been wronged by those who were supposed to protect him. All of Chris’ repressed emotions eventually came to the surface, “Chris kept careful score. And over time he worked himself into a choler of self-righteous indignation that was impossible to keep bottles up” (Krakauer 122). Chris eventually lashed out in the way that lots of children do, he ran away. His options were limited, he could either talk to his parents or a therapist about it or flee. His choice of fleeing shows that he really was working through something. By running away Chris broadcasts his youth and also makes the reader curious as to if he might have come back and worked out his issues eventually. The contradictions in Chris’ severe opinions of those around him show his youth, and inspire’s readers to be more
“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, it’s what’s inside counts” This quote reminds people about how they should not judge other people from the outside but look deep into their true personalities. Looking from the appearance and how Chris lives, everyone would assume that Chris is a crazy, foolish person and does everything without thinking. If people try to know more about Chris, they would have different perspective. Chris is intelligent, determined, independent and follows what he believes. He went into the wilderness to escape from the society that tries to suppress him and look for the meaning of life.
While he stays at Shallow Creek, his conversation with Vanessa about his views of God shows his perception of the life: he questions how such a brutal God could exist, because Chris has a lot of pain and the world in his mind is not as bright as he appears. As his responses to adversities shape his perceptions, he no longer sees the world as a place full of hopes and he cannot hide his feeling of helplessness anymore, but although he shows his emotions to Vanessa, a thirteen-year-old girl like her cannot give him much help. Chris once again tries to solve his adversities with an unreal solution because he has no one else to talk with. Later in the story he joins the war to seek for other opportunities, however this time he does not only try to escape from the reality, but he also escapes from his nature, because his nature is never a solider: as he reveals on his letter, “[He does not] live inside [his body] anymore”. One day he is sent home from the battlefield because of a mental breakdown; this event marks his total lose of perceptions: insane people do not have perceptions. Since Chris always tries to escape from the reality and never really looks for a real solution to the problems, his perception becomes irreparably
Whereas spoiled rich kids are more sheltered, cowardly, and doubtful of themselves, most examples of code heroes are outgoing, courageous, focused, and confident in their abilities. In Chris’ case, the latter set fits him perfectly. Chris’ parents described him as, “generous and caring to a fault, but he had a darker side as well, characterized by monomania, impatience, and unwavering self-absorption” (Krakauer 120). Though these traits may seem negative, they describe Chris as well as the majority of code heroes. So, Chris is focused on his goal of living on his own in the wild, confident in his survival skills, and remains stoic and brave in the face of disaster, such as when his canoe gets stuck and he is lost with no way of escaping. In sum, Chris McCandless has proved himself to be a code hero because he has a sound moral code, has endured through hardship, and shares most of the qualities found in code
Many individuals strive to be the best and thrive in this world inhabited by seven billion people, by taking control over their own destiny. However, success requires a sacrifice of personal desires and ambitions at times which not a lot amongst us are willing to give. It is sooner or later that the temporary reformation fails and their true self resurfaces where they are back at where they began. A lot of us are unwillingly left to deal and live with these unfortunate circumstances. The impact that these events leave upon us is very significant and sometimes temporary. The poem, "The tent delivery woman's ride" by Wilmer Mills, and my own experience explains that the significant events negatively effect an individual's ability to determine
He went through many obstacles that could have proved fatal. From canoeing in the Colorado River to picking the right berries, he was testing his intelligence. Chris had a true confidence in the land and in himself to set out on a mission so dangerous. “Wilderness appealed to those bored or disgusted with man and his works. It not only offered an escape from society but also was an ideal stage for the Romantic individual to exercise the cult that he frequently made of his own soul. The solitude and total freedom of the wilderness created a perfect setting for either melancholy or exaltation” (Nash; Krakauer 157). Chris longed to escape from society and rely on only mother nature. An innumerable amount of people desire to withdraw from society as Chris did; but they are so comfortable and secure with a normal life they do not dare take such a gutsy
This passage shows appreciation for the significance of following ones dreams. Even with all that Chris had accomplished he knew that something was missing and this resonated deeply in his soul. It is refreshing to discover that not all young people are focused on materialistic success. Neal Karlinsky demonstrates this in the quotation, “Today, young idealistic pilgrims post their adventures on YouTube as they follow in the footsteps of Alexander Supertramp and visit the now famous “ magic bus” deep in the Alaskan interior.” This passage describes how some young people use Chris’ journey as a catalyst to discover their own identity and purpose as they travel to Alaska also.
Cecilia, like the society around her, has difficulty keeping up with and finding jobs. Cecilia struggles, as many others struggled in her time, to make enough just to live off of. Her society was one of tremendous stress and required an outlet and means of escapism. Cecilia and her husband Monk offer up two examples of escapism that were extremely prevalent during the Great Depression. Cecilia frequents the cinema to escape into the fantasies and hopeful stories of Hollywood while Monk gambles and drinks excessively.
Our first introduction to these competing sets of values begins when we meet Sylvia. She is a young girl from a crowded manufacturing town who has recently come to stay with her grandmother on a farm. We see Sylvia's move from the industrial world to a rural one as a beneficial change for the girl, especially from the passage, "Everybody said that it was a good change for a little maid who had tried to grow for eight years in a crowded manufacturing town, but, as for Sylvia herself, it seemed as if she never had been alive at the all before she came to live at the farm"(133). The new values that are central to Sylvia's feelings of life are her opportunities to plays games with the cow. Most visibly, Sylvia becomes so alive in the rural world that she begins to think compassionately about her neighbor's geraniums (133). We begin to see that Sylvia values are strikingly different from the industrial and materialistic notions of controlling nature. Additionally, Sylvia is alive in nature because she learns to respect the natural forces of this l...
he was real proud of it” (Krakauer, 30). Even though Chris was really hungry, he didn’t gave up on what he had started. Chris would try to find other ways to survive by eating edible plants that he identified from his book. He is determined that he will be able to live on those edible plants alone. This actions prove Chris ability to push himself farther than his limits.
He chose to live deliberately to find real happiness. While living in college, Chris lived off campus in a spartan like apartment, with a couple of crates, electricity and water. After graduating college, he left behind a middle class life full of education and materialistic items to set out on a adventure that would allow him to go into the wild to find his true self. What most people in society would call crazy. A quote from Henry David Thoreau says, “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!” (Walden) Thoreau is saying that people should live a simple life, with out the material possessions controlling their happiness. Chris understood that materialism doesn’t create real happiness and satisfaction. He gave up the comfort of his home to go out to the wild. He gives away his possessions, something society values too much . He gives his money to charity and burns the money he has left in his wallet. He began a simply life hitchhiking, finding food and shelter in the wild and being adventurous with the land and sights around him. In this way making a statement that he rejects the social views and values of property in the search of a higher purpose within
Also, storytelling is an essential part of this complex carnivalesque tale. Carter uses the characterization of the circus performers and their repeated
Chris McCandless had a reputation for being overly ambitious since grade school. His teachers noticed at young age he was abnormally strong-willed which he coupled with intense idealism and strong physical endurance. In high school, Chris served as the captain of his cross country team asking them to treat each race as a spiritual experience. After graduating high school Chris continued on to college where he would graduate with a bachelor’s degree, doub...
This play shows that Arthur Miller was out to show people a sense of a real world expectation. It shows how one’s dream of making it big will likely be crushed and that person must fit in wherever they can make it. The play features the depression that is found most often in society which having a job that is miserable. It is rare that a person wakes up for their job and they are excited for the day to come, and it is a valid point that Miller makes. Miller essentially proves that if a person feels there is no way to help their family, then it is best to kill yourself and let your family have a little money to excel further in life without that person.
“Poverty” written by Jane Taylor provides a dismaying insight to the widespread poverty across the world. The poem affects the reader by tugging at his/her emotions through its end rhyme and descriptive words. Taylor utilizes repetition of the word “poor” in all except the first stanza to emphasize the struggle and pain that the unfortunate family must bear. The structure of this poem interests the reader as the last stanza contradicts the previous stanzas by bringing attention to the rich people instead of the poor. However, the contrasting stanza is well crafted into the poem in order to encourage those who are fortunate to help those who are not.