I Could Never Understand Living Under Tyrannies Of The Old...

Andrew Plascencia 09/27/2014 Final Essay Literature Prof. H Zameni Little Hope I could never understand living under tyrannies of the old world. The best we can do is learn from those who were there. Literature has been called the reflection of human experience and to many, including my self; it can be a window peering into another age. Chimney sweeps in the old United Kingdom used to be teams of young boys sold into the profession usually to settle a debt and without work regulations; these children would suffer harsh conditions with seemingly no end in sight, minus the permanent solution. It is this struggle we can peer into when reading William Blake’s poem, â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper.† A young boy shows his hope for brighter days through†¦show more content†¦What would life be like outside the constant beating and rigid order of conduct? Author, Kate Chopin, beautifully illustrates the thought process of such a woman. Though faced with a new and challenging reality, the truth remains, life goes on. Freedom will come for those who escape their captors and at first where they may panic soon another feeling takes hold. Small and persisting until unavoidable, in an overwhelming fashion the protagonist finds freedom and we as readers are awakened to the possibility of where we may need or have had freedom. â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† properly named, is an amazing example of irony. As soon as the reader is led to believe this newfound reality for the dear protagonist, she is killed at the stroke of a heart attack. Cause of death: too good to be true. Her husband stands in the doorway unaware he was even suspected to have been in the horrible train accident that supposedly took his life. With this story Chopin has established a dark tone I find similar to the work of Blake. They both show amazing examples of the power of hope and the elasticity of the human spirit. In â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper,† a young boy has a hard time coming to terms with having to cut his hair. He doesn’t quite have the mental age for this kind of decision and it is made for him that he must cut his hair to [avoid infestation and vermin.] (Gordon, Todd. Section 7.) The narrator tells young Tom