"In the Mercy of his Means"
“In the Mercy of His Means”
Innocence is often associated with being young, carefree and oblivious to the horrors of the world. While innocence is connected to purity and lack of knowledge, an experienced person is usually considered to be old, wise and accomplished. However, most people do not realize that experience can also bring disappointment and feelings of defeat. The shift from innocence to experience changes a person and can cause him or her to feel hopeless. Innocence allows for denial and ignorance, but with experience people become more aware of the chaos that surrounds them. The loss of denial and oblivion can be disheartening for people and may cause depression. For example, in The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisernos, the protagonist, Esperanza had spent countless hours imagining her family’s future home and their future life. She was innocent and naïve, but she was happy because she truly believed her life would improve. When her family moves into the house on Mango Street, the passage from innocence to experience takes another turn. The house is not what she expected and because of that, her perspective changes. She went from feeling hopeful to feeling like her circumstances would not change anytime soon. The journey to experience causes Esperanza to feel dismayed just as the speaker in, “This Be the Verse” feels. In the poem, it is obvious this persona is miserable because of a bitter relationship with his parents. He believes that parenting is an endless cycle of failure. He claims there is nothing anyone can do except “get out as early as [they] can, / and [not] have any kids [themselves]” (11-12.) The speaker’s views on this subject are grim and he is essentially telling the reader that there is no hope and everyone should simply surrender. The persona’s experiences have produced a pessimistic and unhappy person. Thus, while experience can be positive, it can also bring cynicism and misery. To convey their messages about innocence and
Innocence is often associated with being young, carefree and oblivious to the horrors of the world. While innocence is connected to purity and lack of knowledge, an experienced person is usually considered to be old, wise and accomplished. However, most people do not realize that experience can also bring disappointment and feelings of defeat. The shift from innocence to experience changes a person and can cause him or her to feel hopeless. Innocence allows for denial and ignorance, but with experience people become more aware of the chaos that surrounds them. The loss of denial and oblivion can be disheartening for people and may cause depression. For example, in The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisernos, the protagonist, Esperanza had spent countless hours imagining her family’s future home and their future life. She was innocent and naïve, but she was happy because she truly believed her life would improve. When her family moves into the house on Mango Street, the passage from innocence to experience takes another turn. The house is not what she expected and because of that, her perspective changes. She went from feeling hopeful to feeling like her circumstances would not change anytime soon. The journey to experience causes Esperanza to feel dismayed just as the speaker in, “This Be the Verse” feels. In the poem, it is obvious this persona is miserable because of a bitter relationship with his parents. He believes that parenting is an endless cycle of failure. He claims there is nothing anyone can do except “get out as early as [they] can, / and [not] have any kids [themselves]” (11-12.) The speaker’s views on this subject are grim and he is essentially telling the reader that there is no hope and everyone should simply surrender. The persona’s experiences have produced a pessimistic and unhappy person. Thus, while experience can be positive, it can also bring cynicism and misery. To convey their messages about innocence and