Sunrise On The Veld

The Death of Virtue
“A Sunrise on the Veld” by Doris Lessing reflects on the universal sentiment of youthfulness and amazement in existence shared by all mankind, shadowed by the devastating blow of adulthood, reality and death. The story starts with a boy triumphantly awakening early in the morning, displaying graceful control over his body. The boy had trained himself to outwit the frail part of his own psyche, to wake up half-past four every morning. He would even pompously jest with the notion of not getting out of bed, knowing that the warmth of his sheets could not conquer his self-determination.
The story progresses as the boy swiftly gets dressed to preserve some warmth from his sheets. However, by the time he is fully outfitted, the cold had taken over his extremities. Subsequently the boy crept quietly through the house in order not to wake his parents. He takes his firearm, and heads outside, accompanied only by his dogs. As the boy makes his way out to the savanna, he
As he cautiously investigates the disturbance, the boy discovers a young dying buck, covered in black ants. As the young man helplessly sees the creature being devoured, he realizes the fate of that dying beast is beyond his reach, driving the boy to a state of anger, sadness, and confusion. He thinks, “I can’t stop it. I can’t stop it. There is nothing I can do." After the ants are done, and the bones are stripped clean, the boy moves closer to the skeleton. He thinks about the the creature’s condition, and the scenarios that could have lead to the current situation. While contemplating the gruesome sight, the boy realizes there are certain outcomes one cannot control, and death will come all. The central idea of “A Sunrise on the Veld” by Doris Lessing is that growing up is learning to accept one’s lack of control over life and death, as well as accepting