Mark Twain’s story, “The Five Boons of Life”, describes the life choices that are made by a young man. It also describes their impact on him and how they led to his current situation. The fairy’s repeated warnings to the man about choosing wisely, and her description of the reaction she had after he chose a present were intriguing. The results of each gift were also interesting. The man chose the pleasure but ended up feeling empty and disappointed. After his wife’s death, the man chose love and was left empty. After choosing fame he went through years of being praised by others, envied by others, and even hated. Later he became slandered or mocked. After a couple of years, the man was left in poverty after receiving wealth. The five gifts that the fairy had said she would give were pleasure, fame, love and wealth. However, when she returned she did not have the fifth, which was her most valued gift. The fairy had chosen the gift to give to the child, who had asked her to do so. The man now had to live in his present state without anyone to thank him for all the years he spent on earth. The man didn’t want to die or accept it as an answer.
Examination
Mark Twain wrote the “Five Boons of Life”, a book about life, during Realism. Realism and Romanticism were both periods. However, Realism rejects idealism in favor of solving real-life problems. This includes poverty, hunger, violent situations, and other tough topics. Other important issues of that time included industrialization, urbanization and the growth of a world empire. Realism can be seen as a radical movement that represents the simple and common views of people, often based on everyday experiences. Charles Darwin’s theories about evolution and organic organisms helped to fuel the shift from faith-based thinking to scientific proof. Mark Twain’s focus was on rich and poor, poverty and wealth, love and unity. Each of the gifts given to the character in the short-story had a negative outcome. Each gift was accompanied by a rush of excitement and joy. Each gift made the man want more. Mark Twain wrote about the impact of social, political, economic, and technological changes on real people during the Realism period. Mark Twain wasn’t unfamiliar with the difficulties of everyday life. He lost his father early in life, and had to quit school to work. After he fell in love with working on Mississippi river steamboats he decided to venture west to explore mining. As he wrote, he shared his thoughts and observations about the world.
Mark Twain was married and fathered 4 children. Three of them died. His wife and daughter, who was still alive at the time, traveled to meet many influential people. Amounts of debt he owed forced him to travel on lecture tours. He was honored with honorary degree from Ivy League college, and invited by the President of USA to speak at Congress. He continued to gain popularity by working with other authors. He understood the ups-and-downs of the world, the gains and losses. While he was a man of many talents, his sense for humor never wavered. Twain is still a favorite author among readers today because of his humanistic work. He touches on ideas and feelings which everyone can identify with. He addresses human issues like death, slavery and rebuilding your life. Many people today struggle with the conflict between poverty and riches, fame and loneliness. They also struggle to find the right balance between pleasure and life wasted.
Talking about something
Original: Collaboration
Paraphrased: Working together
The information I learned from Mark Twain’s research only confirms my original thoughts about “The Five Boons of Life”. Realism brought about many trials for those living in the period. These changes were social, technological, economic, and political. At this time, the writers wanted to depict people in their natural state and not minimize or glamorize them. The “Five Boons of Life”, a book about the ups and downs of life, is portrayed in this work. The story shows that man wants and desires things he doesn’t have, and even after obtaining them, he still feels empty. The story shows us that we will ignore warnings and advise in favor of our own opinions and often won’t even ask what others believe. The fairy warned him repeatedly to make wise decisions and expressed disapproval when this man did not. The man did not listen to the gift-giver’s advice. He was only interested in himself. Today, man still struggles with selfishness, the desire to be better, the desire to have more, and the desire to be the best. People will choose power and riches over just living their lives and doing the best they can. Mark Twain wrote this short story over a hundred years ago but the concepts are still relevant today. If only people would listen.