The Struggle

Analysis #3

The Struggle and Strife

Marian Crotly began her presentation with a slide saying, The Common Application with Supplement. Her presentation included the struggles she went through and the low self esteem she had throughout her teenage years. The poem “My Papa’s Waltz” depicts a drunk father that is dancing with his son through the kitchen. This poem ultimately prevails the fear and love of the relationship amongst the father and son. The other poem “Cincinnati” describes a girl moving into a new city and “starting over”. Lastly, the short story “The Cask of Amontillado” presents the character, Mostresor wants to get revenge on his acquaintance. After reading the poems, short stories and attending the event I found it difficult to find different ways in which they connected.

 In the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” and the short story “The Cask of Amontillado” it is evident that both of the characters have some kind of drinking problem. The poem begins,

 “The whiskey on your breath / Could make a small boy dizzy;”.

            The speaker says the father is waltzing around the room knocking the pans from the kitchen shelves. He uses waltzing in the context of a dance, when in reality the father is clumsily stumbling around.

 The speaker says, “But I hung on like death:”.

This shadows some kind of fear that the son might have towards his father. Not only in that instance, but after the little boy had gotten hit in the head with his father’s belt, he tells him to go to bed and the little boy insists on holding on to him. In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Poe writes, “I broke and reached him a flagon De Grave. He emptied it at a breath,” (1064). It is evident that Montresor is going to try to get his revenge through Fortunado’s drinking habits. On the other hand, the poem “Cincinnati” the young girl is starting a new beginning in a new place.

The speaker says, “Freedom at last in this town aimless / I walked against the rush / hour traffic

  My first day / in a real city / where / no one knew me.”

            Each of these writing pieces contain some kind of strife or struggle that the person or characters are going through. Whether it is addiction to alcohol or leaving the struggle and starting to new. At the event Marian explains her low self-esteem and other problems she deals with because of her mom attempt at suicide. At the end of the event she tells us that the entire story was made up. She made the supplement about some one else when it clearly stated that it was suppose to reflect yourself. Although it was difficult to find a clear connection, I thought connecting them through strife and struggle made them relatable in unique ways.