Describe what you think the writer means when he states the following opening sentence in the essay, “It is worse to be living but lacking life than it is to be dead.”
Assignment 2 – Analyze a Literary Descriptive Essay
A Fulfilled Purpose
Written by Austin A. Wheeler
It is worse to be living but lacking life than it is to be dead. Therefore, one who exist in vain is one who does not exist at all. Mankind often becomes inclined to follow a particular established order, regardless of how right or wrong it is. The progression of the established is strictly dependent on the vision of the establisher. The authors of Pride & Prejudice and Watership Down pinpointed a particular direction that was to be followed…or to be created. In both novels, an inordinate decision was presented to the main characters and influenced by outside forces. Austen and Adams highlighted the pro et contra of society by instituting a societal standard, presenting a decision, and unveiling the product of consequence.
Fore mostly, Austen and Adams incorporate the influence of the setting. The reader is shown a prosaic establishment by the authors. After examining the exposition of each book, the audience will notice how the established order will act as a catalyst to the events to come. For example, when Fiver states, “There isn’t any danger here, at this moment. But it’s coming-it’s coming. Oh Hazel, look! The field! It’s covered in blood!” (Adams 7). Specifically, in Watership Down, the phenomena to come were clearly foreshadowed in the beginning. Fiver was purposefully given a supernatural ability to anticipate the future. Adams used fivers character to present a particular retrospective to his audience-the blindness of hoi polloi. The events within the setting of the novel makes it clear that society is being criticized, and not praised. The initial conversation between Hazel and Fiver is a prime example of Adam’s distaste in society’s thoughtlessness. Hazel emphasized, “The whole warren? Don’t be silly. They won’t come. They’ll say you’re out of your wits” (Adams 7). Regarding this, Fiver immediately replied, “Then they’ll be here when the bad thing comes. You must listen to me, Hazel. Believe me, something very bad is close upon us and we ought to go away” (Adams 7). The setting is representative of how lethal it is to ignore the signs of the present, because the future is not so forgiving. Considering this, the purpose behind the setting’s constant fluctuation is justified. Jane Austen took a far different foreboding approach to the process, in which, the imperilment would strike. The setting of Pride & Prejudice is more imbibed within the actual character itself. Austen specifically uses setting as a means to uncloak what type of society the characters live in. Pride & Prejudice unhinges another type of blindness present in society-inferiority. On the subject of this, Elizabeth clarified in Mr. Darcy’s proposal, “He spoke well; but there were feelings besides those of the heart to be detailed; and he was not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride. His sense of her inferiority-of its being a degradation-of the family obstacles…” (Austen 129). The reader is shown that Mr. Darcy is a product of his very own environment. Consequentially, Austen utilizes various characters (such as Mr. Darcy) in the novel to unveil how prejudice can cripple society, and pride can blind it. The stories used vastly different settings to display the exact same picture.
Secondly, Watership Down and Pride & Prejudice accentuate point of view. The central characters were presented with broad decisions, in which, their choices had detrimental effects on the story. Particularly, when Elizabeth Bennett was presented a proposal from Mr. Collins. Of course, Mr. Collins was to receive a fanciable inheritance from Mr. Bennett, but Elizabeth still declined the proposal. In this time period, a nonpartisan decision on such a scale was seemingly unheard of-especially from a woman. Elizabeth clarified,” You forget that I have made no answer. Let me do it without farther loss of time. Accept my thanks for the compliment you are paying me. I am very sensible to the honor of your proposals but, it is impossible for me to do otherwise than decline them” (Austen 74). Identically, the Rabbits in Watership down are faced with rigid decisions as well. In fact, perspective is the sustenance of the rabbits’ tranquility. Adams is portraying that having a point of view is the key to survival. If society were to lose its sense of opinion, it would only be at the mercy of the established order. This means that if the establishment were to collapse, the results would be catastrophic (as seen in Watership down). For example, “I heard the commotion beginning before I smelled the stuff myself. The does seemed to get it first and some of them began trying to get out” (Adams 154), declared Holly. Adams and Austen clearly demonstrated the importance of using perception to find happiness, or to circumvent demise.
Lastly, the audience is shown the consequence of the conflict. There is essentially a grand consequence presented in Pride & Prejudice, while Watership down delivered a series of revelations. Austen emphasized how important it is that the character undergoes evolution from every decision made. Elizabeth Bennet’s character was steady throughout but slowly metamorphosed into a powerful woman without compromising her moral integrity. Furthermore, the most unlikely pair ended up marrying each other, and the barriers were broken. The antagonists, pride and prejudice, were defeated. Similarly, the rabbits found peace and established their own warren with their own ideals. The characters were galvanized by outside forces (or society) into either cooperating with the status quo or developing status of their own. As Hazel reached the end of his life, the true purpose of life was upon him. The entity comfortingly reassured Hazel, “They’ll be all right-and thousands like them. If you’ll come along, I’ll show you what I mean” (Adams 474). Based on this passage, it is made evident that the afterlife has been adapted to be the ultimatum in this context. Adams uses this conclusive and spiritual process to allude to humanity’s greatest aspiration-purpose fulfilled.
In conclusion, both novels found different ways to investigate the same theme. The reader is shown the perception of what is right and wrong, the accepted and unaccepted, and the difference between them all. Ultimately, the characters refused to be “programmed” to do something that did not line up with their own morale. The characters’ refusal to succumb to a particular established order, became their path to triumph. Austen and Adams highlighted the pro et contra of society by instituting a societal standard, presenting a decision, and unveiling the product of consequence.
Questions
1) Identify the thesis statement in the essay.
2) Identify the opening point in the first body paragraph.
3) Identify the opening point in the second body paragraph.
4) Identify the opening point in the third body paragraph.
5) Identify all the transition words in the essay.
6) Identify three descriptive elements in the essay.
7) What dominant impression does the writer, Austin Wheeler, communicate in the essay?
8) Describe two characters that are mentioned in the essay. What descriptive words does Wheeler use to describe the characters?
9) Describe what you think the writer means when he states the following opening sentence in the essay, “It is worse to be living but lacking life than it is to be dead.”
10) Describe your overall impression of the essay. Do you see any grammatical errors in the piece?
