Introduction
One of the most amazing things about literature is the possibility of introducing a new world and taking a person out of reality, at least for a moment. Some stories make people change their opinions and discover alternatives to improve their lives. In the majority of cases, literary works aim at focusing on one critical theme and discussing its significance for society. Today, the worth of being a human is frequently underestimated. It seems to be normal to take a human life for granted and complain about the lack of freedoms, choices, or resources. At the same time, being obsessed with equality, respect, and recognition, millions of people neglect the importance of being kind, decent, and honest. Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron, Yeats’ “The Lake Isle of Innisfree,” and “Human” by Rang’n’Bone Man help reveal the truth about what it means to be a human in society.
Analysis
The choice of works for analysis in this essay is predetermined by their authors’ intention to describe people and their attempts to create a perfect world. For example, in his short story, Vonnegut represents a dystopian world where the goal to create an equal society has been achieved to its full extent, literary. All people were equal not only “before God and the law” but “equal every which way,” with no one being smarter or “better looking than anybody else” (Vonnegut). There are no antagonists or protagonists in this world, and almost all the characters are flat and static. The only round character is Harrison Bergeron, who made an attempt to change society and “thrust his thumbs under the bar of the padlock that secured his head harness” to release himself from the existing equality (Vonnegut). This quotation, as well as the whole narration, contributes to a better understanding of society where the feeling of freedom never gains its true meaning.
Reading another primary source, the poem “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” by Yeats, a person learns how to dream within the frames and boundaries of the current world. Citing poems by line and stanza helps to realize that society never wants to stop taking action. To stay alive means to “arise and go now, for always night and day” and listen to the cherished dreams “in the deep heart’s core” (Yeats). In this twelve-line poem, the author perfectly shows that to be a human means to cover physical needs (eating bean-rows), emotional needs (finding some peace), and life needs (remembering and making choices). Although this poem does not describe people as free as the story “Harrison Bergeron” does, the impact of this reading cannot be ignored because of its real expectations and possibilities.
Regarding the already established mood of the literature, the discussion of human society may be considerably contributed by the exposition developed in The Importance of Being Earnest by Wilde. The dramatic irony of this play is that its characters comprehend how evasive they emotions could be. They say that “the truth is rarely pure and never simple,” “modern life would be very tedious,” and “modern literature a complete impossibility” (Wilde). However, all at once, the climax of the story and the happiness of both young men lie in revealing the truth.
After analyzing the works of different authors and their identification of a happy life, it is hard to understand the true purposes of society and a human as its significant part. To find out the meaning, one should remember a song by a famous British singer, Rang’n’Bone Man, who calls on to “take a look in the mirror” and say what is seen (“Human” 0:39-0:41). The point is that we are only humans, “after all,” who may be “foolish” or “blind” (“Human” 0:14-0:16). There is a good combination of masculine and feminine rhymes in the song to underline the presence of multiple emotions, like fear, despair, anger, hope, and belief that nothing is permanent. Society is constantly changing, and people should be ready for deceit, tears, real problems, and luck either to solve them or not. Rang’n’Bone Man may be not the best and world-known poet of the century, but this song could impress even the most faithless person.
Conclusion
The worth of human life is a complex and ever-changing concept that modern society tries to investigate. It is hard to choose one particular idea and follow it all the time because there are many internal and external factors that influence decision-making. Therefore, many people like to address literature and find what the greatest minds thought about this topic, relying on their experiences and maturity. Wilde prefers the truth in human relationships after trying a number of insidious and not always fair attempts. Yeats believes in the power of an ultimate purpose to live and be emotionally and physically satisfied. Vonnegut demonstrates that even the fairest and noblest intentions may frustrate. Therefore, the explanation of Rang’n’Bone Man that people are just humans with their needs and dreams that cause positive and negative emotions but always promote progress can be a strong full stop in this story.
Works Cited
“Human.” YouTube, uploaded by Rang’n’Bone Man.
Vonnegut, Kurt. Harrison Bergeron.
Wilde, Oscar. The Importance of Being Earnest.
Yeats, William Butler. “The Lake Isle of Innisfree.” Poetry Foundation.