Boys and Girls by Alice Munro and The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula Le Guin - Research Paper Example

William Blake, London The poem, London, written by William Blake speaks about the beyond the glorification of England’s marvelous history or the beauty of River Thames. It speaks about the negativities thriving within the city, the ‘plagues’, the ‘harlots,’ and the cries of children. The poem was originally written as part of a children’s book but the underlying messages in the poem speak to a much older audience. The time around which Blake wrote this poem also coincided with the time when radical changes took place in England as a result of the French Revolution in its European neighborhood. In fear of the revolution spreading at home and overthrowing the government, the authorities were concerned about the radical sentiments that were harboring in England. The public response was much radicalized followed by the authoritarian response of putting restrictions in places. Blake’s reference to “mind-forg’d manacles” points towards the repression of free thinking which was put in place to restrict the freedom of radical thinking or speech. London subtly talks about freedom, uninhibited freedom, which assists the common man. The relationship between the society and the individual is of vital importance in the poem as Blake writes to describe the society-individual relationship in the social context, as though a social contract exists between the two. Two works that represent the responsibilities of the individual and the society are Boys and Girls by Alice Munro and The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula Le Guin. This paper will seek to explain the responsibilities of the entities, society and individual, in the light of works by Munro and Le Guin. The manacles which Blake talks about is meant to represent a sort of physical restriction preventing free movement, which is used to explain the repressive laws that were implemented to inhibit the freedom of printing presses and publications. Most importantly, these manacles are placed on the mind to restrict free thinking to prevent any radical uprising. Very covertly, Blake has spoken about the social contract that exists between a society and an individual which directs the responsibilities of both entities so that they fulfill their expected tasks in a way that is beneficial for both. However, once the freedom of the common man is restricted by any means, there is sure to be a response. The society as an independent entity exerts pressure on the individuals, dwelling in its context, to show compliance to the agreed set of terms. Much of these implicit agreements are transmitted through communicational discourse. Munro’s Boys and Girls articulates a similar social relationship where the narrator finds herself fighting against the norms of the society to be ladylike as is expected of her role in the society (n.pag.). Who defines these roles is a matter of social construction where discourse shapes the expected roles and responsibilities of individuals within the society. The narrator in the book is happy to help her father and enjoys the smell of the pelting activities that fill her house, unlike her mother (Munro, n.pag.). While she enjoys doing the chores with her father, she dislikes doing indoor chores that women are expected to do. A conflict is experienced as the narrator tries to follow her own likings or to conform to societal expectations, demonstrating the connection between the society and the individual. Individual players are central actors in a particular society, who fulfill their responsibilities as implicitly agreed and understood. When an entity fails to deliver its agreed roles and responsibilities, the result is a revolution. The atmosphere was a similar one with Blake himself being a radical literarian. London details out the attributes of the city away from its usually celebrated marvel. In the poem, Blake has talked about its down sides, which most people may not talk about but which exists and continues to disease the society. The utopian city of Omelas described in Le Guin’s book is a paradox in its own form, where the happiness of the city depends upon the misery of a child (4). The child is kept in a room where is fed very little food and kept inside a closet. Every person is told about this secret as he becomes an adult to which some are able to cope with while others cannot. The result is that they leave the city and never return. Despite being a utopian and sort of an ideal city, there is a form of realism in the misery of the child who is kept in captivity reflecting the conflict between personal and societal interests. The rights and freedom of one individual seems to be conflicting with another’s thereby mimicking a real society. This restriction of the child’s freedom very much imitates the mind manacle which Blake spoke of referring to the prevention of individual freedom as it clashes with the interests of the ruling parties. A balanced society is regulated by the implicitly agreed set of roles and responsibilities that each constituent member fulfills. The individual carries out his tasks while the society grants him a peaceful dwelling environment and freedom. Freedom is a central theme underlying Blake’s poetic lines in London and freedom in societal context is very well articulated in Boys and Girls to show how social factors come into play when societal actors deviate from their expected roles (Munro, n.pag.). The narrator in the book is unusual in her delivery of social expectations where she must be interested in more ladylike activities unlike her position. This represents a conflict in social role where the societal discourse defines certain norms and appropriate roles for the members. When both the individual and the society appropriately fulfill their obligations, the society runs in a regulated manner without hurting their own or others’ freedoms. However, any clash in their interests results in a struggle and chaos, which is circumvented through placement of restrictions. Le Guin’s depiction of Omelas shows a society where the individual freedoms are conflicting. Omelas’ secret is the child’s misery. The city dwells upon the misery of the child who lives on very little food and sits on his own excrement. The civilians of Omelas live by compromising the freedom of the child and many realize that their happy fate depends upon the misery of the child. This situation represents a clash of rights and a conflict of freedoms, which to resolve is to give up either of the two liberties. Blake talks about a similar freedom being limited by placing the metaphorical “manacles” (8). Each individual who is born possesses some fundamental liberties which the society protects and in return the individuals fulfill their obligations towards the society. Towards the end of her book, Le Guin tells about the people who leave Omelas and are never seen. Although the author does not know of the place exactly, but she mentions that the people who do leave know of the place they are going, perhaps which is free of such social injustice. London is an interesting poem that points out towards several realities that may be understood in the social context. The children’s poem speaks about quite serious matters, mostly revolving around freedom and its social dimensions – society and its members, as well as the factors that degenerate it. Society operates in a reconciled fashion where its individual components work in a coordinated fashion. Thus, both individuals as well as the societies work in an integrated manner, each fulfilling its own set of responsibilities as directed by social expectations and discourse. Works Cited Blake, William. London. The Poetry Foundation. N. p., 2014. Web. 2 Jun. 2014. Munro, Alice. Boys and Girls. Women in Literature. N. p., 2014. Web. 2 Jun. 2014. Le Guin, Ursula K. ‘The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas’. San Diego State University. N. p., n.d. Web. 2 Jun. 2014. Read More