A Study of literary youth: Escape vs. Acceptance

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A Study of literary youth

Escape vs. Acceptance

There comes a time in any young person's life when the culmination of all life's lessons seem to be all that binds them to their fate. Though indirectly tutored by endless role models and mentors, it is the ability to ascertain the division between wrong and right that sets them free. Two examples of such misguided youth can be found in the short stories "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather, and "Everday Use" by Alice Walker. Cather's Protagonist, Paul, is a young man stricken with grief. The inability to understand his role in life and to accept his environment creates numerous psychological problems for Paul. He is constantly trying to run away from his own reality. Much like Paul, Walker's female character, Dee, is a victim of materialistic cravings and a misguided perception of who she is. Where do we find appropriate role models for such individuals? It is in the literary work by Eudora Welty that we find a beacon of hope. In "A Worn Path" we find a shining example of acceptance and fortitude for all to learn from. Phoenix Jackson is an elderly African-American woman caught in an amazing journey to save her grandson. Her courage and determination to defy all adversity create a perfect example of a true heart in it's most simplistic form. Furthermore, the traits that lie within the spirit of Phoenix Jackson are all that is needed to resolve the many conflicts in the lives of Dee and Paul.

To understand any human's traits and tendencies, we must first examine the family environment in which they were raised. A dysfunctional family can be a dangerous element, but a boy's refusal to accept his place within the family can be even worse. In the case of Paul, we find a single parent family with a very stern father. Their house, located in a suburban area of Pittsburgh, creates a very ominous portrait of what the life of Paul must have been like. "the loathing of respectable beds, of common food, of a house permeated by kitchen odors; a shuddering repulsion for the flavorless, colorless mass of everyday existence" (Cather 07). His disgust for everyday life seems to grow with every common detail of a house that presents no real discomfort. Not having a close attachment to his family and his lack of neighborhood friends causes a true cynical side to a young undeveloped mind; which in turn presents problems in finding social acceptance and a hatred for the place in which he calls home. His only escape from the self-created harsh reality of life is his position at Carnegie Hall. The grandiose characters and the posh audience become a static source of influence in materialistic want. Paul's lust for such a bourgeoisie lifestyle is the final determinant in his misguided direction in life. His craving for such a life turns sour as he abandons all reason and commits crimes in the name of exploration.

Another factor in human development is a person's educational background, and how that knowledge they have acquired is applied. Though most people use their education to better their lives, many use their intellectual advancement as a tool to block out painful memories or feelings of shame. With Dee, her education serves as an escape from her family by helping to create a new identity for her. After revealing to her mother that she changed her name to Werengo, she states her reason for the metamorphosis as such "I couldn't bear it any longer, being named after the people who oppressed me" (Walker 68). Dee's distorted perception of her own heritage becomes a wall of superficiality. By adopting the cause of the Black Power movement her need for materialistic pleasure becomes a priority, and her humble background and simple family become a shade within her past. By shutting out her true heritage and showing no sense of compassion, Dee's newly acquired identity only proves her shallowness as a human and the true lack of development that has taken place in her life.

Some lessons cannot be learned in any classroom. It is sometimes by means of trial and error, true human sacrifice and experience, that character is created within individuals. Phoenix Jackson has learned about life in much of the same manner as all humans before the dawn of the educational system. Through hard work and simple means, this elderly beacon of honesty and unconditional love knows no sense of materialism or shame. Her arduous journey to acquire medicine for her grandchild shows a compassion not shown in Dee and Paul. She cares for the ailing youth not only because "we is the only two left in this world", but due the heroic nature of her soul (Welty 6). This courage and fortitude can been seen as the sort of strength that all young individuals could benefit from witnessing.

A true-life lesson for Paul could have been learned by examining the true courage in the face of adversity, and the strong sense of determination to succeed displayed by Phoenix. With a lack of foresight, Paul cheats his way into claiming a short-lived version of the lifestyle he seeks. It is through no sense of duty or dedication that he finds it, and his naivety towards the earning such rewards is displayed when it all comes crashing down. "He had not a hundred dollars left; and he knew now, more than ever, that money was everything, the wall between all he loathed and all he wanted" (Cather 15). Without the desire to earn the money and respect in a conventional and logical manner he resorts to the weakest of human tendencies. Paul's decision to end his own life confirms his inability to cope with failure, and his lack of emotional strength to conquer his fears. He finds no use for life if he cannot posses the luxuries that he was never meant to possess. The opposite is displayed in Phoenix. She conquers her fears with the strength of her unconditional love, never giving in to the socials strains of her time. Faced with the adversity of staring down the barrel of a gun, the determined old woman "stood straight and faced" the hunter (Welty 4). Rather than succumbing to her fear, she chooses to deal with the problem at hand. This admirable trait could have saved Paul's life.

Although Dee and Phoenix are both African-American, they have slightly different ways of appreciating their culture. The essence of Phoenix's heritage lies within the simplicity of her lifestyle, and her modest approach to finding happiness. We can find this in the way they dress. Phoenix humbly wears a "long apron of sugar sacks" and long shoelaces that "dragged from her unlaced shoe"(Welty 1). In contrast, Dee is described as wearing a brightly colored full dress with gold earrings and bracelets (Walker 67). This seems odd when taken into account that she shows no compassion towards the family that contains her true heritage. Every word from Dee's mouth contains an overtone of resentment and shame, and even though Dee comes from a humble background, her need for escape clouds her judgment in the way she attempts to relate to her family. This is a truly disgusting trait to be displayed in front of the woman that raised her. The love for her family that Phoenix carries with pride could only benefit Dee and the way she perceives her heritage.

When we look at the similarities between Dee and Paul it is easier to understand the importance of the lessons to be learned from Phoenix Jackson. Dee and Paul are both extremely materialistic. They crave all the worldly goods that they could not possess at home with their families. They both feel the need to live a different lifestyle, and to experience what is really not theirs to experience. Phoenix has none of these characteristics. She accepts her place in life and finds happiness in the duties that she must fulfill not only for herself, but also for the ones she loves. She eagerly chooses to spend her money on others as a sign of her undying affection and unconditional love for her family. The happiness that Dee and Paul would find in such simple ways would be hard to measure, but could only serve to bring them closer to the family they have forsaken. Phoenix is also at peace with who she is and where she comes from. She looks not towards the progressive tilt of the social spectrum, but towards her duties as a grandmother with a humble life. It is in the acceptance of her past that we find the fault in Dee and Paul's constant escape towards the future.

There is a simple lesson to be learned from the stories of the troubled Paul, the misguided Dee, and the benevolent Phoenix Jackson. Role models can be found in any walk of life. We find them in the rich and the poor, and in the young and the old. As an old wise man was once quoted as saying "Never laugh at the elderly, for they now walk a path that one day you will follow". The truth in these words holds more weight than Dee and Paul could possibly understand, but then again, they never did meet Phoenix Jackson. However, if they did, who knows if they would have noticed her at all.

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