We're All Getting Old

Another book completed, another sun set, another day passed. Sad but true, life comes and goes and as fast-pace as it comes along, we have no control over how much time we get to spend on earth. After the completion of Something Wicked This Way Comes, it has made me reconsider taking advantage of my young life because Bradbury truly unhinges the sadness that individual's face when growing up. While many aspects of the novel encompass childhood innocence, many scenes open my eyes to the realities of life. For example, innocent and naive Jim Nightshade tries to go about life without getting hurt. Unfortunately, Jim's mother breaks the news only to prepare him for inevitable disappointment later down the line: "'You'll live and get hurt'" (41). Through Bradbury's claim that children remain innocent and un-phased of the hardships in young life, I came to realize that no one can go through life unscathed. Why not take risks if I will find myself forced to live the rest of my short life in regret? I have only one thing to say: YOLO (You Only Live Once). Yes, the corny line by contemporary rap artist Drake has fallen victim to the scorn of critics across the globe; however, Bradbury's work opens my eyes to the truth of the statement. Never again will I come across the opportunities that face me today. As written in my last blog entry, I hope to  stop fearing death some day. Knowing that death looms in my future remains a sad truth; yet, I know how to make it work to my advantage. Like Mr. Halloway states, "'death makes everything else sad'" (137). To me, Mr. Halloway's acceptance of aging only encourages me to take death as a gift, not a threat. As crazy and controversial as it may seem, by the end of my lifetime, I pray that I have accomplished everything on my bucket list and I will stand ready to rest with open arms. I will not live with regrets as I have done in the past. As a young adult, I sadly force myself to grow up all too quickly, enabling myself to truly appreciate all that life has to offer. Through Bradbury's juxtaposition of childhood manners, demonstrated through his young and naive characters of  Jim and Will, and adult wisdoms, shown through the wise janitor, Mr. Halloway, I have seen all the advantages that life has to offer at all different stages of growth. While the surface of this novel revolves around a carnival, a deeper exploration shows the internal conflict of characters growing up and growing old and the hardships that come along with those concepts. I applaud Bradbury for effectively capturing the spectrum of emotions that run rampant in these changes of human life. One thing I know for sure, I will live every day for here on out to the fullest. As my favorite musician, Dave Matthews, once sang, "celebrate we will, 'cause life is short but sweet for certain.'"

Accepting the Inevitable

Ludwig Börne once said, "Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth." Immortality remains such an illusion that people across the world continually struggle to deny, like in Ray Bradbury's acclaimed fiction fantasy, Something Wicked This Way Comes. In this novel, Mr. Halloway, a library janitor, finds great difficulty in accepting his age as he watches over his thirteen-year-old son, Will. However, throughout the novel, Mr. Halloway learns to deal with growing old and recognizes that nothing lasts forever. Therefore, my favorite passage in the book so far comes when Mr. Halloway comes to the realization that he must lose the illusion of staying young forever in order to live his life fully. As the deceiving mirrors in the Mirror Maze shatter, Mr. Halloway knows he has beaten the trap "All because he accepted everything at last" (260). Through his proud tone, Mr. Halloway claims that no individual can last forever and that growing up comes with its perks as well. I personally, found great appreciation for the old janitor as he "showed his acceptance with sound" (260). As Bradbury indirectly characterizes the man as exuberant, I realize that this passage mirrors how I would like to live my life someday with no regrets. The strength Mr. Halloway holds in accepting his age allows himself to feel comfortable with himself which leads to the ultimate demise of the evils of the carnival. Already, throughout my life I see myself growing older and wish that I can slow down time if only to enjoy the golden age that I currently live in. However, after experiencing the revelation that Mr. Halloway feels, I now know that no matter my age, I can always feel at home with myself. I feel while Something Wicked This Way Comes stands as a liberating tale of good and evil, it also embodies the internal conflict of childhood and adulthood. While all those say that our childhood years remain the best of our lives, this passage gives me reassurance that good things come at all ages. While Mr. Halloway may no longer be young enough to run around with Jim and Will, he has knowledge in wisdom that come hand-in-hand with his years of age. 

Opposites Attract

As we round out our final year of high school, I reflect on the people I have met, befriended, and shared important memories with. Yes, similar interests brought me to these individuals; however, each one of them continuously shows me that opposites attract. Due to this concept, I have made friends with people who hold extremely conservative views, with those who find an addiction to corny romantic comedies, and even with those who can jam out all night to a nice Metallica Pandora station. In this way, I feel as if I can relate to Jim and Will's odd relationship in the fiction novel, Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. The way that Bradbury indirectly characterizes Jim from the very beginning as a risk-taker when he remains hesitant to protect his house from lightning striking, questioning, "why spoil the fun?" juxtaposes the pragmatic nature of Will who persuades Jim to protect his home (10). I believe that Bradbury sees the world as an open canvas in which people are put together to grow and learn from others. The differences between Will and Jim remain apparent to any reader; yet, their differences remain the reason that they stick together. Without their counterpart, they have nothing to keep them grounded. With this enlightenment on human relationships, I agree with Bradbury's outlook on the world. Mr. Halloway truly captures my appreciation as he watches the two young boys and thinks, "that's friendship, each playing the potter" (18). Within his thoughts, Mr. Halloway makes the assertion that friends fall molded by friends in order to bring diversity and open-mindedness to each other. In these ways, I find myself with a similar outlook on life as Bradbury. We both believe that uniform likeness has the ability to make life dull and boring. No growth can be made as an individual without having an open-mind to the world. So, my advice to any readers follows (as corny as cliches come): Never judge a book by its cover. You never know how dramatically someone can change you before you allow yourself to get to know him or her. Whether you believe in Evolution or Creationism, the fact of the matter remains that people's differences stand to thank for the advancement of our culture. We continue to make progress as individuals because we can learn and grasp different opinions from those with opposite outlooks on life.