Let’s talk about the difference between growing up the city and growing up in the country as a young boy in the nineteenth century. So far we’ve had a two stories concerning boyhood: Ragged Dick and Tom Sawyer. Both Dick and Tom are used in their respective stories as images of the future of America: bright, sunny, intelligent, warlike, etc. But as one story is set in the south and the other is set in the north, they represent two distinctly different societies; two societies that had spent the last half a decade ripping at each others throats. Judging by this, one might hypothesize that these boys would be entirely different; separate visions for two completely different cultures. However, whether by plan or by chance, Ragged Dick and Tom Sawyer are essentially the same character set in two different worlds, the city and the country. Though they both are bright and shining sons of liberty nonetheless.
I suppose the basic idea behind it all calls back to our favorite little adage, “childhood is the only unique human experience.” What we find when we read these stories are two completely different boys in completely different environments still being boys. They’re going to get “ragged and dirty,” they’re clever, superbly smart, but they may not always be “honest injun.” The point is even boys who grow up in vastly different situations still experience boyhood, whether they are wealthy in the country, or living out of a box in the city. This common thread, childhood, can tie even the most bitter enemies together. So here’s the plan: make everyone feel like a child again.
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ReplyDeleteBill,
ReplyDeleteI always look forward to reading your blogs because they offer a different insight into a situation that we may have already focused on. I completey overlooked how Tom and Dick are both strong representations of their geographical location. Great work and I am all for feeling like a child again! I'm pretty sure the world would be a much happier place if we could all go back to being 5.
I really like what you said, more people should act like children. Children are innocent and fun and inspiring and like you said, childhood brings even enemies together. Dick and Tom are essentially the same, location just makes them look like opposites. I miss being a kid, everything is so much more fun then.
ReplyDeleteGreat Bill. I like the comparisons you made between Dick and Tom. They do indeed possess many of the same qualities and depth of character. Both were portrayed in the same light of societal context...just in different settings. I liked this blog very much.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the way to make the reader really take interest in the novel is to make them feel like a child again. As we continue to read literature about boy's childhood, we keep encountering themes of cleverness, trickery, play, and other exciting themes. It is about time we move away from themes of girl's childhood and into something more exciting.
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