Abandonment or choice, which life is worth living? In Lazaer Ascher’s “The Boxman,” a man who lives on the street collecting boxes and food, is fulfilled with his adventurous and solitary life. Not to be mistaken with the “lonely ones,” the Boxman has control over his fate and enjoys being alone. Ascher then introduces two other groups of people called “lonely ones” who live lives of luxury and love but are forsaken by the ones closest to them. Unlike the Boxman who is content with his conditions, these individuals attempt to enjoy the rest of their time by seeking people in coffee shops and investing in hobbies to fill the voids in their lonely hearts. Through the use of imagery, diction, and pathos, Asher reminds her readers that a life of
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For instance, when the narrator compares the Boxman’s life to the adventurous Boxcar Children, she says, “Although it would appear to be a life of misery, judging from the bandages and chill of night, it is of his choosing” (Ascher 44-45). This elaborates Ascher’s point because the Boxman would have left his life of homelessness long ago if he was bothered by his conditions. This piece of imagery paints a picture of hairy man with an untreated, oozing dog bite on his leg who is trying to fall asleep in the empty alley while a chilly breeze tenderly brushes against his blanket less, dirty body. The Boxman enjoys his life of adventure and mystery because he wants it. Likewise, when the narrator talks about the “lonely ones” she sees every day, she reveals, “She drags it out as long as possible, breaking the crackers into smaller and smaller pieces, first in halves and then halves of halves and so on until the last pieces burst into salty splinters and fall from dry fingers onto the soup’s shimmering surface” (Ascher 53). This relates back to decision and loneliness because they lead to different outcomes. One result is like the Boxman and the other is like this woman who sits at a coffee shop all day in search of someone to talk to. The text paints a scene of an elderly woman sitting at a table constantly breaking crackers and glancing at her watch. Time passes and all she has achieved for the day is a pile of …show more content…
This relates to the two different sets of lives because the Boxman is well aware that if he chooses to be alone, he would avoid the pain and struggle of being forced to be lonely. The reader can empathize with both groups of people; the joy associated with the Boxman’s adventurous life can be felt as he roams around the city and the sorrow and bitterness concealed within the “lonely ones” can also be empathized. The narrator then gives a brief summary of life and states, “As children we acquire language to make ourselves understood and soon learn from the blank stares in response to our babblings that even these, our saviors, our parents, are strangers (Ascher 88-90). This proves that even family could not stop loneliness from occurring because support from parents, friends, and spouse eventually disappears when one gets older. Ascher uses this statement to connect with her readers and let them reflect and ponder about the journey of life. Pathos delivers Asher’s message straight into the readers’ hearts and it allows them ponder about what life should feel like; either extraordinary and satisfying like the Boxman or like the others who live typical lives and are
For instance, when the narrator compares the Boxman’s life to the adventurous Boxcar Children, she says, “Although it would appear to be a life of misery, judging from the bandages and chill of night, it is of his choosing” (Ascher 44-45). This elaborates Ascher’s point because the Boxman would have left his life of homelessness long ago if he was bothered by his conditions. This piece of imagery paints a picture of hairy man with an untreated, oozing dog bite on his leg who is trying to fall asleep in the empty alley while a chilly breeze tenderly brushes against his blanket less, dirty body. The Boxman enjoys his life of adventure and mystery because he wants it. Likewise, when the narrator talks about the “lonely ones” she sees every day, she reveals, “She drags it out as long as possible, breaking the crackers into smaller and smaller pieces, first in halves and then halves of halves and so on until the last pieces burst into salty splinters and fall from dry fingers onto the soup’s shimmering surface” (Ascher 53). This relates back to decision and loneliness because they lead to different outcomes. One result is like the Boxman and the other is like this woman who sits at a coffee shop all day in search of someone to talk to. The text paints a scene of an elderly woman sitting at a table constantly breaking crackers and glancing at her watch. Time passes and all she has achieved for the day is a pile of …show more content…
This relates to the two different sets of lives because the Boxman is well aware that if he chooses to be alone, he would avoid the pain and struggle of being forced to be lonely. The reader can empathize with both groups of people; the joy associated with the Boxman’s adventurous life can be felt as he roams around the city and the sorrow and bitterness concealed within the “lonely ones” can also be empathized. The narrator then gives a brief summary of life and states, “As children we acquire language to make ourselves understood and soon learn from the blank stares in response to our babblings that even these, our saviors, our parents, are strangers (Ascher 88-90). This proves that even family could not stop loneliness from occurring because support from parents, friends, and spouse eventually disappears when one gets older. Ascher uses this statement to connect with her readers and let them reflect and ponder about the journey of life. Pathos delivers Asher’s message straight into the readers’ hearts and it allows them ponder about what life should feel like; either extraordinary and satisfying like the Boxman or like the others who live typical lives and are