Life Ideas And Themes In Perhaps The World Ends Here

Life can be difficult for everyone. Jobs, school, basic responsibilities, and obligations make life more troublesome. That presentation for work has to be finished by tomorrow. That thesis paper is due today by email. Approximately fourteen loads of laundry need to be washed, dried, folded, and put up. That housewarming party is tonight at six. There are so many burdensome duties that come along with living. When one is less than punctual with their responsibilities, life can inflict harsh, cruel circumstances. People can get burnt out very quickly, losing motivation to continue on in life. This is why people need a loving and supporting inner circle to help with the stress of the world. When times are tough, people are encouraged by their …show more content…
At the table, “our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children.” The dreams, which are personified, are shared amongst the parents and children at the table, with the dreams being a protection, to a degree, around the children. The personified dreams are the hopes of the parents and the future of the children, thus shielding the parent’s wishes and the student’s destiny. The dreams “laugh with us at our poor falling-down selves as we put ourselves back together once again at the table.” The dreams are laughing with the seemingly falling apart family as the dreams rebuild them up again. The dreams are what keep the family inside a safe enclosure where they can fall apart and come together again. Just as the dreams protect the family, the “table has been a house in the rain, and umbrella in the sun.” This metaphor shows that the table is the literal protection from the dangers of the world. The table keeps the family dry from the negative comments raining down and shaded from the mean glares of others. The table is protection for the family. The metaphors and personification used in this poem highlight the theme that the family nurtures, cultivates, and strengthens its members though all of life. As one can see, the details, nondescript imagery, and metaphors and personification used by Harjo in “Perhaps the World Ends Here” emphasize the theme that the family nurtures, grows, and encourages its members through all stages of life. A person cannot grow by themselves. To solve this problem, one is placed in a family. The family encourages each other to grow and mature throughout life using a table as the rock of daily life. The family needs to stick together to grow together in a beneficial