Been There, Done That: Lessons from the Past
Elderly people are often thought to be senile. People tend not to listen to them because they are old and can not possibly understand what is happening in today’s world. In fact , both of these statements are wrong. Most of the time the old saying “been there and done that” holds true. The world would be a better place if people learned from the past and listened to their elders. In Ray Bradbury’s “Dandelion Wine”, Mrs. Bentley portrays the archetypal old, wise mentor through the lessons she teaches the children. One of the many lessons she teaches the children is everybody will grow old one day. When Mrs. Bentley talks to Tom, Alice, and Jane about her childhood, they do not believe she was ever …show more content…
“Mrs. Bentley was a saver”(68), so she saved many things from her past life. She saved matinee tickets, combs, jewelry, records, and pictures. When Jane and Alice come to her house and strip her of these items, she says “They took my ring and my comb and my picture...Oh I’m empty, empty; it’s part of my life”.(74) When she was stripped of these items, she realized how much the items really meant to her. She felt incomplete without these items, as a chunk of her wasn’t there. Another way she shows the children this message is through her husband's death. When looking at a record that triggered a memory of her husband, she says “ That was the huge regret of her life, in a way. The one thing she had most enjoyed touching and listening to and looking at she hadn’t saved.”(68) She took her husband for granted and when he died, she realized that she could of done a lot more for him and tried to save his life. She didn't realize how big of an impact her husband was on her until he was gone. Ray Bradbury shows the archetype of a wise, old mentor through one of the main elders, Mrs. Bentley. He demonstrates this through all of the messages she teaches the children. This archetype, which is referenced in various places throughout the novel, is very important to the development of Dandelion Wine. Without the elderly people to advise the young children, the children would be in shambles because they have nobody who has “been there and done that” to help guide them in the right
Elderly people are often thought to be senile. People tend not to listen to them because they are old and can not possibly understand what is happening in today’s world. In fact , both of these statements are wrong. Most of the time the old saying “been there and done that” holds true. The world would be a better place if people learned from the past and listened to their elders. In Ray Bradbury’s “Dandelion Wine”, Mrs. Bentley portrays the archetypal old, wise mentor through the lessons she teaches the children. One of the many lessons she teaches the children is everybody will grow old one day. When Mrs. Bentley talks to Tom, Alice, and Jane about her childhood, they do not believe she was ever …show more content…
“Mrs. Bentley was a saver”(68), so she saved many things from her past life. She saved matinee tickets, combs, jewelry, records, and pictures. When Jane and Alice come to her house and strip her of these items, she says “They took my ring and my comb and my picture...Oh I’m empty, empty; it’s part of my life”.(74) When she was stripped of these items, she realized how much the items really meant to her. She felt incomplete without these items, as a chunk of her wasn’t there. Another way she shows the children this message is through her husband's death. When looking at a record that triggered a memory of her husband, she says “ That was the huge regret of her life, in a way. The one thing she had most enjoyed touching and listening to and looking at she hadn’t saved.”(68) She took her husband for granted and when he died, she realized that she could of done a lot more for him and tried to save his life. She didn't realize how big of an impact her husband was on her until he was gone. Ray Bradbury shows the archetype of a wise, old mentor through one of the main elders, Mrs. Bentley. He demonstrates this through all of the messages she teaches the children. This archetype, which is referenced in various places throughout the novel, is very important to the development of Dandelion Wine. Without the elderly people to advise the young children, the children would be in shambles because they have nobody who has “been there and done that” to help guide them in the right