Yashasvi Sharma
Tyson
English 11
25 May, 2015
The Things I Carry Who is Yashasvi Sharma? He always wore his watch- a ragged Casio Wave Ceptor. The one his father had bought him in the 5th grade after coming in the top of his class. It was an ugly watch, with its green phosphorus screen, and shiny black and silver plastic bordering, but it worked. It always told the time. Time. What is time? What does it matter in his eyes. It is not the now that matters, it is the future. In his young life, he was infused with a belief that the future would be better tomorrow. It makes sense, with him having grown up during a time of great optimism, Yet this optimism was not boundless. A watch always has a timer, limits. All people had limits. Even his optimism …show more content…
It was a kind of hate that was unquantifiable- a hate for the sake of hate. His watch is a reflection of his past, present, and future. It always follows him, and he has no way to take it off. Even if he does, he will put it back on. This cynicism is also a cultural relic. The stories that his grandfather told, of the various conflicts of his ancestors. Of the pogroms against Hindus and Sikhs in the tribal areas that have occurred since yonder. Of the experience of losing all that you cherish and value thanks to the religious fanaticism of the masses, stoked by local politicians attempting to profit from the power vacuum with the end of the British Raj. Of the horrors of walking, no running, from the mobs of extremists who were once neighbours, calling for the blood of all kaffirs, that Hindu moneylenders and shop owners were bloodsuckers taking away the hard earned money of the masses. That the Hindu school teachers and bureaucrats (Muslims were never in the bureaucracy of the British Raj in large numbers, choosing to join the Army instead) were poisoning the minds of the children of hardworking Muslims. This was the world his grandfather lived in until he “moved” to India, as did most other Hindus and Sikhs …show more content…
This was the worldview that he gave to his son, who in turn gave it to his son. Man is a whole other type of beast, he will more sooner forget the death of his father than the loss of his inheritance, to paraphrase Machiavelli. This makes him spiteful. He may talk, but that does not mean he views all those around him with a sense of detachment, a sense of caution. Yashasvi is Machiavellian, no doubt about it, and he carries this distinction with pride. He has seen, throughout history and throughout his young life, that nice guys do make it last. One has to be strong and detached to forward
Tyson
English 11
25 May, 2015
The Things I Carry Who is Yashasvi Sharma? He always wore his watch- a ragged Casio Wave Ceptor. The one his father had bought him in the 5th grade after coming in the top of his class. It was an ugly watch, with its green phosphorus screen, and shiny black and silver plastic bordering, but it worked. It always told the time. Time. What is time? What does it matter in his eyes. It is not the now that matters, it is the future. In his young life, he was infused with a belief that the future would be better tomorrow. It makes sense, with him having grown up during a time of great optimism, Yet this optimism was not boundless. A watch always has a timer, limits. All people had limits. Even his optimism …show more content…
It was a kind of hate that was unquantifiable- a hate for the sake of hate. His watch is a reflection of his past, present, and future. It always follows him, and he has no way to take it off. Even if he does, he will put it back on. This cynicism is also a cultural relic. The stories that his grandfather told, of the various conflicts of his ancestors. Of the pogroms against Hindus and Sikhs in the tribal areas that have occurred since yonder. Of the experience of losing all that you cherish and value thanks to the religious fanaticism of the masses, stoked by local politicians attempting to profit from the power vacuum with the end of the British Raj. Of the horrors of walking, no running, from the mobs of extremists who were once neighbours, calling for the blood of all kaffirs, that Hindu moneylenders and shop owners were bloodsuckers taking away the hard earned money of the masses. That the Hindu school teachers and bureaucrats (Muslims were never in the bureaucracy of the British Raj in large numbers, choosing to join the Army instead) were poisoning the minds of the children of hardworking Muslims. This was the world his grandfather lived in until he “moved” to India, as did most other Hindus and Sikhs …show more content…
This was the worldview that he gave to his son, who in turn gave it to his son. Man is a whole other type of beast, he will more sooner forget the death of his father than the loss of his inheritance, to paraphrase Machiavelli. This makes him spiteful. He may talk, but that does not mean he views all those around him with a sense of detachment, a sense of caution. Yashasvi is Machiavellian, no doubt about it, and he carries this distinction with pride. He has seen, throughout history and throughout his young life, that nice guys do make it last. One has to be strong and detached to forward