Poetry

The Chimney Sweeper
When he was little his mother died and his father put him to work as a chimney sweeper before he was old enough to understand what was happening.

Tom was upset his head was shaved but the narrator calms him by saying without hair you won't get soot in it.

At night, Tom had a dream about other boys like him dying.

There was an Angel in the dream who let the boys who died free and they went and washed their 'baggage' and soot off their bodies.

The boys ran around free and naked and the Angel told sleeping Tom he could do this one day too if he is a good kid.

Then Tom woke up and he went to work happy and warm because of his dream even though it was cold and he was a chimney sweeper.

London
He is walking through industrial parts of Thames with a weak saddened look to impress upon others who see him.

He is in pain, he can feel and hear everyone's cries.

The happy city is now black/dark and blood is on the walls of the town (war?).

In the late hours around the town, it is cursed with baby cries and death.

The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas & Harrison Bergeron

I did not like The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas. It was a twisted story that portrays a society that is 'happy' yet it is clear they are not. They do not smile or show much emotion and seem to be running through the motions of life. They are also aware of a child who is locked up in the community and barely fed and is completely abused. The ending gives hope to those in the society who can't take it and want something better... so they leave. Yet the narrator talks of happiness and how those who leave will be unable to find any. It is a distorted view and I feel that the community is brainwashed into this crazy lifestyle of knowing something is not right but keeping their mouth shut and accepting it. However, I do not understand what the town was gathering for naked and celebrating Summer for?

In Harrison Bergeron, the husband and wife are portrayed as a normal couple watching TV together. Yet, they are living in a society that has dictated everyone to be equal in every facet of life. The beautiful people must wear 'handicaps' and suffer for their assets. The wife is obviously not the smartest and the husband would know this but his 'handicap' makes him less aware because he is constantly distracted. I found this story to be very amusing. It is glorifying less intelligence and unattractiveness which is quite the opposite in our world now.