It’s amazing how much a trip to the barber shop can mean to a boy. There is so much that a child can notice and think about. In the story “David’s haircut”, David is taken to the barber shop by his dad. The event of getting their hair cut together has smoothened out to being pure routine for the father and the son. When David was a child David’s dad used to chase David around, and pretend that he would cut his ears off. At the barbershop David is getting an insight into how the grown-up life is. The things David notices at the barbershop brings meaning to the story. In the following essay I intend to analyze the symbolisms in “David’s haircut”. I will try to understand what David is feeling about growing older and maybe not being a child anymore.
“When David steps out of the front door he is blinded for a moment by the white, fizzing sunlight and reaches instinctively for his dad’s hand.” Right from the beginning of the story you get this felling of a close bond between David and his father. As they step out from their household door, David is maybe a little scared by the bright white light. Consequently he reaches for his dad’s hand, because he gets comfort from him. Clearly it shows that David is still a child in the beginning of the story, and that he still needs safety from his father. The barbershop is located above a chip shop (Fish and Chips shop), from which you learn that the story may take place in England. They take the stairs from the chip shop and up to the barbershop. David can’t make the stairs creak like his father can, and that annoys him. Obviously a part of him wants to grow up enough to make the stairs creak, since he’s annoyed by the fact that he can’t. David really enjoys being at the barbershop. “David loves the barbershop – it’s like nowhere else he goes” David finds it really exciting and does everything he can to absorb his surroundings with his senses. He notices the special scents, and the atmosphere in the barbershop.
There are black and white photographs hanging in the end of the room, which shows that the story might as well have taken place 80 years ago. Mr. Samuels; whom is the owner of the barber shop; he uses Brylcreem, which was a popular hair styling product in the 1930’s. The occasional visit to the barber shop gives David an insight to the grown-up world. “The rate you’re shooting up, you won’t need this soon, you’ll be sat in the chair” David gets very excited about the idea of him soon being able to get up in the chair by himself. Furthermore he instantly wants to tell his dad, who he can see through the mirror in front of him. “Finally David’s dad looks up from his newspaper and glances into the mirror, seeing his son looking back at him. He smiles.” “Wasn’t so long ago when I had to lift you onto that board because you couldn’t climb up there yourself,” he says. “They don’t stay young for long do they, kids,” Mr Samuels declares. All the men in the shop nod in agreement. David nods too.” The dad is realizing that David is getting older and that he is reminiscing to back then when he had to lift David onto the board.
David is maybe feeling a part of the group of the other men in the barbershop, as he is nodding with the other men in agreement with Mr. Samuels’ statement about kids not staying young for long. “Looking down he sees his own thick, blonde hair scattered among the browns, greys and blacks of the men who have sat in the chair before him. For a moment he wants to reach down and gather up the broken blonde locks, to separate them from the others, but he does not have time”. David is in doubt of he is ready to grow old yet, because as he is seeing his hair amongst the other men’s hair on the floor he doesn’t feel that the hair fits in just yet. He even gets an urge to separate his blonde hair from the other darker hair. “The youngster is excited and grabs his dad’s hand. The thick-skinned fingers close gently around his and David is surprised to find, warming in his father’s palm, a lock of his own hair.” When they get out of barbershop, David grabs his dad’s hand, and finds a lock of his own hair in the hand. Undoubtedly it symbolizes that the father wants David to remain a child a little longer, and that he does not have to rush his growth.
In conclusion the bond between David and his father is strong and they enjoy spending time together. David was lifted up in the chair at the barbershop as a child and that isn’t something David’s dad will forget. They’ve grown a strong bond with each other, it has grown stronger for every time they’ve been at the barbershop together. The father knows that David can’t stay young forever, and he is accepting that, but he still wishes that he and David still will spend time together. “For a moment he wants to reach down and gather up the broken blonde locks, to separate them from the others, but he does not have time” The essence of the story is that you can’t stop time. No matter how bad you want it to stop you’ll just have to accept the fact. “In the reflection from the window he could see through the window, a few small clouds moved slowly through the frame, moving to the sound of the scissors’ click.” Similarly the clouds don’t stop moving just like time, even though it can seem slow. The scissors’ clicks are moving with the clouds. Since David has had so many haircuts they represent time on a general level. In relation, the title of the story “David’s haircut”, is symbolizing David’s transition from being a child and onto being an adult.
Freedom Now And Then
I always think what freedom is. Does freedom limit to an individual person or a country? Everyone wants freedom in their own way; hence the meaning of freedom also differs for each individual. Even now some people feel that we don’t have freedom and we are not independent.
Freedom Then was to fight for our country, fight for our rights, fight for justice. As the song “Vande Maataram” means “Long Live the Mother Land”, All Indians goal was to partition British India into new Independent India. Many Indians sacrificed their life for our better tomorrow. They always thought about our future, so that we can be independent and not be a slave to someone who has occupied our motherland.
Freedom Now is to fight with the people within our country, against corruption, to end violence against women, fight against terrorist within, who are supported by our politicians. Today, though India is advancing with new Technologies, though many people are literate and women are treated equally, we still lack freedom. a)We lack unity which we had when we fought for the Britishers. We need different states and want to be divided. b)We are busy with only our lives and future and not bothered to help people who are in trouble c)We don’t fight against corruption
d)We don’t raise our voice on against Violence with women e)We don’t choose a right leader for our country
This makes us think we don’t have freedom in our country. If we sit back and think, it was “Unity” which made a difference to make our country independent. So let us all join hands and wake up the new India with the freedom we deserve and our new generations deserve.
“United we stand, divided we fall”
Michael Jackson Tragic Hero Research Paper
Michael Jackson was loved and idolized throughout the world, but wasn’t numb to suffering as other human beings would. Although he was once known as the King of Pop, Michael can be considered a tragic hero. His lack of self-confidence, sexual molestation charges (for which he was acquitted), and the loss of a happy childhood likely led him to an addiction to painkillers which caused him to die earlier than expected.
Michael’s self-confidence was weak from the start. At 5 years old, Michael joined his family group, known as the Jackson 5 and immediately impressed audiences. Due to his striking range and depth, he became the groups lead vocalist. His father, Joseph Jackson, was passionate about his sons’ success. He was particularly hard on Michael because of the potential he saw in him. His father was known to become violent and short tempered with his kids, forcing them to spend endless hours rehearsing and polishing up their act. Their hard work payed off which lead to the Jackson 5 becoming famous immediately. The group and their father were infatuated with the positive responses except for Michael. He was the most talented of the group but ironically was a quiet person off stage. He never seemed to feel comfortable with media attention and giving interviews. Despite his shyness, when the Jackson 5 split up in 1979, Michael continued a solo career. For the next few years Michael’s career prospered. His first album made Top 10 Hits, he received Grammy Award nominations, earned several Guinness World Records, and he made it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but none of these accomplishments seemed to change the person he was off stage. Along with being shy, Michael was noticeably self conscious about his appearance. At his career peak in 1984, he signed a $5 million commercial deal with Pepsi-Cola, and was badly injured while filming. He suffered burns to his face and scalp but got plastic surgery to disguise the scars. This event triggered his recession; Michael started abusing the pain killers prescribed after surgery, and started experimenting with more plastic surgeries. His identity drastically altered from all the procedures. He and his children would appear in public hiding their faces under surgical masks and veils is just further evidence that proves his attempts to cope with his insecurities.
In the late 1980’s, Michael bought a ranch in California that he referred to as “Neverland” and made it his fantasy home. The ranch had amusement rides that he sometimes opened for children’s events, and it had many exotic pets. It seemed Michael used the ranch as an attempt to recreate his unhappy childhood, but might have unknowingly taken it too far. During this time, Michael released new albums. While his music continued to leave listeners intrigued, his actions began to defeat his reputation. Rumors started that Michael would have sleepovers with adolescent boys in his “Neverland” ranch, served them wine and molested them. The police investigated, but found no evidence to support the rumors. Shortly after this, Michael married and divorced different women twice, resulting in the birth of his two children. Fans claim he married these women as a way to regain his innocence and respect from the public. Michael received full custody of both his children, but his odd behavior still continued. Michael’s reputation suffered a dramatic decline, but his music continued to sell. In a later conversation, Michael admitted to having sleepovers with children at his ranch. Even after the previous accusations, he said he would have some of the children sleep in his bed with him. In an attempt to justify his immoral actions, he said things like “Why can’t you share your bed? That’s the most loving thing, to share your bed with someone”. The actions he took despite the consequences, prove he was determined to relive a happier childhood.
The final months of Michael Jackson’s life consisted of a different lifestyle than he had in the past. Unfortunately, Michael’s insecurities got the best of him and took over his judgement. He had to sleep in the bed he made for himself and accept the consequences of his earlier actions. He no longer had financial security because he had to pay off his legal bills and other debts. Michael no longer had the original appearance that he was born with and began to look odd. He was trying to make a major come back and perform a concert, his “This is it Tour,” to capture the love of his audience one last time. Before he could again be the star that he was in the past, he suffered from cardiac arrest as a side effect from painkillers and other drugs he was abusing. The world lost a talented individual on June 25, 2009, due to failure of appreciation of the prior “wake up calls” he
experienced that could have prevented this tragedy.