Lines 7-13 of "The Hunchback in the Park" by Dylan Thomas
"Eating bread from a newspaper
drinking water from the chained cup
That the children filled with gravel
In the fountain basin where I sailed my ship
Slept at night in a dog kennel
but nobody chained him up."
The first image presented to the reader in this passage of the poem is the hunchback eating bread from a newspaper and drinking water from a chained cup filled with gravel. The idea of the "chains" suggests that perhaps the hunchback is imprisoned. The idea of gravel and chains gives a sense of immobility. The image of the ship suggests the antithesis, as if it represents what the hunchback long for his is freedom. The idea of sleeping in a kennel makes it seem as though the hunchback is no more important than a dog, except for the fact that no one chained him up. This comparison between the hunchback and the dog is demoralizing further because it only seems to suggest that the hunchback is only slightly higher in society than the dog.
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4 comments:
You have a lot of good ideas about this passage. I wish you took it a step further and said what the passage as a whole is trying to get across...maybe about man or life? i dont really know, but i like your ideas of mobility and a longing for freedom through imagery in the poem, i just wish it went a little further...
wow, awesome analysis of the imagery in this passage. I, also, wonder what you think this poem says about humanity as a whole. What does the hunchback represent? What significance is there in the fact that he is a hunchback?
I enjoyed reading this poem I feel that your analysis was right on with the imagery of the selection.
Your analysis is worthy enough. The helplessness of humankind could be the theme. But to who? The almighty? Is the humankind that helpless and captive? Do they seek freedom? From religion or God? This could be anti religious. Also could suggest total surrender to God. That we are nothing but helpless in self. We have no power, even we cannot change the self. Certainly this is not the story of a disabled one.
Another getting out of religious controversy- Humans by born have pursuit for beauty. They always seek for better than selves. They desire and long for freedom, pleasure, betterment at every stage even if not capable of..that is why they are humans, the most precious creatures on Earth
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