The most intriguing aspect of the story was the gift of death was not chosen. He wanted to explore things that would bring self-enjoyment. After all of the first four gifts were taken, the man soon realized his choices were disguises of true reality. In chapter IV the young man cursed all the world’s gifts stating they were just lendings in disguise. The man’s tone reveals a rude awaking to the reality of the consequences from wrong choices. The fairy gave the man another chance to pick from the basket.
After thinking of all he had been through, he requested death as an option. Death was no longer available due to the fairy had given it to someone else. Now he was forced to live out his life as an old man. Many who are advanced in age feel that death is a time of eternal rest from the pressures of life. No one desires death at the beginning of life, but as trials become unbearable, the desire for death becomes a solace for many.
The story illustrates a theme that suggests life’s treasures can be deceiving depending on the choices made. A fairy appears to a man with five different gifts with the option of choosing one that is of value. Each choice causes calamity. Having to experience grief after each choice would suggest that each gift was not as good as they appeared. Pleasure causes pain, love causes grief, fame causes envy, and wealth brings poverty.
The theme in this story is about making choices. From early life to old age, there are a lot of choices to make. A decision between what school to attend, whom to marry, or even career decisions are choices. Ultimately the man in the story realized that his choices were short-lived and unproductive.
Mark Twain’s “The Five Boons of Life,” is a perfect example of realism in everyday life. The story does not end on a happy note, but the moral of the story does effectively teach a lesson. The moral signifies the importance of making wise choices. One must be careful of the choices made and remember life priorities. Pleasure, Love, Fame, and Riches are temporary endeavors that if relied upon for total satisfaction, will bring disappointment. Every human has the right to choose, but if one does not exercise good judgment, quality of life will be affected. Making the wrong choices can be very detrimental to enjoying the best that life has to offer.
The Five Boons of Life brings an interesting perspective on the importance of making wise choices over temporary indulgences. One must make sure to live life to the fullest but remembering priorities. Pleasure, Love, Wealth and Fame are good aspirations for short-term goals because in the end death will prevail. One must remember the importance of not wasting time on frivolous things. Life does offer many choices, but those choices must accompany wise judgment. If not, failure is inevitable. Initially, my thoughts of this work were about choices. As I continued my analysis, my perception changed. Mark Twain reminded me that life is short by using death as the logical choice in the story. The world is fast paced and time has a way of slipping by without notice. Time is a non-renewable resource that passes and is gone forever.
The Reality Of The Consequences of The Wrong Choice. (2022, Dec 13). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/the-reality-of-the-consequences-of-the-wrong-choice/