Casey At The Bat, By Earnest Lawrence Thayer

Possessing an Imperfect Character Weakness of character is possessing qualities that are not beneficial or healthy to an individual. Having lapses in one’s behavior can cause a person to have clouded judgment, and not fully understand the true meaning of certain situations. Poor decisions could result from their lack of character, and the individual could be harmed. The reason for this harm comes from the inability to comprehend situations that arise. Additionally, others could be jeopardized, potentially affecting them in irreversible ways. “Casey at the Bat,” a short story written by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, demonstrates an arrogant professional baseball player whose overconfidence and threatening demeanor leads to his downfall and the loss

Arrogance, obliviousness, and dependence can influence decision-making, often leading people to make choices with negative, and sometimes irreparable, consequences. These three texts provide evident examples of how being overconfident, unaware, and disregarding one’s responsibilities can lead individuals to make choices that result in negative decisions. Earnest Lawrence Thayer’s poem “Casey at the Bat” exemplifies a baseball player, Casey, who displays an overconfident and selfish attitude, resulting in the defeat of not only the game, but the teammates and audience as well. Frustrated by the madness of the short-tempered crowd, Casey desires attention and wants to be in the spotlight, though is disappointed and upset when the opposite occurs, causing “the sneer [.] [to be] gone from [his] lip, [and] his teeth [.] [to be] clenched in hate; / He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate” (lines

Billy was very appreciative, oblivious to the act put on for him to feel comfortable. Her generosity acts as a facade; her looks are deceitful, in which she uses them to acquire Billy’s interest in staying at her bed and breakfast. The clues are numerous, such as when the landlady tells Billy he is perfect or when she looks him up and down slowly, but Billy remains blinded by her generosity, which hides her true intentions. Due to Billy’s gullibility, the landlady convinces him through her warm smile and welcoming hospitality that she is an old yet friendly woman looking to use her home as a comforting setting for travelers to stay. Likewise, in “The Veldt,” a short story written by Ray Bradbury, George and Lydia’s poor parenting skills and reliance on technology result in misguided and spoiled children, along with their own demise. Attracted by the comfort that wealth brings, George and Lydia unknowingly create a detrimental childhood for their children, buying a house that “clothe[s] and [feeds] and [rocks] them to sleep and [plays] and [sings] and [is] good to them” (1). George and Lydia are blind to the harm spoiling their children would