In life, one must face a myriad of endeavors and crippling decisions. Even an extremely trivial tasks can seem incredibly daunting for a person. Les Brown once said that “too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears”. For this reason, people must stay strong through adversity and have the courage to change their own destiny even though the task may seem unrelentlessly difficult. The song “Proud of Your Boy” composed by Alan Menken, from the musical, Aladdin; and the song “I’ll Jump” written by the team of Scott Burkell and Paul Leosell, comparatively explores through powerful lyrics, the lives of two young men who have each struggled through different hardships with hopes that one day they will change for the better. …show more content…
Aladdin is an orphan boy living on the streets of Agrabah, where he spends his time stealing food from street vendors. Even though Aladdin needs the food to survive he feels guilty for his thievery. “I’ve wasted time, I’ve wasted me” sings Aladdin to his late mother about how he never has tried to change his life before. Aladdin then truly accepts the fact that he has made mistakes in the past by not living up to his potential by saying, “Tell me that I’ve been a louse and a louder you wont get a fight here, no ma’am…but that couldn't be all that I am”. For Aladdin knows he must change to make his mother proud. Alan Menken beautifully captures the humility and drive that Aladdin posses in the ending of the song with “I’ll do my best, what else can I do? Since I wasn’t born perfect like Dad or you. Mom, I will try to, try hard to make you, proud of your