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How Did Charles Bukowski Write A Smile To Remember Essay

814 Words4 Pages

Damyan Cunningham
Meredith Katchen
ENG 104
November 4, 2016
Halloween masks or life??

In Charles Bukowski’s poem “A Smile to Remember” there are some really good examples to prove that it is appropriate for halloween, but only after understanding the symbols and metaphors he wrote. He shows how we can or do use masks in our everyday life like we would for Halloween. The three examples that will be throughout this writing is how Bukowski uses the fish as a metaphor for the mother, how she wears a mask of smiles to hide her pain, and how the son recognizes the mother is not happy and is putting on a mask for him.

In the poem Bukowski the boy says, “we had goldfish and they circled around and around.” The fish are trapped in a bowl and they can’t go anywhere other than in the bowl. They just swim and swim and do the same things. Bukowski uses that as an example to express that like the fish, the mother is unable to express her feelings or thoughts. She is unable to speak out what is going on in her mind, or what she is going through. The boy states “my …show more content…

Bukowski puts some little hints here and there to show the readers that the boy knew she wasn’t okay. The boy said “my mother, poor fish, wanting to be happy.” Right there the boy tells the reader that she is not happy and is trying her best to be happy. Than you ask yourself how does he know she is wanting to be happy? There was nothing in the poem where she told anyone that she wanted to be happy or isn’t happy. Seeing that there was no evidence of her stating she wasn't happy. That really shows that actions speak louder than words. When she smiled to him he could see the pain in her, the boy says “ and it was the saddest smile I ever saw.” Him seeing all the pain she has been going through he knows she shouldn’t be fine, but she keeps that smile on even if it wasn't the most convincing

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