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The Backwards Fall Analysis

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The average life expectancy for a human being is around 79 years. In Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, Mr. Magorium is the 243-year-old owner of a magic toy store, preparing for his impending death. “The Backwards Fall” is a realistic fiction short story depicting an older married couple struggling as the wife gradually succumbs to Alzheimer’s. The science fiction short story “The Time Sweepers” tells of little blue workers that sweep up all the wasted time. These stories all communicate their main idea in a unique way, but they still have many similarities. One common theme among Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, “The Backwards Fall,” and “The Time Sweepers” is that time is valuable because it is limited. Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium is a story that deals heavily with time in a way that seems foreign to its actual workings. No person lives to be 243 years old, but even with the magic of the story, the theme is clear. Very few people are able to live a life as fully as Mr. Magorium, but he would be an example of someone who valued the limited time he had. “I’ve lived all five of my acts… and I’m not asking you to be happy that I must go” (Helm, Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium). This quote shows …show more content…

The story tells of happy times, as well as times when the couple did not treat each other kindly, and they were not as happy. “…He’d fallen into a pattern of ignoring her, of taking her for granted, without even realizing he was doing it” (Helmandollar, 4). This quote comes from a confrontation. The wife realizes that things have changed, and reminds George, her husband, that she can still leave him. After this point the couple is inspired to appreciate their time together, because if they choose not to, it could be taken from right under their noses. This warning against wasted time can also be seen in “The Time

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George cannot live his life and cannot do anything about it. When Hazel was talking to George she says, “I mean you don’t compete with anybody around here. You just sit around” (Vonnegut 2). This shows that George is just sitting around because he is limited to what he can do and cannot enjoy his life to the fullest. What else can he do but slowly except it and watch his life gradually come to an end.

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“God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble. No mess at all, and when the end of the month come I could take my fifty bucks and go into town and get whatever I want….” (pg 11) This is George describing how much life was easier if he traveled alone without Lennie, and how he could spend his money on whatever he wanted and not worry what Lennie spent his on.

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George has no money and no control over his wife. Everyone seems to walk all over his, as if he isn’t even there. I think George knows that his wife is not happy, but he chooses to ignore it. However, when he finds the dog collar and figures out Myrtle is cheating on him, part of his anger shows. He thinks he can fix his marriage by locking his wife up and taking his wife to leave town.

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(Steinbeck 15). Lennie and George have very little to give. They have no family, money or home. As Lennie and George describe the life they want they soon remember their childhood and how they the things they had in their childhood to be on their farm. Unfortunately for Lennie and George they don 't reach their dream either.

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George´s character knows he would have an easier time without Lennie but he sticks with him anyway, showing that companionship is worth the hardships. ¨’... if I was alone I could live so easy... no mess at all…’

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Although George sometimes abuses Lennie’s blind loyalty, they think of each other as family and establish that they will always be there for each other. For example, George and Lennie share a dream in which they own a farm and live off of the land and look out for each other as a family. Faced with many hardships, George and Lennie maintain a strong bond. This example of unbreakable friendship and loyalty shows that no matter how different two people are, they are able to create inseparable relations and become true friend even when faced with

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