Essay on Keeping Fit, the short story
Life is a mixture of truths, choices, and consequences. Turning points in a life occur when truths are seen, consequences are realized, and choices are made. It may be a vague insinuation of a truth that has never been seen, or it may be a blunt reality that is forced onto a person. It may lead to a welcome change that is healthy and favorable, or it may lead to an uninvited transformation that is ultimately regretful. Seeing a truth completely causes the realization that society is not as balanced as it appears. In the short story "Keeping Fit", Nadine Gordimer shows how a life can be changed by a simple event that sheds light to a simple, if not cruel, truth. The life of the running man was nearly perfect. He had all he wanted and didn't realize the suffering that occurred on the other side of the town. The unforeseen visit to the impoverished part of town forces the running man to recognize the fact that unlike his sheltered life, the world is rarely just and fair.The life of the running man is one of pleasure and contentment. He is a stereotypical white-man, and fulfills all aspects of the character that was created for him. He is a wealthy broker that ha
It could be said that maybe a mind would not let you forget such a traumatic event, and that may be true, and we see that this man remembers it, painfully. He will be forced to live with the consequences of his event for the rest of his life. In their room, every possession they have reminds him of what the other families don't have, and he feels disgusted by it. He is saturated in so much wealth he feels sick. When the bird is trapped in the wall, and trying to scratch its way out, it reminds him of the event, and he can't face it. He desperately searches for the bird, and tries to think of ways to get it out, but comes up with nothing. Then a sarcastic remark from his wife reminds him of how blind she is. He has to live with this truth now for the rest of his life. This shows significance because it proves that an event that is threatening and hostile can provide a glance into a truth that is otherwise unknown. The jogger feels now as if he has been cheated. All his belongings are worthless to him now, when before he felt so proud about them. He now has to change the way he lives because of an event that he had no control over. It demonstrates that the power of an incident can change a way the person is. Breathe. Breathe. Those are the thoughts that are going through the running man's head while he starts his morning jog. He enters the jog casually, because it's probably something he's been doing for quite sometime. He jogs by the poor part of town, separated by the four-lane road, knowing that he's never to go on the other side. Not because he knows what's there, but because he's heard things, and knows that white people don't dare enter. When the mob of people suddenly burst from the town, he doesn't know what to expect. He uncontrollably gets caught up with them, and can't get free. He notices another black man that is being beaten by the o
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1266
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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