Introduction
Disillusionment or disappointment arises in a situation where a person is disenchanted. In this case, people are usually unhappy with what they see or the kind of lives they lead. This element has been exposed in literary and artistic works by various people. In their works, authors or artistes expose this theme perhaps as a way of telling their lifestyle or to educate their audience about their displeasure. In this essay, we shall look at how the works by Edwin Arlington Robinson, Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, and Jack London expose this element.
Jack London
Jack London was born in a poor background in California but grew to fame through his anthology of stories such as the son of the Wolf, the Sea of the wolf, and the Call of the Wild in a way that by 1905, he was America’s highest earning author. These stories were mainly based on the culture of the Alaskan and the Yukon regions of North America. He also wrote an autobiography, Martin Eden in 1909 (VanSpanckeren 56).
In Martin Eden, London exposes the depression of the American dream perhaps in his own experience amid the rise from poverty to affluence. Eden, a poor though wise and industrious sailor and laborer has his eyes on the writing career. At the end, his works in writing brings him wealth and fame but he realizes the woman he has fallen in love with is only targeting his money. Consequently, he loses trust in the entire humanity as caused by his girlfriend’s incapability to love him in equal measure. He is also separated from his class. He views the wealthy as acquisitive, selfish and unable to possess sensitivity to feelings even after working so hard to join it. Moreover, the wealth he amasses through his works throws him out of the working class so he becomes classless: He dislikes the class of the wealthy, where he is supposed to belong but he is already beyond the working class, he cannot join it. He chooses to terminate his life through suicide, after sailing to the South Pacific (VanSpanckeren 56-57). In this case, we can gather that in many wealthy people’s lives, there lies misery. Perhaps the way he terminates his life exposes the hopelessness or resignation which many people have. Having been so hopeful at the fact that possession of wealthy would bring him happiness, Eden finds more misery. He is disappointed at the way human nature is so poor in virtues. He throws himself in a ravenous sea, perhaps symbolic of the way a person’s hard work may be fruitless. We can identify that humans may seek wealth individually, but happiness is found when their relations are based on mutual benefits. When relationships are built on exploitative motives, people are likely to be disillusioned.
Perhaps what the story did not expose is whether Eden could still find another woman to love. Having realised the betrayal in his girlfriend, Eden would have naturally terminated this relationship and sought for another woman. Any way, perhaps Eden gave up the whole venture, concluded that all women in his society were cut from the same cloth. Again, disillusionment is shown in this resignation.
The son of wolf is thought to an exposition of London’s hopefulness of the law. Peter Kratkze notes that in this story, a link between theory and practice of the law is established. Theoretically, the law is based on the doctrine of justice and so it gives individuals the hope to take part in legal procedures while expecting a fair hearing. In The Son Of wolf, London shows that people usually base their actions on law but authorities react according to the principles of the law. However when such expectations do not come by, individuals are apt to be disappointed with the law. In “When God Laughs”, he shows that people would always want to change rules as though to fit them whenever a new system is built. The character, Carquinez believes that gods make new laws for every leadership that is created even though all men have little chance of gaining victory (26-35).
Edwin Arlington Robinson
He is 19th century’s best poet in the US. His poems focused on ironic exposition of individual’s character. His poems were full of metrics. His poem, Tilbury Town shows a sense of desperation; of people whose lives are full of fear despite their achievements. His monologue, Luke Havergal is about a lover who is abandoned. Like in London’s case, this poem shows lack of appreciation among people in response to the love they receive. As a result, lovers end up disappointed (VanSpanckeren 62). Richard Cory is another exposition of a rich man who terminates his life through suicide, adds Kathryn VanSpanckeren. Whenever he walked down the street, people on the sidewalks stared at him. The poem tells us that Richard Cory was a gentleman in totality, favored with cleanliness and blessed with imperial slimness. He was possessed with human character in his speech, well educated and wealthy-wealthier than a monarch! People on the streets thought he represented everything and admired his status. His status inspired so many to work hard but then one day, their role model just decided to shoot himself. Like London’s Martin Eden, this was a good caution against the notion of success than engulfed most Americans in view of millionaires (58-62).
Gertrude Simmons (Zitkala-sa)
She is an American Indian essayist whose life involved displacement as a result of colonial interference in her Indian culture. Her community suffered harsh habitat, economic and bodily losses. Government policies and reforms deepened the problems of Indians seeing them as torn between two cultures. Her essays showed the false thoughts highlighted by the evangelicals who thought Indian children would prosper if they abandoned their culture (Susag 3). In her Impressions of an Indian childhood, she identifies the Dakota language as a barrier to Christian communication. Christianity is thought to drive out the repressive power of Dakota and to bring up messages that had hitherto not found a local influence in English. The Euro-American Society had earlier been disregarded in traditional Dakota (Jennings 46). In this, images of women are painted on the backdrop of Iktomi, appearing as a white cultural imperialist who makes Indian women think they are humble donkey-like humans and whose men are superior because they lack exposure to modern way of life. Despite that, she honors Indiana women and especially her mother, perhaps to outwit Iktomi. Indian women are celebrated even as they lead a life torn between the Indian and euro-American cultures (Susag 14-16). In old Indian legends, Gertrude describes Iktomi as dishonest, deceptive and always exposing unacceptable behavior. Although most humans possess such behavior, it is a disappointment to those who realize how women have been deceived. In a typical Indian culture, Indian children striving to get education ended up separated from their own societies (Jennings 48). In the school days of Indian girl, Gertrude shows a spiritual power of memory symbolized through the wind. While she is still at her home, she can remember her traditions whenever the early morning wind blows. This changes when she goes to Eastern Boarding School; the wind is absent. Her usual home environment is separated from her. This shows disappointment most of the girls in her culture went through: despite gaining new education, she is detached from her home. Moreover, Dorothea Susag argues that they try to recompense their lost culture by creating their own kind, meaning they are neither in Indian nor in Euro-American identities (16-17). Thus Gertrude focused on the disillusionment realized by American Indians who wanted to improve their life through adapting to new cultures but ended up disappointed when they lost their previous identities.
In conclusion, the three writers; London, Robinson and Simmons achieve disappointment by focusing on usual societal notions that success would always bring happiness. Individuals begin to search for wealth because they think their lives would be better, only to realize that happiness and wealth are not the same.
Works cited
Jennings, Francis. The invasion of America: Indians, colonialism, and the Cant of Conquest. 2nd Ed. New York: Norton. 1990.
Kratzke, Peter. “Jack London’s Optimistic View of the law: a Reading of the ‘Son of the Wolf’.” Journal of Studies in Short Fiction. 32(1995): 26-35.
Susag, Dorothea M. “Zitkala-sa (Gertrude Simmons Bonnin): a Power (full) Literary Voice. Studies in American Indian Literatures.2nd series. 5.4(Winter 1993): 3-26. 2009. Web.
VanSpanckeren, Kathryn. Outline of American Literature. Revised Ed.
New York: The US Department of State, Bureau of International Information programs. 1994.