Last Night of the World and Rachel L. Bowen’s “The Persistence of Memory

Last Night of the World and Rachel L. Bowen’s “The Persistence of Memory

Introduction

Ray Bradbury’s Last Night of the World and Rachel L. Bowen’s The Persistence of Memory explores the meaning of life by demonstrating the concept of creation, appreciation, and acceptance. The focal point is that human beings should learn to accept things that cannot be controlled. Through various authors, both Bowen and Bradbury uses characters to portray the unpredictable nature of life and how past memories based on friendship fosters healthy relationship and appreciation of life.

Themes

Acceptance

The theme of acceptance of life has been explored in both Last Night of the World and The Persistence of Memory. Bradbury expresses life acceptance in a time where people were engulfed by the fear of death amidst a war which was characterized by hydrogen atom bomb. Characters were enchanted by the sense of acceptance that the world would eventually come to an end. In one instance, the husband confesses that he was frightened by the end of the world but he feels more peaceful than being afraid (Bradbury 8). Strangely, everyone has accepted the fact that the world is ending. When the husband shared his dream with a co-worker regarding the end of the world, Stan was relaxed and calm, this indicates they both shared a common fate but had already accepted (Bradbury 4).

Bowen demonstrates acceptance when Lee tries to remember his memories before he gets lost in the cave. He sees the endless pain that Ben is left to bear but accepts his love for animals that made him enter the cave. Acceptance is exhibited when Lee eventually takes the step of entering the cave, a sign that he has accepted to follow his love for weird and wonderful animals at the expense of friendship.

Unpredictability

The unpredictable nature of life is also explored in both short stories. In Bradbury’s work, the theme of unpredictability is pinned in the fact that the country was characterized with cold war and they were literally waiting for the world to end. Surprisingly, the characters are seen to go about their daily activities where they cooked in the evening, washed dishes, tucked themselves in bed and switched off the light without knowing what tomorrow will offer. The couples went about their lives like it was not the end of the world yet they believed that the world was coming to an end.

In Bowen’s short story, it is transparent that at one point, the two friends Lee and Ben had to separate despite the sweet memories they shared during their initial friendship (Bowen 5). Lee had to pursue his love for animal at the expense of his friendship with Ben.

Appreciation

Appreciation of life is an important attribute that was revealed in both short stories. Both authors portrayed a similar characteristic of appreciating life in different ways. In this domain, Bradbury uses the couple to provide hindsight about appreciation of life. The man tells his wife that his family is the only thing he will miss. He goes ahead and also explains the small things that he will miss such as drinking ice water during hot weather conditions, and sleeping. He also admits that he never loved living in the city and his nature of work (Bradbury 11). In this context, it is transparent that the man realizes his precious things in life were family and simple things that brought him pleasure. He vows to focus on bringing pleasure to his family and stops being preoccupied by big things happening across the world that blind the happiness of other people and stir fear and anxiety. Bradbury uses the couple to explore how individuals appreciate life, and how small things bring memories that culminate comfort and calmness.

On the other hand, Bowen demonstrates appreciation of life in his short story when Lee said; “Because he’s not ten years old, standing in the school field with Ben. He hasn’t been ten for a long, long time” (Bowen 6). This statement by Lee shows that he misses the childhood memories that he shared with Ben. Despite the fact that the last memory he bears is when he left Ben in endless pain and decided to follow his happiness till he ended up in Mars, Lee shows appreciation of the life he shared with Ben in the statement above.

Conclusion

Ray Bradbury’s Last Night of the World and Rachel L. Bowen’s The Persistence of Memory have both explained the meaning of life through various characters. They have illustrated the fact that life is unpredictable and full of surprises that cannot be controlled. For instance, at one point, Lee had to leave Ben and pursue his happiness. In Bradbury’s work, the couple anticipated death which would have separated their family. Acceptance is the way life comes is the ultimate source of internal peace and calmness. Based on the short stories, people have learned to appreciate life and live harmoniously because no one can control or predict the events that will follow. In this context, Bradbury and Bowen shared a common ground in explaining the meaning of life.