Lucid Eye In Silver Town Essay Research free essay sample

Lucid Eye In Silver Town Essay, Research Paper Jay August Childs are frequently taught by their parents, but sometimes they must larn things on their ain. When coming of age we learn many of import lessons that are critical for a successful hereafter. Sometimes the most important acquisition experiences are traumatic and painful. In The Lucid Eye in Silver Town by John Updike, Jay August is an rational, but inexperienced single that must get the better of troubles of defeat and letdown to recognize his childhood immatureness. The character of Jay August is developed throughout the narrative with duologues that capture his psychological traits more often than his physical traits. During the narrative, Jay reveals his childhood naivet repeatedly. By stating, I was certain that merely stupid people took an involvement in money ( Updike 490 ) he reveals that he has non yet learned that money is necessary in life. Throughout the narrative, he refers to objects with concern for aspiration and beauty, but does non recognize that it takes wealth to obtain these objects. To him, New York is the silver town, Shimmering edifices arrowed upward and glinted through the treetops Towers of aspiration rose, crystalline within me ( Updike 493 ) . He does non recognize that aspiration and play are associated with money and wealth. Jay shows naivet once more when his uncle pretentiously takes his male parent and him to the Pickernut Club, an grownup sofa. He orders ice pick and is disappointed with the choice particularly when the inexpensive apothecarys shop at place had 15 spirits ( Updike 491 ) . Jay does non recognize that kids do non usually go to the Pickernut Club. Jay comprehends towards the terminal of the narrative that he can non acquire everything that he wants and that he is non every bit smart as he thinks he is. Throughout the narrative Jay s character grows and develops by traveling through important learning experiences that are indispensable in life. Jay is an person who is influenced otherwise by both his female parent and his male parent. Jay relates closely to his female parent because they portion a love of art and aesthetic values, contempt for crass and selfish values, and a similar manner of thought. He respects his male parent, Marty, but is besides annoyed by him because of the manner he agrees with everyone and does non lodge up for himself. Marty continually tells Jay how smart he is and how successful he will be one twenty-four hours. Towards the terminal of the narrative Jay begins to recognize and appreciate the adult male that Marty is. He finds that even though Marty is non a successful man of affairs, he has been successful in raising a fami ly and supplying for them. Marty is at that place to help Jay in turning up. He has been through it before and knows of the letdown. Jay begins to esteem and value how and where he lives. He additions newfound precedences and values that will assist to determine his life for the better. The main struggle that Jay August is confronted with is when an cilium falls into his oculus and obstructs his limpid vision. He shows his loss of limpid vision when he doesn t act as precociously and acts more as a kid. When Jay s Uncle Quin calls for a physician, Marty insists on seeking to take the cilium himself. Jay, seeking to take on the function of large metropolis life, repulses him. Jay s reaction causes him to be unable to buy the Vermeer book. Later, Jay realizes that he would non hold been able to purchase the book with merely a modicum of money anyhow, It d be inexpensive at 15 dollars, even secondhand, with the pages all crummy and full of spilled java ( Updike 496 ) . Sometimes, it is the fiddling things, like the cilium, that have a large consequence on the manner a state of affairs turns out. If the cilium had non fallen into his oculus, the trip would non hold been as important in Jay s life because of the lesson he learns from it. The eyelash serves as a symbol fo r situational sarcasm because, on occasion, it is life s inside informations and personal failings that thwart success. As Jay learns more about himself and others he begins to alter psychologically. He realizes his childhood naivet and his loss of artlessness. Jay is defeated that he is non able to look at the Vermeer book, but he learns a valuable lesson in non being able to acquire everything that he wants. Jay besides learns that money is necessary for certain things in life when he is non able to buy the book that he wants. These are critical lessons to larn when coming of age. Even though Marty still annoys Jay, he additions more regard for his male parent when he understands Marty s precedences and values. He looks at him in a more mature manner. The mental alterations that Jay goes through show that he is maturating. These larning experiences cause a struggle within Jay that finally help him to understand the existent universe and grownup values. Jay s first trip to New York City serves as an of import accelerator for alteration. His perceptual experience of himself and the people around him change during this trip to the large metropolis. Jay August overcomes the little obstructions of defeat and letdown and learns more about himself. These lessons coincide with many little, but of import lessons that everyone must larn in order to win in life. 338