VACATIONS SHOULD NOT LAST FOREVER
BY BARBARA BILIK | MAY 31, 2020
In today’s situation of self-isolation and prolonged quarantine, many works of Ray Bradbury, as well as other books, open up a completely different meaning. Together we will analyze the problem of loneliness and the ending of the story “Vacations”.
Today, every student is familiar with the work of the famous science fiction writer Ray Bradbury. Some like his stories, but some are indifferent. It is difficult to argue with the fact that all the works of the writer contain a deep philosophy, a kind of subtext that is probably the reason for this. In today’s situation of self-isolation and prolonged quarantine, many of his works, as well as other books, open up a completely different meaning.
So it happened with the story «Vacations», which will be discussed today.
In the story «Vacations» the author gives us the opportunity to finish the ending by ourselves. There are many theories about what a boy wrote in a note. But we will consider completely opposite assumptions.
1 theory: Absolutely everyone could think about this after reading the story. The boy wrote: “I want people to return.” The boy wants to play and study.
2 theory: This assumption is very rare. The boy wrote: «I want everything to remain as it is.» The boy has become accustomed to such an environment. He got used to loneliness, because there were no other people around. And when his mother said she wanted people to return, the boy did not want to hear this and ran away in tears. He did not know another world and did not want to know it. The world of communication and friendship, hostility, statements of their point of view. His mother wanted to remember and live that very life.
I would like to raise the topic of loneliness. This problem is relevant today. I’m talking about self-isolation and quarantine. Let us recall the definition from the lesson of social studies that man is a social being. This is a difficult test for all of us. Having only close people around and not having contact with others. Many friends were betrayed. This may be a plus. We find out who is real and who is fake. This is not a new problem but has always been here. My friend was delighted with distance learning due to the fact that no one else would distract her from classes. I do not blame her for this, because at school she was spread thin and this prevented her from studying. She did her best to cope with this. She went up to the class teacher and complained about what she was getting ridiculed about and she got the word «Humble yourself!». Anyone can be like this girl. Self-isolation helped such people. They were able to open themselves from another side, to turn their shortcomings into dignity. And when they come to a new company of people, they will not be considered an empty place.
After reading the story «Vacations» I can see for myself four rules of morality:
1) Be careful with your desires. One must be able to formulate dreams.
2) Appreciate what you have. You can not envy someone, and compare your lives. After all, envy is the worst sin. No one knows what is happening in another family, and so no one will be able to predict the consequences of your dreams.
3) You cannot run away from your problems. It is necessary to face difficulties. Any solved problem will only strengthen you and your spirit.
4) Not everyone wants what you want. In any situation, you can find a mutual solution so that it is convenient for everyone.
I think I helped my peers, and maybe even our adults, to discover a different meaning of this work. I hope everyone understands that you must value what you have and live one day at a time. Make dreams and turn them into goals.
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