Read “George Gray” and “Lucinda Matlock” and answer the following questions.
1. What object symbolizes George Gray’s life? How is this object representative of him?
The object that symbolizes George Gray’s life is a sailboat. The furled sail is at rest in the harbor. The furled sail does not symbolize that his journey came to an end, yet it symbolizes how Gray spent his life in fear. “Life” offered him love, sorrow, ambition, and meaning. He shrank from the offer of love. He was afraid to answer the door when sorrow knocked. He dreaded his own chances of being successful when ambition was offered to him. He never let life lead him on a journey like the wind that was capable of carrying the the sails of his boat out of the harbor and to a destination. He realizes that now he is dead, he should have let down his sails and let their desire carry him where they wished. Life without meaning is torture. Gray should have not been afraid of his boat of life, longing for the sea.
2. How was Lucinda Matlock’s life different than George Gray’s? How do you interepret the last line of the poem?
Lucinda’s life is different from Gray’s in the sense the Gray feels regretful that he did not live his life to the fullest. Lucinda’s epitaph opens with her dancing. This symbolizes happy, celebratory life. She is not complaining because she has lived a full life. She lived to be 96, which is definitely a full life. The other voices she hears from her grave in the graveyard, like the voice of Gray’s, are sad and sorrowful. She offers her perception of life, saying you must live a little in order to love every aspect of life. It takes energy, vitality, and eagerness in order to enjoy the many blessings and activites life offers. Gray’s life is seen as lifeless, and there is a great lack of motion. He has no courage compared to Matlock, who lived a life full of nurturing, adventure, shouting and singing. Matlock knew what it was like to be in love and had other loving people around her. Gray’s life was loveless. Life is more rewarding if lived in the way that Matlock had lived.
3. How are “George Gray” and “Lucinda Matlock” examples of realism?
George Gray is an example of realism because his story was a common thing among humanity. He is a simple tragic character that makes several mistakes and lives life in caution like many other people. He searched for the meaning of life but never did anything extraordinary because he was too afraid. Gray died knowing what he did wrong in life. He never took a chance and did not live his life to the fullest. His reality was boring and unexciting. Lucinda is an example of realism because she lived life to the fullest. She experienced happiness and sadness, like any other normal person. Her life was easy, and normal. At her death, she had no regrets because she lived a life or normality and delight. Realistically, she was happy with her normal life. Gray and Matlock’s lives were both lived realistically.
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