Greed Depicted In The Fat Boy's Dream

People have defined greed as an inordinate desire to acquire or possess more than one needs. This insatiable want is seen every day. People tend to stray away from ridiculously greedy people, leaving them alone with a longing that will never subside. Being left alone however, can be beneficial to the greedy person, leaving them to obtain whatever they want without being judged. In Richard McCann’s “The Fat Boy’s Dream,” the speaker describes his impulsive actions in a dream to show that greed can take precedence over relationships with others.

A prominent theme in this poem is isolation. The speaker is constantly making the reader aware of the fact that he is the only person inhabiting his dream. Upon looking around, the boy quickly realizes that he can do anything he wants, and takes advantage of it. “I look about and see I am alone/ I drink
It seems that his dream has brought his desires into perspective for him. The dream blends with reality as the speaker finally prioritizes his wants over his parents in real life. The boy is met with his parents upon waking, and they attempt to pull him back to them. “My parents enter the room, and shrieking, jump to tug at my foot” (11). In this instance, it is obvious that the boy’s parents care immensely for him. This reflects people trying to get others to realize that relationships are more important than materialistic desires. However, greedy people often cannot be swayed once it becomes clear to them what they really want in life. In the last line of the poem, McCann makes it clear that the speaker does not care for his parents. “But no one, no one, can ever bring me down” (12). This is a very powerful last line; it perfectly displays the disregard that people can acquire for other humans if consumed with greed. Despite his parents’ pleas, the speaker will not let anyone get in the way of achieving what he