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How does Robert Frost create sympathy for the boy in Out

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How does Robert Frost create sympathy for the boy in Out
How does Robert Frost create sympathy for the boy in ‘Out, Out-‘

In the ballad Out, Out- the boy suffers a fatal injury, which makes us feel sympathy towards him. Robert Frost does this by including his personal opinion, using the reaction of other people and the boy’s life style in the text. First of all the author inputs his personal opinion in the boy’s destiny, which makes us feel sensitivity towards the boy and also a sense of anxiety for him. Before the incident, the author said “Call it a day, I wish they might have said”. The author of the poem suddenly changes from 3rd person to 1st person. As the author knows the future of the boy, we feel deep tenderness for the boy as we still do not know what will happen to him but we know it is negative. Another reason is hoe the boy in the poem lives and him life style circumstances. The boy is doing an adults job and is working long hours, which makes us feel compassionate towards him and very sympathetic. Whilst the boy was working, “His sister stood beside them” to announce supper was ready. Also it would had been fair by “giving him the half hour”. Both he and his sister are doing jobs wither parents or adults would usually tend to, therefore it is obvious that they have been made responsible for looking after themselves as a result of consequences of which their parents are unable to help them. Also he had obviously been so busy and such a diligent worker that he hadn’t had “half the hour” of a break. This could be due to lack of money and finances n the family therefore he is forced to work to make money. These suggest a theme of poverty between him and his family causing us to empathies and commiserate for him. Finally, Robert Frost uses the characterization and reaction from other characters to make us pity the boy. When the boy dies at the end of the ballad, no one cares much making us feel great pity for him. Once his pulse stopped “that ended it.” Whilst everyone else, “turned to their affairs”.

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