People on the Bridge, Phaitoon Thanya
PEOPLE ON THE BRIDGE by Phaitoon Thanya
Pride Always Comes Before A Fall
The short story “People on the bridge” by Phaitoon Thanya generally reveals about the human nature. It is about a number of different characters that end up trying to cross a narrow bridge to fulfill their obligations but were obstructed by two bull keepers and their bulls who could not pass each other in the middle of the bridge. The story ended tragically with the deaths of the two bull keepers that were crashed onto each other by their bulls. Literally, I find this story dealing with the egotistical behaviour of humans which is having too much pride in oneself. Pride is a behaviour that can result from two opposite connotations. From a positive connotation, pride is the credit that one gives to oneself for their accomplishments that raises one’s self-esteem. Whereas, from a negative connotation, pride means being fixed towards a decision or action and an inflated sense of one’s status or achievements that often leads to arrogance. From the story, the first bull keeper, feels proud of himself in being the caretaker of the red bull. His pride exceeds that of his master’s and this is highlighted by the narrator as him being only the bull keeper. Apart from that, the bull keeper feels proud whenever he and the young bull grabs the crowd’s attention in the market as they walk pass by to the point that it is indicated the bull keeper has a wishful thinking to be the bull’s owner.
While leading the red bull across the bridge, the first bull keeper was infuriated at the sight of another fighting bull being led by its keeper and felt insulted irrationally. This ego thus provoked an argument between them that led to an unresolved conflict. An interesting part in the story would be before the ending. The narrator, described the unconcious thoughts that were running through the bull keepers’ minds by saying that the heavy roars and the hot breaths of both bulls were like the
Pride Always Comes Before A Fall
The short story “People on the bridge” by Phaitoon Thanya generally reveals about the human nature. It is about a number of different characters that end up trying to cross a narrow bridge to fulfill their obligations but were obstructed by two bull keepers and their bulls who could not pass each other in the middle of the bridge. The story ended tragically with the deaths of the two bull keepers that were crashed onto each other by their bulls. Literally, I find this story dealing with the egotistical behaviour of humans which is having too much pride in oneself. Pride is a behaviour that can result from two opposite connotations. From a positive connotation, pride is the credit that one gives to oneself for their accomplishments that raises one’s self-esteem. Whereas, from a negative connotation, pride means being fixed towards a decision or action and an inflated sense of one’s status or achievements that often leads to arrogance. From the story, the first bull keeper, feels proud of himself in being the caretaker of the red bull. His pride exceeds that of his master’s and this is highlighted by the narrator as him being only the bull keeper. Apart from that, the bull keeper feels proud whenever he and the young bull grabs the crowd’s attention in the market as they walk pass by to the point that it is indicated the bull keeper has a wishful thinking to be the bull’s owner.
While leading the red bull across the bridge, the first bull keeper was infuriated at the sight of another fighting bull being led by its keeper and felt insulted irrationally. This ego thus provoked an argument between them that led to an unresolved conflict. An interesting part in the story would be before the ending. The narrator, described the unconcious thoughts that were running through the bull keepers’ minds by saying that the heavy roars and the hot breaths of both bulls were like the
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