Renzini Brothers Lies
Arthur Koestler once said, “Nothing is more sad than the death of an illusion” (Koestler). This quote represents The Benzini Brothers in full force. The hard truth is that the bright and unique shows many pay to see is nothing but a devious scandal, full of lies. The Benzini Brothers’ circus appears glamorous and exciting, even magical at times, but in reality the enchantment of the circus is all a fabrication for what the workers actually live through.
Lying and deceitfulness is a skill that The Benzini Brothers’ circus has mastered. The circus is in constant struggle, having no money, no animals, and no main event. August, second in command, always tries to scheme his way out of difficult or unpleasant situations. He tries to create illusion for the public in hopes they do not notice the fiction of the circus. This particular event did not faze him or make him question the morality of the situation: “For two weeks we traveled with a pickled hippo” (Gruen 104). Regardless of what the right thing to do is, August tries to convince Jacob there is nothing wrong with lying to a crowd of people for vast …show more content…
amounts of money. Regarding earning money, August’s lack of care for quality and his concern for quantity is depicted. These actions of dishonesty show the audience that outside perspectives are almost never how they appear. They are only illusions of the minds.
Unfortunately, money creates terrible monsters within people. It can be a distraction from the realities of life and act as a safety blanket. Working for someone and receiving an allowance in return for hard labor is the normal way of thinking. However, that is not the case with The Benzini Brothers’ circus: “He always holds back four weeks pay. You’ll get it at the end of season. Next!” (Gruen 186). The employees of this suffering circus never know when their next paycheck will be. It could be days to weeks without a steady flow of cash. It shows not only the frustration and worriness of the workers, but also the selfishness Uncle Al attains: “His arms and face raised, basking in the coins that rain down on him...I think he may actually be crying” (Gruen 237). His concerns are about him and his outcomes, never anyone else. The power of greed floods his thoughts. He yearns for money so much that he cannot comprehend the negative energy it creates. Once again, nothing but devious lies are found inside the circus tent.
The harder someone works, the better the positions or outcomes that come from it.
However, The Benzini Brothers’ hard work does not have the same interpretation: “There’s them and there’s us, and you’re us” (Gruen 37). As this quote describes, it does not matter about hard work or the hours each person puts in every day. If someone is a performer, that is where they stay, and if someone works with the animals or crew, they are never going anywhere according to the circus’ philosophy. Uncle Al does not care about the labor workers; therefore, money is not something of which they see a lot. The priority is the entertainers because in Uncle Al’s mind, The Benzini Brothers’ would cease to exist without them. The sad truth is Uncle Al does not realize that in reality, the labor workers run the show. Once again, his judgment is clouded with greed, lies, and
selfishness.
Circus life is not what the public view and understand it to be. The business is actually about lies and how much money each week can bring. There is major dishonestly among not only the employees themselves, but to the public about the wonders of the circus that prove to be fabricated. The class system controls and dictates pay and privilege that should people should already have. Working on the circus is certainly not the dream life or anything remotely close. The Benzini Brothers’ circus is a fabrication of reality.
Lying and deceitfulness is a skill that The Benzini Brothers’ circus has mastered. The circus is in constant struggle, having no money, no animals, and no main event. August, second in command, always tries to scheme his way out of difficult or unpleasant situations. He tries to create illusion for the public in hopes they do not notice the fiction of the circus. This particular event did not faze him or make him question the morality of the situation: “For two weeks we traveled with a pickled hippo” (Gruen 104). Regardless of what the right thing to do is, August tries to convince Jacob there is nothing wrong with lying to a crowd of people for vast …show more content…
amounts of money. Regarding earning money, August’s lack of care for quality and his concern for quantity is depicted. These actions of dishonesty show the audience that outside perspectives are almost never how they appear. They are only illusions of the minds.
Unfortunately, money creates terrible monsters within people. It can be a distraction from the realities of life and act as a safety blanket. Working for someone and receiving an allowance in return for hard labor is the normal way of thinking. However, that is not the case with The Benzini Brothers’ circus: “He always holds back four weeks pay. You’ll get it at the end of season. Next!” (Gruen 186). The employees of this suffering circus never know when their next paycheck will be. It could be days to weeks without a steady flow of cash. It shows not only the frustration and worriness of the workers, but also the selfishness Uncle Al attains: “His arms and face raised, basking in the coins that rain down on him...I think he may actually be crying” (Gruen 237). His concerns are about him and his outcomes, never anyone else. The power of greed floods his thoughts. He yearns for money so much that he cannot comprehend the negative energy it creates. Once again, nothing but devious lies are found inside the circus tent.
The harder someone works, the better the positions or outcomes that come from it.
However, The Benzini Brothers’ hard work does not have the same interpretation: “There’s them and there’s us, and you’re us” (Gruen 37). As this quote describes, it does not matter about hard work or the hours each person puts in every day. If someone is a performer, that is where they stay, and if someone works with the animals or crew, they are never going anywhere according to the circus’ philosophy. Uncle Al does not care about the labor workers; therefore, money is not something of which they see a lot. The priority is the entertainers because in Uncle Al’s mind, The Benzini Brothers’ would cease to exist without them. The sad truth is Uncle Al does not realize that in reality, the labor workers run the show. Once again, his judgment is clouded with greed, lies, and
selfishness.
Circus life is not what the public view and understand it to be. The business is actually about lies and how much money each week can bring. There is major dishonestly among not only the employees themselves, but to the public about the wonders of the circus that prove to be fabricated. The class system controls and dictates pay and privilege that should people should already have. Working on the circus is certainly not the dream life or anything remotely close. The Benzini Brothers’ circus is a fabrication of reality.