Short Story Contents Of A Dead Man's Pockets

Regret of Ambition
In basic human nature, people thrive and succeed off of their ambition. Simply put, ambition is the drive within individuals to work hard for a desired achievement. Although there are many types of ambition, work-related endeavors can corrupt the minds of anyone. When work becomes more important than experiencing the physical joys in life, people often become isolated and obsess over their ambition. Similarly, in the short story “Contents of a Dead Man’s Pockets,” Tom’s obsessive ambition that has taken over suddenly threatens his life. His willingness to do anything to wane his ever present ambition results in overwhelming regret and fear of his choices. In the short story “Contents of a Dead Man’s Pockets,” Jack Finney uses Tom to portray that when man allows ambition and obsession to take over, regret and fear of one’s decision becomes prevalent, and results in a transformation to
When Tom succumbs to his engrossing ambition and constantly chooses work over his wife, he allows it to cloud his judgement in his decision to risk his life for the yellow sheet of paper. Only when he realizes what he has done, and how this ambition has hindered his ability to enjoy life as it is, does he decide that happiness and joy with his wife in the moment is much more significant than work and the possibility for future happiness. Mankind's common obsession over work-related endeavors and strive for ambition often get in the way of daily happiness and experiencing life in the moment. Only when man understands the importance of living life without allowing selfishness or desire to take over, can he truly find happiness within himself and view his entity with