A Sunrise on the Veld - Life’s Uncontrollable Aspects in Lessing’s
Life’s Uncontrollable Aspects in Lessing’s By: Michael S “A Sunrise on the Veld”
As kids we all experience important moments in our lives, whether they’re times of grieving or celebration. It is those moments that may alter or influence the dreams we once had. “A Sunrise on the Veld” by Doris Lessing, portrays the human experience of a young man that changes his perspective of life and its purpose. He comes to realize that there are some things in life we cannot control and as unpredictable life is, everything happens for a reason. We can analyze the story of Doris Lessing and his theme that life is uncontrollable through three elements, setting in early morning African veld, symbolism of the buck and diction of Hot & Cold Vs Chaos & Control. All of these elements are present within Lessing’s work, giving a more detailed description and better understanding of how life can be uncontrollable. The first element used by Lessing to help portray the theme of Life being unpredictable is through the setting in the African Veld. Social scientists believe that man kind grew out of Africa, and how we developed as a species based on life’s uncontrollable expectations. Everything that has ever happened happened for a reason and we as human beings are what came out of it. There are two main settings, the young man’s house, a quiet space where his emotions are confined. Though once he steps outside he is a free man with nature. “He always looked back over his shoulder at the house before he passed a wall of trees that shut it from his sight…then he turned his back on it (Pg.1).” We see the transition of emotions from having them confined by the house and than released once in the veld. Being in the veld, therefore represents natures ability
to control life. At first he becomes one with the forest: “Fifteen years of rich soil and this slow moving water, and air that smelt like a challenge whether is was warm and sultry at noon…there was nothing he
As kids we all experience important moments in our lives, whether they’re times of grieving or celebration. It is those moments that may alter or influence the dreams we once had. “A Sunrise on the Veld” by Doris Lessing, portrays the human experience of a young man that changes his perspective of life and its purpose. He comes to realize that there are some things in life we cannot control and as unpredictable life is, everything happens for a reason. We can analyze the story of Doris Lessing and his theme that life is uncontrollable through three elements, setting in early morning African veld, symbolism of the buck and diction of Hot & Cold Vs Chaos & Control. All of these elements are present within Lessing’s work, giving a more detailed description and better understanding of how life can be uncontrollable. The first element used by Lessing to help portray the theme of Life being unpredictable is through the setting in the African Veld. Social scientists believe that man kind grew out of Africa, and how we developed as a species based on life’s uncontrollable expectations. Everything that has ever happened happened for a reason and we as human beings are what came out of it. There are two main settings, the young man’s house, a quiet space where his emotions are confined. Though once he steps outside he is a free man with nature. “He always looked back over his shoulder at the house before he passed a wall of trees that shut it from his sight…then he turned his back on it (Pg.1).” We see the transition of emotions from having them confined by the house and than released once in the veld. Being in the veld, therefore represents natures ability
to control life. At first he becomes one with the forest: “Fifteen years of rich soil and this slow moving water, and air that smelt like a challenge whether is was warm and sultry at noon…there was nothing he