Riding on the Shoulders of History;
An Essay Comparing the Poem “Shoulders” by Naomi Shihab Rye to the Novel
“A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens
Essay by Chris Bowdler
9th Grade English
Pine Point School
1/19/2012
When I read the poem “Shoulders” by Naomi Shihab Nye I see several connections to the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. There are a few characters in A Tale of Two Cities that seem to display the qualities defined by Naomi Shihab Nye in “Shoulders. Two of these Characters are Charles Darnay, and Mr. Jarvis Lorry. Both of these characters show the kindness and compassion that is talked about in “Shoulders”. I really wish that all of the characters in A Tale of Two Cities were more like Darnay and Lorry, because some of them are just horrible people.
“Shoulders” is a poem about caring for other people, in the poem Nye compares the tenderheartedness of a father and his newborn son to her view of how people should act toward one another. Nye explains how caring people should be to one another, even to people who we have never met before. She compares this compassion to carrying your child across a busy road she says,” A man crosses the street in rain, stepping gently, looking two times north and south, because his son is asleep on his shoulder.” She calls the child “The world’s most sensitive cargo” and says that it doesn’t say “Fragile” but the father knows it to be true and acts upon it. She stresses the seriousness of being kind and Courteous to one another, and we should pretend that the person next to us is as sensitive as a young child- someone who can shatter at the slightest touch of meanness. We cannot live together if we cannot be kind to one another, this is the explicit but subtle message that this poem delivers. Nye said that “We're not going to be able to live in this world if we're not willing to do what he's doing with one another.” I think that Nye is correct, all you have to do is look at the world and you will see that a little understanding and empathy will go a very long way.
When I read A Tale of Two Cities I can see some characters who display the qualities described by Nye. The Character who I think show the most compassion is Charles Darnay. It is so unmistakable that he is a very kind hearted person just because of the way that he talks to people, even people he doesn’t like. When he meets his hated uncle the Marquis he is polite and level headed, but the dislike for his uncle is still obvious. He also cares so dearly for Miss Manette, and he is so kind to her and her father. It is just like the compassion that the father shows for his son in “shoulders”. He cares about her to the point that he tried to find out if she loved him back before he proposed. Unlike the headstrong Mr. Stryver, who one day “announced his intentions to marry Lucie Manette.” Another character who is kind and compassionate is Mr. Jarvis Lorry. What I don’t understand is why he always trying to hide that fact by being a man of business, I don’t see anything wrong with being emotional. No mater how hard he tries to shield his emotions he cannot, because he is always kind and compassionate especially towards his friends and especially the Manettes. There are many characters in A Tale of Two Cities, but only two of them display the kindness and compassion that is talked about in “Shoulders”- a kindness and compassion so good and pure it cannot stop shining.
When I read the poem “shoulders” by Naomi Shihab Nye I see several connections to the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. There are two characters in A Tale of Two Cities that seem to display the unique qualities described by Naomi Shihab Nye in “Shoulders. Two of these Characters are Charles Darnay, and Mr. Jarvis Lorry. Both of these characters are so affectionate and admiring just like the father in “Shoulders”. I wish that all of the characters were more like Darnay and Lorry, because some of them are just horrible people, and I wish that everyone in the world could be this kind and caring.
