Like almost every child in America,
my life goal from age four to nine amounted to one thing: getting a dog. However,
the more I begged and pleaded, the less successful my persuasion of my parents
became. No matter how many times I Google-Imaged cute pictures of puppies and
delivered them to my mom’s desk, my attempts proved worthless. Until the
nearing of my fifth birthday, I lacked any hope. My mom hinted that my birthday
would contain a “big surprise,” so naturally my almost-five-year-old brain
anticipated nothing less than a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with a ribbon
around his or (preferably) her neck. On September 16th, the day of
my fifth birthday, I kept my eyes on the prize. I did not want any part in
school festivities or even birthday cake. I only thought about a furry, little
puppy licking my hand for the first time. Gift time came and went and just as
we finished cleaning up, my mom brought out one last present. “But wait,” I
thought, “there is no way my puppy can breathe in that tiny box!” So I rushed
as I tore off the wrapping paper and eventually found not a dog, but a frog,
sitting idly in a miniature tank. One can imagine the level my confusion;
instead of a proud owner of a new four-legged friend, I owned a frog that could
not even leave its tank. This grand travesty came to mind upon reading the
quote on Ms. Serensky’s board today that originates from William Shakespeare,
saying, “Expectation is the root of all heartache.” The frog did not meet my
expectations, leaving me quite disheartened. I realize that Shakespeare’s quote
most likely pertains to expectations in love. However, today represents the
two-year anniversary of little Springs’ death. I grew to love my frog, Springs,
and even stopped petitioning for a dog. The incident inspired me to re-evaluate
my expectations, however, and three years later my mom shocked me with a puppy
on my eighth birthday. Shakespeare’s quote applies to the discussion of love in
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Gatsby maintained a mystifying
persona throughout the first half of the book, however, allowed his
expectations to surpass reality when he confronted his loneliness. For five
years, he imagined his encounter with former lover, Daisy Buchanan. When the
two finally reunited though, Gatsby wonders about the “quality of his present
happiness” (95). Gatsby’s doubtful tone surfaces the implication that in the
time of the couple’s absence from each other, he became infatuated with the
memory of Daisy that did not coincide with Daisy’s current state of mind.
Shakespeare reaches out to the overly hopeful people to encourage them to
re-evaluate their expectations to avoid feeling dejected of reality.
I agree with you that Shakespeare's quote generally applies to love, because I often find that my expectations motivate me. For example, if I expect to run well in a race, I do everything possible while running it to achieve the expectations for myself and others. On another note, I look forward to learning whether or not Gatsby truly become happy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your observations and Claire's too. Too often, I lower my expectations and expect the worst which often yields a poor outcome. Other times, I expect too much and experience the same feelings of disappointment that you describe above. I think everyone should use moderation in their expectations to ensure that they continue to work hard and enjoy pleasant surprises.
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