intro

Final Paper

Soundtrack: With a theme of hopelessness/ hope for Yononndio

                In Yonnondio the characters constantly work to better their lives with no promise or evidence that anything will get better for them. They put in great effort and their struggle makes you want to believe that their hard work will pay off with a brighter future. However, just like the characters, the reader is only disappointed and hope fades time and time again with their defeat. For some characters in Yonnondio they keep hope in even the most trying of times. Others become hopeless and realize the insignificance of even trying. This book really made me question the idea of hope and hopelessness. One theory I had was that this book signified no hope and the insignificance of existence entirely. On the other hand I thought maybe the whole point of the book was to hold on to hope regardless of the end result. Like maybe life isn’t about the ending, but more so about the effort you put into it along the way. Just because you have increasingly awful circumstances doesn’t necessarily mean you should give up. The whole idea of Yonnondio is to honor those people from the past that may have been forgotten otherwise. If all you have after your dead and gone is a story of what you did then you should at least try your best to make it an inspiring one. Okay so maybe Yonnondio isn’t all that inspiring to most, but to me it’s inspiring. Although it was awful and seemingly hopeless for these people they still tried. They kept hope in a hopeless situation.  I have picked some music that I think illustrates their constant struggle, holding on to hope, and also the devastating reality of being hopeless.

song

My first song is “The Cave” by Mumford and Sons. At first glance Jim seems cruel and ignorant but there is another aspect of him that I believe is more important that is illustrated in this song. This song makes me think of Jim’s personal struggle to provide for his family.

The opening line talks about having an empty heart and walking away from “fear and faults you’ve left behind”. This relates to Jim accepting his failure at success and repetitively packing up and moving his family in search of better opportunities. Jim will work as hard as he can for his family but then realizes his efforts are not showing any signs of benefiting them. So he will promise them a better future somewhere else and leave his failure, or “fear and faults”, behind to start new somewhere else. The next line talks about having no food to eat. This is a major problem for the Holbrookes throughout the entire book. They are always hungry and never have enough food to eat. “I have seen the same I know the shame in your defeat” relates to the shame the family feels about not being able to overcome their constant setbacks. The next line fits greatly with the book “But I will hold on hope And I won’t let you choke on the noose around your neck”. This makes me think of Jim always grasping and searching for ways he can provide a life for his family they deserve. He doesn’t just give up but holds onto the hope for them never allowing them to “choke”. The noose around your neck signifies that there is no way out and it’s just hopeless. Despite any efforts to keep someone from choking with a noose around their neck you know that in the end they will choke.  Like the song, Jim finds strength in pain and changes his ways numerous times. He doesn’t accept his circumstances but he takes his defeats and turns them into motivation to try harder. Jim was an abusive alcoholic to begin with, but when he needed to change his ways he became a better husband and father.

song

Kansas: Dust in the Wind

I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone
All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind, All we are is dust in the wind
Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, all your money won't another minute buy

This song is perfect for the overall meaning of this book. Yonnondio is the title of a poem, by Walt Whitman, placed at the beginning of this book.

Yonnondio! Yonnondio!--unlimn'd they disappear;
To-day gives place, and fades--the cities, farms, factories fade;
A muffled sonorous sound, a wailing word is borne through the air
for a moment,
Then blank and gone and still, and utterly lost.

The poem is about taking notice of people who are gone and should not be forgotten. Dust in the wind, often played at funerals, expresses the brevity of life and the insignificance of an individuals’ particular journey through life. I believe the point of this book was not only to illustrate the importance of remembering people before us but also to remind us of how short, challenging, and insignificant life can be.  Although the characters in the book never seem to overcome adversity they still had a story that could be told. The lyrics, “I close my eyes only for a moment then the moments gone”, makes me think of the tiny moments of joy the Holbrookes see. Nothing good lasts for very long in their family. However, the song suggests nothing lasts long in general. So in this way, everyone will die and therefore their struggle and story becomes less horrible. Mazie would often contemplate what the stars meant and how vast the universe seemed in comparison with her knowledge. The lyrics “all my dreams pass before my eyes a curiosity” shows the somewhat overwhelming notion of the things you dream to do always being out of reach. When you die all of your unfulfilled dreams die too. In life, likewise, all your curiosity for things you never get or learn simply fade away. “Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky it slips away, all your money won't another minute buy” shows how insignificant things like money actually are. The Holbrookes main problem may be poverty but this song explains that money doesn’t matter. The only thing that really matters is how you spend your time. Time is all you have and when it runs out all you are is “dust in the wind”

song

Flaming Lips: Do You Realize

Do You Realize - that you have the most beautiful face
Do You Realize - we're floating in space -
Do You Realize - that happiness makes you cry
Do You Realize - that everyone you know someday will die
And instead of saying all of your goodbyes - let them know
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round
Do You Realize - Oh - Oh - Oh
Do You Realize - that everyone you know
Someday will die -
And instead of saying all of your goodbyes - let them know
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round

           

The Flaming Lips song “Do you Realize” makes me imagine the happiness the Holbrookes may have experienced with a simple change in attitude. Although this song is depressing, like the book, it gives a spin and offers a bright side to such heavy ideas, unlike the book. If the characters in Yonnondio could’ve found joy in each other more often maybe their existence wouldn’t have been as frustrating and tedious as it was.

The lyrics “instead of saying all of your goodbyes-let them know you realize that life goes fast it’s hard to make the good things last” illuminate that life is short and it would be spent better enjoying it then complaining about it ending. The Holbrookes could have gotten much more happiness from each other if they had accepted their lives as they were and accepted the notion that it may not get better. Just because you “realize” that life is short it doesn’t mean you should work yourself to death to try to improve it. It means you slow down and make those good things last and enjoy it.  

song

Linkin park given up

Wake in a sweat again
Another day's been laid to waste
In my disgrace
Stuck in my head again
Feels like I'll never leave this place
There's no escape
I'm my own worst enemy
[chorus]
I've given up
I'm sick of feeling
Is there nothing you can say
Take this all away
I'm suffocating
Tell me what the fuck is wrong
With me
[end chorus]
I don't know what to take
Thought I was focused but I'm scared
I'm not prepared
I hyperventilate
Looking for help somehow somewhere
And no one cares
I'm my own worst enemy
[chorus]
I've given up
I'm sick of feeling
Is there nothing you can say
Take this all away
I'm suffocating
Tell me what the fuck is wrong
With me
[end chorus]
[bridge]
Goddddddd!!!!

Linkin Parks song Given Up is what I imagine Jim to be going through internally every day. He wakes up and feels like his time and efforts were a waste because nothing has improved. He feels “disgrace” like he will “never leave this place” and that he’s his “own worst enemy”. I can imagine being that frustrated and wanting to scream “I’ve given up” like this song does. Countless times Jim must wake up and feel this disappointing failure urging him to just give up. Although he probably thinks about it, he never does. He continuously works himself in jobs with awful conditions to provide for his family. He never actually gives up, but you have to imagine he thinks about it.  The line “I’m suffocating” really makes me think of Jim at his job in the mines at the beginning of the book. He would go to those mines and feel the effect of the dangerous elements he breathed in and literally be suffocating. In a more figurative way the frustration he experienced and the pressure to provide for his family made him feel suffocated. “Tell me what the fuck is wrong…. With me” is Jim knowing something is wrong but because he doesn’t know how to improve it he takes all the responsibility onto himself. Instead of taking a break or giving up he blames himself and pushes himself even more to do better. Sometimes through all of his struggle I’m sure he is screaming this song on the inside but carrying on with his daily work.

song

Journey: Don’t Stop believing

Working hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Paying anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on
{Refrain}
Don't stop believing
Hold on to that feeling
Streetlight people

Don’t stop believing by Journey relates to the Holbrookes constantly taking another gamble at a better life and better opportunities. Whenever things get too bad at one place the Holbrookes would invest their hope into a new place.

When Mazie was attacked they left the mines to go to the farms for the possibility of a new future. On their way they were even warned that the conditions were not great for the tenant farming but still were willing to take the gamble. They’d leave their friends and Jim’s job and completely give a new job a try “paying anything to roll the dice just one more time”. They would shortly be unsatisfied again and decide to leave making me believe that they spent the rest of their lives “rolling the dice” and following any chance at success. However it never improved and often they seemed to be “born to sing the blues”. “It goes on and on and on” means they will continue taking chances at opportunities only to be disappointed again and again. “Don’t stop believing, Hold on to that feeling” means that they should take the shot and continue rolling the dice. By keeping hope they will never have to give up the “idea” of happiness. It’s always just a city, town, or job away.

song

Foo Fighters: Best of You

I’ve got another confession to make
I’m your fool
Everyone’s got their chains to break
Holdin’ you
Would you born to resist or be abused?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Are you gone and onto someone new?
I needed somewhere to hang my head
Without your noose
You gave me something that I didn’t have
But had no use
I was too weak to give in
Too strong to lose
My heart is under arrest again
But I break loose
My head is giving me life or death
But I can’t choose
I swear I’ll never give in
No, I refuse
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Has someone taken your faith?
Its real, the pain you feel
You trust, you must
Confess
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Oh...
ooooh,oh,oh
ooooh,oh,oh
ooooh,oh,oh
ooooh,oh,oh
Has someone taken your faith?
Its real, the pain you feel
The life, the love
You'd die to heal
The hope that starts
The broken hearts
You trust, you must
Confess
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
I’ve got another confession my friend
I’m no fool
I’m getting tired of starting again
Somewhere new

            The Foo Fighter Best of You makes me think of Anna and how Jim gets the best of her leaving her abused and tired. Jim is obviously abusive to Anna and the family but she always seems to tolerate it. She continues her womanly duties and only on rare occasions speaks out. When Jim rapes Anna I think he took more from her than he had ever taken. Not only did he cause a miscarriage but he completely degraded a woman that loves him. She had invested her life into being a good mother and to going with Jim wherever he lead them. Mr. Cladwell even states she is educated so we know she may have had more options. I think it’s also clear that she just loved him and did believe in him despite his failures and abuse. The lyrics “has someone taken your faith it’s real the pain you feel the life the love you’d die to heal” really keys in on that “taken” feeling she must have felt after Jim raping her. “I’m no fool, I’m getting tired of starting again, somewhere new” points out how worn out Anna must feel. She is used and abused but she’s not an idiot. She is aware of what’s going on and is exhausted and tired. She wants to be happy and back to the way that her family was at one point.

song

Oasis: Stop Crying Your Heart Out

Hold up... hold on... don't be scared
You'll never change what's been and gone
May your smile... Shine on... Don't be scared
Your destiny may keep you warm.
Cos all of the stars are fading away
Just try not to worry you'll see them some day
Take what you need and be on your way
And stop crying your heart out
Get up... Come on... why you scared
You'll never change what’s been and gone

Stop Crying Your Heart Out by Oasis makes me think of Mazie and her curiosity and ignorance scares her. The scene that depicts this is where Mazie is laying beneath the stars with Mr. Caldwell and contemplating where the stars came from and things she still doesn’t know. After hearing his explanation she is frightened at the idea of being so tiny in such a vast universe. The lyrics “you’ll never change what’s been and gone, may your smile shine on, Don’t be scared” illustrate that she shouldn’t be afraid because there’s nothing she can do. The universe may be big and she may not know much about it but she is a child still. “Your destiny may keep you warm” means that she can rest hope in knowing her fate is still in play. She is still alive and not “been and gone” so she doesn’t need to be afraid.  Maize really worries about things she doesn’t know and takes pride in the things she does. When she figures something out she takes it to heart and doesn’t ignore it like many of the adults around her. For this reason Mazie finds sadness often. She wants answers and explanations no one can give her especially after Caldwell dies. I think that Mazie worries far more than anyone in the book and this causes her to lose hope and happiness. For example when everyone is celebrating Independence Day she sits in the background thinking about how long it will be before something bad will happen again. This song shows she shouldn’t worry and should smile and be hopeful. After all she can’t change “what’s been and gone” and she has her whole future ahead of her.

song

Death Cab for Cutie: The Ice Was Getting Thinner

We're not the same, dear, as we used to be.
The seasons have changed and so have we.
There was little we could say, and even less we could do
To stop the ice from getting thinner under me and you.
We bury our love in the windsory grave
Along came the snow, that was all that remained.
But we stayed by its side as the days turned to weeks
And the ice kept getting thinner with every word that we'd speak.
And when spring arrived
We were taken by surprise when the flows under our feet
Led into the sea
Nothing was left for you and me.
We're not the same, dear,
And it seems to me
There's more where we can go
With nothing underneath.
And it saddens me to say
But we both know, well, it's true
That the ice was getting thinner
Under me and you.
The ice was getting thinner
Under me and you

The song “The Ice Is Getting Thinner” by Death Cab for Cutie relates to the idea that Jim and Annas relationship was not always bad but only has become that way due to circumstances. The lyrics “There was little we could say, and even less we could do to stop the ice from getting thinner under me and you” shows that it’s not their fault that things have changed and that they are growing apart. They did everything within their power to make their situation better. Jim worked endlessly and Anna took care of the children and together they did their best to make a good life for their family. However due to poverty, and frustrations associated with it, they were constantly brought down. The more times got hard the thinner the ice became. The tension grew between them and frustrations were taken out on each other often. Jim raping Anna is a clear sign he was pushed to become a man he wasn’t when she married him. The stress of life made him drink and take advantage of his wife. There is evidence in the book that their family has the potential to be happy again. Like when they were all happy at the barn dance, singing and having a good time. However, good times rarely lasted and tensions would grow again. They had changed and become different people under their circumstances. “We’re not the same, dear, and it seems to me there’s more where we can go with nothing underneath” means that at some point the ice will break and they will no longer be able to keep up the façade of what was their love. When the story ended it looked as if the ice between them was on the verge of breaking, however Anna entered a kind of fantasy world that allowed her to ignore the looming disaster.

song

MGMT: Time to Pretend

This is our decision, to live fast and die young.
We've got the vision, now let's have some fun.
Yeah, it's overwhelming, but what else can we do.
Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute.
Forget about our mothers and our friends
We're fated to pretend
To pretend
We're fated to pretend
To pretend
I'll miss the playgrounds and the animals and digging up worms
I'll miss the comfort of my mother and the weight of the world
I'll miss my sister, miss my father, miss my dog and my home
Yeah, I'll miss the boredom and the freedom and the time spent alone

            Time to Pretend by MGMT reminds me of Mazies friend Ginella and her fantasy world she created to escape her reality. Ginella created and entire fantasy world in which she was rich and had traveled but in actuality was just poor like the Holbrookes. “We’ve got the vision, now let’s have some fun” relates to her creating this vision of a fantasy world and all the children playing along so they too could escape their lives for a bit. “It’s overwhelming, but else can we do. Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute” shows there’s not much they could do as young children to help out. “Forget about our mothers and our friends, we’re fated to pretend” goes along with the individualism seen throughout the book. Most characters in this book felt like they could accomplish their goals on their own and didn’t need any help. “we’re fated to pretend” is pretty significant because Mazie often wonders what will become of her and at one point actually lived in a fantasy world for a bit. She pretended she was still on the farm and happy long after they had left the farm. When she awoke from her fantasy she was severely disappointed with reality. The loss of innocence took Maize from being wide –eyed and curious to jaded and bored. The idea that these kids found an escape in such horrible times is great. Pretending was a way for them to escape their awful circumstances even if it was just for a little while.

song

Gary Jules: Mad World

Children waitin' for the day they feel good
Happy birthday, happy birthday
Made to feel the way that every child should
Sits and listen, sits and listen
Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson?
Look right through me, look right through me
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dyin'
Are the best I've ever had
I find it hard to tell you
'Cause I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It's a very, very
Mad world, mad world
Mad world, mad world

            The song Mad World by Gary Jules illustrates the struggle the Holbrooke children have finding happiness and knowledge from the people in their lives they think can give that to them. “Children waiting for the day they feel good” is the kids always waiting for something to change for the better. “Made to feel the way that every child should” touches on the idea that Maize and her siblings were only children and should have been able to enjoy it. Their circumstance denied them the childhood most kids take for granted. Most days were spent taking care of the family or worrying about their parents. Maize, by the end of the book, had lost her hope and seemed completely jaded. “Hello teacher tell me what’s my lesson, look right through me” relates to their experience going to school. The idea of school to them meant opportunity and a life better than the one they had. However, when they went they had a bad experience. They felt shame, poorly dressed, and the teacher openly criticized their inability to read. If everyone says your shot at a good future is an education and you go and don’t fit in at all it will pretty much crush your dreams. This song overall is depressing. It’s about the repetitive nature of life and the insignificance of everyday routines leading to depression. I think it’s a great song to illustrate the worn out feeling of the Holbrookes everyday lives. It’s like after that everyday who wouldn’t pause for a moment and think “what’s the point”. Even in such a “mad world” though hope can be found like with the Holbrookes. They kept trying despite all their setbacks. Although their future looks grime they keep hope and we look back at their lives and celebrate their struggle and the notion that no one should be forgotten.