The Fray How To Save A Life Meaning

To begin, music exhibits serenity to the most timid of people in times of distraught. In The

Everyday, people are forced to make choices. Some of those choices are fairly easy to make, and others are not. In the short story “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” by Flannery O’Connor, a man by the name of Tom T. Shiftlet stumbles across a farm where an old woman and her daughter, Lucynell Crater, reside. When the author first introduces the readers to Mr. Shiftlet, he is described as “a tramp and no one to be afraid of” (674). What starts as a man accidentally coming across the woman’s farm, becomes a story that follows Tom through his unrealized quest for love and acceptance. With the help of Ms. Crater and Lucynell, Tom learns that his choices have consequences. In “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”, O’Connor creates a world in

The novel is able to share how music is of great importance and is able to affect people’s moods and thoughts.

The music video “Hawaii ’78” made popular by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole serves as the unofficial anthem for the Hawaiian renaissance movement by focusing on vivid historical imagery coupled with the song’s reflective lyrics to awaken in the audience a sense of urgency to address past transgressions of the native people. Music can be an incredibly powerful tool to communicate a story or to send a message to elicit a response by the audience, especially when the artist is so well loved and respected, and this is where my essay begins.

“The Life You Save May Be Your Own”, is a story which reflects on each and every one of us. The main themes expressed in this story are corruption, the lost innocence, and how we become aware of our errors yet seldom do much to correct ourselves. This final theme is best shown through Mr. Shifflets actions. Mrs. Crater is a great example of the first theme mentioned. Even though she had just met a stranger, after listening to him and his beliefs for a short while, she let him into her home, but for what reasons? Was it an act of kindness? No, it was clearly an act of selfishness. She used Mr. Shifflets skills as a carpenter to fix her home, and the car, and used her own daughter to pull him in. Those actions are the epitome of greed and corruption. Mrs. Carters daughter, Lucynell, is the savior, the “angle of Gawd”, as referred to in the story, and is a great symbol used by the author, Flannery O’Connor, to express the purity and innocence we have in ourselves, which tends to be lost through the corruption.

Perhaps one of the strongest demonstrations of the power of music in “Sonny’s Blues” is the street revival. Everyone has seen these types of revivals before. Every song has been heard by the crowd, but when the music starts everyone stops, watches, and listens. “As the singing filled the air the watching, listening faces underwent a change, the eyes focusing on something within; the music seemed to soothe a poison out of them; and time seemed, nearly, to fall away from the sullen, belligerent, battered faces” (57). The music from the street revival helps lifts the hopelessness from the crowd and provides a sense of relief. Music is able to bring people from all walks of life together. It gives them a sense of calm and ease, an assurance that something is there to help. Music listens.

In the memoir A Long Way Gone, author Ishmael Beah describes his survival journey as a lost child in his country, because of the civil war in Sierra Leone, then becoming a child soldier facing war daily, afterward the process that Beah went through during rehabilitation and finally in fear escaping the civil war. Ishmael Beah emotional journey has three stages of development in which Beah utilized music. In the first stage, Beah uses music as a survival mechanism to keep sane and safe. In the second stage, begins when he loses his brother and friends, Beah reaches the lowest point with the loss of his entire family again, some friends, music, and being forced to join the war. In the final stage, is the process of rehabilitation where Beah connects with music once again. Ishmael Beah exposure to music at a young age stayed with him throughout his life. (Beah, 2007, p. 5-218)

From the creation of harmonies to singing to instruments, music has been an abstract form of human expression. Although an auditory collection of pitches and volumes, musicians can manipulate the same notes and bring them alive for their audiences. The true emotion and energy that’s felt in music really comes from the player as feelings are transferred to and through the listener. This interaction between performer and the house is catharsis, the complete release of strong repressed emotions. Thanks to the musician, music has the ability to grasp people and cause them to sense emotions and feelings without lyrics or images even being necessary. Although it’s believed we can only hear with our ears, something about music makes it emotionally if not physically tangible. In James Baldwin’s short story “Sonny’s Blues,” a narrator certainly unaware of the impact of music invites himself to experience jazz for the first time. Baldwin uses the final scene of his story to argue that music has an effect on those who are able to experience it. Baldwin does this in one single moment by letting the fixed, practical minded, “well-intentioned” narrator experience catharsis from jazz as his growing, free-spirited brother communicates with him through jazz.

Writer, Crystal Wilkinson, in her article, “Dig If You Will The Picture,” recounts her younger painful days and how she utilized music during that time to cope. Wilkinson’s argument is that music, specifically Prince’s, had the ability to pull her through all the terrible things she encountered in life and helped her gain back the control that was stolen from her. She conveys her argument by using a descriptive style that shows in her word choice and tone, imagery, and structure of the article.

Authors often depict their characters in a story through direct and indirect characterization. Direct characterization is simply portrayed through the author or speaker of the story stating actual facts of a character, such as, “She was kind and plump.” In the case of indirect characterization, many authors will use the dialogue of other characters of the mannerisms and actions of the character to display them. This is exemplified by the following: “Lucille then grabbed her napkin for fear of appearing messy.” These different types of characterization are used together and a part. These character identities are often what bring about the end of a character in a story, the demise or the survival. In Flannery O’Connor’s short story, “The Life you Save May Be Your Own,” she relates the title, different types of characterization, and the plot to bring about the end to each character, while much of this end can be assumed or found out by the reader. There are three major characters in “The Life you Save May be Your Own,” they are Mrs. Crater, Lucynell, and Mr. Shiftlet. Mr. Shiftlet is given a name very appropriate for his character, as he is very shifty. Lucynell is recognized for her innocence, which the dainty and little-girl-like name display. Last, is Mrs. Crater, who is also recognized for her name because of her momentous acts throughout the story, which could be referred to as a

Music is known to leave its mark on people helping them to overcome challenges in their lives or to give them courage to defy the odds. In one’s daily life, music is normally taken for granted or is seen as nothing special. As ordinary as it may seem, music can convey emotion in times when the body is numb or all hope is lost. Similarly, in The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway, the cello’s music gave people hope and determination to live their lives in spite of the rampant siege around them. Therefore, music very much impacts the lives of the principal characters Dragan, Kenan, and Arrow.

ext, the band is called The Fray. The Fray was formed in 2002 when two high schoolers, Joe King and Isaac Slade, bumped into each other at a music store in Denver, Colorado. King and Slade usually just played in Slades garage until Ben Wysock, David Welsh, and Caleb Slade joined and completed their band. They decided to start a band because of their passion for music. They also wanted to help people who come to music to escape reality. "How to Save a Life" was written because of Isaac Slades experience as a teenager. While he was a teen he had a mentor who was struggling with addiction and drugs. Due to that he wanted to let this song have more of a lullaby tone to it so it is peaceful to listen to but also has meaning to it.

The personal Narrative “Music Tonight” by Stephen Policoff is unusual because it is all about the daughter, but written from the father’s perspective. I was at first confused as to who the transformation would happen to, and it seems that both the father and daughter experience transformations within the piece, but because it is told from the father’s point of view we will focus on him being the character. At first, this story made me feel somber because I was sympathizing with the daughter, however after reading the entire story I realized that this story is not meant to be morose but rather to celebrate the joyous effect that music has on Anna. Simply because she was diagnosed with a neurological degenerative disease I was beginning to

The Fray is an Alternative Pop Band, which generally does songs that have a sadder tone. One of their hit songs, “How to Save a Life”, is what I have analyzed. The songs overall mood is saddening, but it’s message is very strong. That message is you can’t always help people who aren’t helping themselves. It’s basically about someone trying to help a friend, but he doesn’t exactly know how. Many literary and hidden words and phrases are found scattered across the piece.

“How to Save a Life” was influenced by a boy who suffered from depression and drug addiction. The boy felt helpless because he wanted support from his loved ones, but all he got was a lot of confrontation. This song was dedicated to those who tried to help and talk the boy out of depression and his addiction but was unsuccessful.