"A Smile to Remember" by Charles Bukowski

we had goldfish and they circled around and around
in the bowl on the table near the heavy drapes
covering the picture window and
my mother, always smiling, wanting us all
to be happy, told me, 'be happy Henry!'
and she was right: it's better to be happy if you
can
but my father continued to beat her and me several times a week while
raging inside his 6-foot-two frame because he couldn't
understand what was attacking him from within.

my mother, poor fish,
wanting to be happy, beaten two or three times a
week, telling me to be happy: 'Henry, smile!
why don't you ever smile?'

and then she would smile, to show me how, and it was the
saddest smile I ever saw

one day the goldfish died, all five of them,
they floated on the water, on their sides, their
eyes still open,
and when my father got home he threw them to the cat
there on the kitchen floor and we watched as my mother
smiled 

Close Reading Poetry Analysis

"A Smile to Remember" by Charles Bukowski

 The First Step: Acceptance

            In Charles Bukowski’s poem, “A Smile to Remember,” the extended metaphor, denotation and dialogue enhance the mother’s trapped and delusional state as she falsely tries to convince herself otherwise. The poem depicts the narrator as a child, struggling alongside his mother to be freed from the weight of his abusive father.

            The most important aspect to the poem is the symbolism or metaphor of the goldfish. The fish appear both in the very beginning of the poem and at the end to tie the piece together. The first visual of the goldfish as they “circled around and around” (Bukowski 1) clearly mirrors the mother’s situation, reflecting the fact that she is trapped physically and emotionally with her denial to accept the truth and fix it. At the end, the goldfish reappear as they float “on their sides, their/ eyes still open” (Bukowski 18-19) after they have been mysteriously killed. Their death, untraditionally, represents a freedom for both the mother and themselves. Readers infer that it was in fact the mother that killed them as a symbol for her rising up.

            It is the son who describes this connection, relaying the story in a rather detached tone. The choppy sentences and line breaks along with very simplistic diction create denotation that parallels the mother’s casual attitude when there is so much turmoil within. The narrator describes that the mother is “beaten two or three times a week” (Bukowski 12) but “always smiling, wanting us all/to be happy” (Bukowski 4-5). He states the facts as they are, not lending any emotion to the reality of this situation and contrasting the positive and negative in a nonchalant manner. He uses his language and writing style to mask the inner turmoil that is evident, giving the piece a greater effect.

            The simplistic dialogue also helps readers to unveil the mother’s true feelings. Her enthusiastic comments are contrary to the tone of the rest of the poem and the events at hand, as she demands Henry to, “smile!” allow readers to see through her enthusiasm, reinforcing her feeling of being trapped.

            The same fishbowl concept can be applied to Freddy in Muriel Spark’s The Mandelbaum Gate. Between Freddy’s constant routine of Israel, Jordan with the Cartwrights, letters to his mother and Arabic lessons with Abdul, he leads a dreary and safe life, especially brought down by ties to his family. With no real passion for anything in his life, the beginning of the book takes on a formal and removed tone similar to “A Smile to Remember” as the boy describes his mother as a “poor fish,” indicating helplessness and detachment. Like the false front of the mother in the poem, Freddy simply “functioned” and because of the constant burden of his own mother, “he had done for thirty years of his natural history, a letter a week” (Spark 50).  He too swam “around and around” (Bukowski 1) wasting his life by filling pages with “a trail of familiar patterns” (Spark 50).

There is a sense of freedom in “A Smile to Remember” when the fish die and the “mother smiled” hinting she will no longer surrender and has come to grips with reality. She rids herself of the symbol reminding her of the prison in which she lives her life, resembling a new beginning. Freddy experiences this same courage when he disposes the letters to his mother, Benny and the doctor down the toilet, “dropping the charred remains one by one” (Spark 144). He slowly relieves himself of this weight and allows himself to begin an adventure. Freddy symbolically frees himself as does the mother, but goes further to start an adventure without burden, steering clear of the “heavy drapes” as depicted in the poem.  The previous denial and entrapment is clearly evident in both pieces, along with the eventual refusal to surrender and beginning of passion, showing the importance in “disposing of some tiresome correspondence” (Spark 145).

"Be Kind" by Charles Bukowski

we are always asked
to understand the other person's
viewpoint
no matter how
out-dated
foolish or
obnoxious.

one is asked
to view
their total error
their life-waste
with
kindliness,
especially if they are
aged.

but age is the total of
our doing.
they have aged
badly
because they have
lived
out of focus,
they have refused to
see.

not their fault?

whose fault?
mine?

I am asked to hide
my viewpoint
from them
for fear of their
fear.

age is no crime

but the shame
of a deliberately
wasted
life

among so many
deliberately
wasted
lives

is. 

Close Reading Poetry Analysis

"Be Kind" by Charles Bukowski

Lives Wasted by Ignorance

In the poem “Be Kind” by Charles Bukowski, the choppy line breaks, repetition and rhetorical question emphasize the speaker’s frustration with the expectation that one should hold their tongue.

The abrupt line breaks put emphasis on certain words, allowing the author to more strongly relay his point. When describing the opinions of others Bukowski calls them “out-dated/ foolish or/ obnoxious” (Bukowski 5-7), each adjective harsh and accusatory. Each term is separated, existing on its own line to give punch to the speaker’s feelings about other’s viewpoints, clearly showing is annoyance. The technique of leaving the words on their own lines allows them to each stand alone, instead of the adjectives blending together. To further emphasize the extent of his feelings, Bukowski uses asyndeton referring to their views as “their total error/their life-waste” (Bukowski 10-11). Each description is secluded as if the speaker has paused and decided a less mild accusation was more appropriate. It gives the stronger of the two descriptions its own emphasis, indicating his growing rage.

Bukowski’s use of rhetorical question contributes to the accusatory tone, giving his speech a demanding feel. The questions are all incomplete sentences, signifying a more rapid interrogation as he asks, “not their fault” (Bukowski 25)? This initial question is immediately backed up with “whose fault?/mine?” showing his disagreement with the first statement, one we can assume he’s heard before (Bukowski 26-27). This repetition of rhetorical question implies that the speaker wants an answer but knows he cannot receive one, furthering his point and showing his frustration in the demanding tone. 

Bukowski’s frequent repetition demands emphasis on the extent of his disappointment with humanity. “For fear of their/ fear” (Bukowski 31-32), indicates a censorship of society and the repetition of the word “fear” shows a criticism by the speaker on the power and hold that fear has on society. In the final stanzas the parallel between “deliberately wasted life” and “deliberately wasted lives” illuminates the extent to which the speaker feels that holding back opinion affects society.

This concern is also very apparent in the book, The Mandelbaum Gate. In an area of the world separated with so much hostility, the sharing of ideas is very rare. Speaking against the stereotypical viewpoints of your people is largely looked down upon. If there is any breaking of native bonds or interaction between competing races, the people are considered “snoopers for their government” (Spark 80). With such suspicion, open communication is unlikely and therefore people “have refused to see” (Bukowski 23-24). These “wasted lives” (Bukowski 40-41) lead to a continuation of separation despite the secretive face that “people- they are people” a comment by Alexandros in The Mandelbaum Gate that must not be repeated for fear he would be pinned a spy.

Bukowski criticized the fact that it doesn’t matter how ridiculous a person’s  viewpoint may be, people are still encouraged to save their own opinion “for fear of their fear” (Bukowski 31) or a bruising of feelings. Freddy, in The Mandelbaum Gate, experiences this frustration and is unable to hold back his feelings when he criticizes the Cartwrights of “blow[ing] neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm” (Spark 80). This outburst and frank display of opinion is surprising to the people of that setting and time. But both Freddy and Bukowski share the need to move against the current and change the path of “so many deliberately wasted lives” (Bukowski 38-41).

Multiple Choice Explanations: The Mandelbaum Gate

1.)   The inclusion of lots of details splits up the action and gives the appearance that time is moving slowly. Because readers are anxious to know what happens next this also allows suspense. Setting the stage and painting a picture for the readers with detail allows them to feel as if they are actually there. Therefore C is the correct answer.

2.)   The sentence declaring that Freddy and Barbara had got away has a short and to-the-point sentence structure, contrasting to the rest of the passage. This allows the sentence to stand out and stand powerfully on its own. Therefore C is the correct answer.

3.)   The passage’s many details and high intensity wondering what will happen next give the passage a feeling of suspense. In between the action Barbara also comes to a realization, proving that the passage is reflective as well. Therefore A is the correct answer.

4.)   Proven by Barbara’s later realization that she would’ve liked to be caught, the sentence shows Barbara’s unhappiness in the lack of excitement or unrest that came with her escape. Therefore D is the correct answer.

5.)   The passage does not emphasize Barbara’s fear as she remains consistently quite calm during the escape. The light and dark represent a permanent transformation rather than her feelings in the moment. Therefore E is the correct answer. 

Multiple Choice Explanations: "A Smile to Remember"

1.)    The correct answer is B because the poem is first started off this way in order to foreshadow or set up the mother’s feelings and therefore clarify the next lines; therefore A cannot be the answer. The repetition of “around and around”, and the visual that the line provides enhances the theme of entrapment by this feeling of monotony, therefore C cannot be the answer. The fish’s actions clearly show that they don’t have the ability to venture anywhere but the containment of the bowl, therefore D cannot be the answer. The fish are seen throughout the poem representing the mother’s burden; therefore E cannot be the answer. The narrator is specifically referencing his mother and only exists as a character to reveal the mother’s feelings; therefore B is the correct answer.

2.)    The mother’s constant obsession with keeping her son happy along with their truly dreary situation show that the mother is discontented with her life but avoidant of acknowledging her true feelings, therefore C is the correct answer.

3.)    The word “can” on its own line gives it emphasis and because of the emphasis, suggests that not everyone is able to be happy; therefore D is the correct answer.

4.)    Smiling continues to reoccur throughout the poem proving that it holds deeper meaning. The contrast between the emphasis to smile and the horridness of their situation shows that the smile isn’t genuine; therefore C is the correct answer.

5.)     Because of the inclusion of the father’s large height and the implication that he was not entirely emotionally stable, we can infer that, although the father uses his strength to get what he wants, he is torn up emotionally. Therefore A is the correct answer.

Multiple Choice Questions: The Mandelbaum Gate

From the floor above, where she had come from, a noise of running water and padding footsteps came in muffled spasm between the overwhelming attic snores; this was probably caused by one of the German women moving around in the night, having awakened either by habit or by the sound of Barbara’s packing and departure. A tinted glass window about the stair she had just come down let in the moonlight, but the next flight down to the front hall was in blackness by contrast to that dusky amber windowlight above. Barbara lingered on this landing, between the half-light and the pure dark, as if waiting for something. Along the corridor, where the Mother Superior slept, nothing stirred. Barbara did not know why it should. Almost disappointed, she moved to follow Freddy cautiously down the very dark staircase.

            Freddy half-way, came to a curve in the stair and bumped the suitcase loudly into the wall. Barbara halted on the third step and whispered down to him, ‘Are you all right?’ He did not reply but she could hear him continue to pick his step by muted step. She glanced behind and upward, and could not place her sense of something unaccomplished in the silence. The front door was unlocked and Freddy now held it open so that the moonlight flooded her last footsteps from the sleeping convent. They had got away.

            Immediately on passing into the night air she realized that she had almost hoped to be caught, it would have been a relief and a kind of triumph and justification. For there had been a decided element of false assumption in her reception at the convent the previous day, after they had inquired politely, and estimated her type. Of course she was an English Catholic convert. She was indeed the quiet type. But there was a lot more than met the eye, at least she hoped so. She had thought, as the Mother Superior made her benign speech of welcome, and the old novice-mistress hovered with an admiring smile, if only they knew.

1.)    The purpose of the vivid imagery in the first paragraph is to . . .

I.                   Slow down the moment allowing suspense

II.                Allow the reader to feel in the moment along with the characters

III.             Prove, by the silence, that the ladies are indifferent to whether or not she leaves the convent

A.    I and III

B.     I only

C.    I and II

D.    I, II and III

E.     III only

2.)    The simplicity of the sentence, “They had got away” serves to . . .

A.    Remind the readers that they were trying not to be seen

B.     Show the anticlimax

C.    Dramatize their escape by a short and powerful last sentence

D.    Add in the fact without going into detail on a point that isn’t of real importance

E.     Vary the sentence structure to make sure that readers stay interested

3.)    The tone of the passage can best be described as . . .

A.    Suspenseful and reflective

B.     Sanguine and philosophical

C.     Elegaic and dark

D.    Nostalgic and defiant

E.     Contemplative and regretful

4.)    The phrase “something unaccomplished in the silence” serves to . . .

A.    Show that Barbara feels she might not escape from the convent

B.     Illustrate Barbara’s need to be consistently in the spot light

C.     Show that the convent is not, in fact, completely silent

D.    Show Barbara’s desire to prove a point by her rebellion to the ladies at the convent

E.     Show that the silence makes Barbara uncomfortable

5.)    The contrast of light and dark illustrates all except . . .

A.    Barbara’s crossing over to the multidimensional person that has been buried inside

B.     A loss of hope that she will be discovered for who she truly is

C.     The beginning of her physical journey

D.    Safety vs. rebellion and adventure

E.     The change in her fear as she makes her journey